As a young boy, I vividly remember the feeling I had each inauguration day; it was a combination of excitement and nervousness. I was sure that a new President would “feel” different in some way and would mean all kinds of changes in my life. Inevitably though, life went on and, over time, this feeling subsided.

Every election cycle inevitably brings both elation and despair as some believe that the anointment of a new leader will dramatically affect the course of our lives. History has shown, however, that this sort of transformational leadership (both positive and negative) occurs very infrequently.

Many of us want to be inspired and led. While understandable, the fact is that it’s the decisions we make and the actions we take each day that will have the greatest impact on the trajectory of our lives. In this well-written article on the emotional responses to the election, author Sean Edwards writes, “The problem is the faith, the trust, and the hope we place in one individual we think can change the course of our lives.”

As Edwards alludes to, it’s dangerous for us to abdicate our happiness or belief in our ability to succeed to anyone but ourselves. Depending on the person’s perspective of the outcome, it creates either a false sense of optimism or complacency.

Believing we are in control of our destiny and that the choices we make each day matter is extremely powerful—as is personal accountability. These principals are behind our primary core value at Acceleration Partners which we refer to as “Own It.” In our culture deck, we define Own It as:

“We step up to the opportunities in front of us, bet on our own abilities and rise to the occasion.

‘Owning it’ means being proactive and taking accountability for outcomes, even when variables are beyond our control and ambiguity is present. We are confident and accountable in everything we do and are comfortable holding our teammates accountable as well.”

When you decide to “own it,” there is no longer a victim mentality or a feeling that life is just happening to you. Instead, you put yourself in the driver’s seat and eliminate the excuses and limiting beliefs that stand in the way of your definition of success or happiness.

Let’s all give up the notion that we are in the passenger seat in life and resolve to make an impact, each day, in our own way.