First step in the relationships in your life is knowing when to accept the blame. Follow these simple steps to develop new communication skills.

As you are building wealth in pursuit of financial freedom and independence, you are bound to make mistakes. If left unaddressed, those mistakes may affect your relationships and throw you off course to reaching your financial goals.

We have come across a great guide to accepting blame and owning up to your mistakes. Follow the simple steps below, learn from your mistakes, grow internally and improve your relationships.

1. The first step in accepting blame is realizing that you have made a mistake and you deserve to be blamed. Analyze your words and actions and understand what you did poorly or wrongly. Remember – admitting fault does not make you appear weak. Instead, it shows maturity, courage and self-awareness.

2. Don’t try to shift the blame. You may not be the only person to blame in a given situation. There may have been other contributors. However, the mature thing is to focus on yourself and your actions. Even if others do not own up to their mistakes, you will have accepted your wrongdoings.

3. Address the situation sooner than later. Waiting to see how things play out is not wise. The longer you wait, the more severe the consequences will be. As soon as the situation becomes unpleasant, address your responsibility in creating it, so you can move toward finding a solution.

4. Speak to the person who is affected by your wrongdoings. Admitting your mistake shows you are aware of it, the fact that you are not perfect and are willing to improve.

5. Apologize. If the situation requires it, make a sincere apology. Accept your fault and make it clear to the person who is affected that you are sorry for the trouble or hurt your actions have caused.

6. Validate the person’s feelings. If the person affected by your actions is upset, understand and acknowledge their emotions, reactions and feelings. Let them know that you understand the way they feel.

7. Propose a solution. In order to move past the event, you may need to make up for your mistake. Come up with solutions to wright your wrong. This may mean changes in the future (not repeating the same mistake), or actions now (doing what you were initially suppose to do). This will amend the relationship and put people involved on equal ground.

8. Accept consequences. Accepting your fault may be scary, especially knowing thee may come consequences. But know that when the consequences are over, you are truly done. You have accepted your mistake, lived through the consequences, learned from it and moved on in your life.

9. Reflect on your behaviour. Analyze the mistake you’ve made and understand the circumstances. Knowing what lead to your actions or inactions will help you improve yourself and never repeat the same mistake in the future.

10. Get accountable. Have someone in your life who will keep you accountable for your words and your actions. Perhaps a friend or a family member who will call you out and meet with you regularly to talk about accountability.

11. Move on from the situation. Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes. Once you have gone through the steps of accepting blame, move on from it. Do not try to constantly make it up to the person you have hurt. Do not try to relive the situation and allow guilt to linger forever.

Start using these steps in your life and you will notice the instant improvement in relationships, your mental state and your ability to work towards your life and financial goals.

If you would like to learn other techniques which will help you in your journey toward financial independence, check out our Be Your Own CEO Checklist.