Be Proactive

When discussing the first habit of highly effective people, “Be Proactive,” Stephen Covey makes a point to delineate the idea of proactivity as not just a positive action, but as realizing one’s responsibility in choosing the reactions that will create the life that is intended. He breaks down the word responsibility so that we can see “response ability.” We have the ability to choose our own response to any given situation.

While one may think that the opposite of proactive would be inactive, Covey points out that it is actually reactive. Being proactive, we own our behaviors. We realize that our decisions in any circumstances will determine what kind of person we are and how much control we have of our own lives. If we live reactively, our circumstances will determine our decisions, never letting us know what kind of person we really are because we choose not to take control of our lives.

The reason that “Be Proactive” is the first of the 7 habits and the key to creating a Private Victory is because we can’t really be effective without it. When we are proactive instead of reactive, we realize that no other person gets to choose the outcome of our lives. No circumstance or event will dissuade us from holding true to our principles. We cannot be effective unless we take responsibility for our own actions, our own attitudes, and our own goals.

There is an exercise I learned from the Avatar course book where you pronounce what you are going to do and then do it. It’s sort of like playing Simon Says with yourself. If you have someone monitoring you, they can point out every time you engage in an action that you do not first announce. You then have to announce your intention to perform the action and perform it on your own terms. It seems kind of silly at first, but can be quite empowering. It is truly amazing to realize all of the actions we perform which are completely involuntary and the result of a life of conditioning. However, as we become conscious of these things, focus on our values and principles, and notice our emotions without having to act on them, we are that much closer to being truly proactive and living an effective life.

Dr. Covey makes a point to differentiate between our Circle of Concern and our Circle of Influence. Our Circle of Concern includes those things that we care about, what matters to us. Our Circle of Influence includes the things we can actually do something about, or what we matter to. He states that Proactive people spend their energy addressing things in their Circle of Influence, thereby making it grow larger. Reactive people spend their energy addressing things in the Circle of Concern, making their Circle of Influence smaller. It is similar to the Serenity Prayer, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Be Proactive in knowing where your energy is best spent and realize how many of your daily activities have an effect on the things in your Circle of Influence.

Tags: 7, Add new tag, Avatar, Books, character, communication, ethic, highly effective people, personal improvement, personality, proactive, reactive, responsibility, self-help, seven habits, stephen covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People