The Habit of being Proactive

I've finished reading the first habit of effectiveness, "Be Proactive," and I want to share what I've learned. Being proactive means taking charge and being responsible, not just watching things happen. It's about looking after our growth, understanding our mistakes, and working on getting better. Being proactive also means knowing what we can and can't control. We don't waste time worrying about things we can't change, but focus on the things we can. The idea of the "circle of concern" and "circle of influence" was interesting. The "Circle of Concern" includes things we care about but can't control, while the "Circle of Influence" involves things we can directly impact and change through our actions. Covey emphasizes focusing on our Circle of Influence to become more effective. Instead of worrying about things we can't change, we should focus on improving ourselves and being more proactive, which can make things better.

The author, Stephen Covey, also talked about the power of "Have" and "Be" attitudes. I could relate to this. When our concerns are full of "haves" like "If only I have a better job" or "If only I had a nicer car," these are things we can't always control. Instead, we can make a positive change by shifting to "be" attitudes. For example, "I can be more hardworking" or "I can be more creative." If we want things to be different, we need to work on the things we can control.

After reading this, I'm taking a thirty-day challenge that the author suggests. Here's what I'm planning to do to be more proactive:

1. When I make a mistake, I'll admit it, fix it, learn from it, and correct right away.

2. I won't blame/ accuse others.

2. I'll be part of solutions, not problems. I'm going to try this for a month with myself, my family, my students, and my friends. I'll share my experiences after a month. If you're interested, you can try some of these too and tell me how it goes in the comments.