From Reactive to Proactive

I recently read “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey and learned that the first and most important habit of highly effective people is BEING PROACTIVE. But in a society full of reactive people, why should you be proactive? People who are proactive take charge of their life and hold themselves accountable for their choices. In most situations people merely react to things that are often out of their control. A proactive mindset is one that will take charge and focus on that which they can do something about. Implementing a proactive way of thinking within the workplace will make you more valuable and successful. Your employer will appreciate how resourceful you are and how well you can troubleshoot situations with ease. 

Here are 4 great steps you can implement in order to be more proactive in your workplace. 

Predict 
People who are proactive anticipate issues that could possibly arise so that way they are not caught by surprise. It is extremely important not to become complacent. Being proactive means that you are constantly thinking on your toes. A best practice would be to pay close attention to details and look for patterns. Awareness of routines will allow for you to spot irregularities. The recognition of these irregularities will allow room for creative thinking on how to prepare for possible issues. You will already have a game plan for these unexpected events and will be able to tackle them without effort! Powerlessness is one of the worst feelings. No one wants to feel like they have hit a roadblock and are in a situation outside of their control. Being able to predict hurdles and obstacles and how to avoid them will prevent these stressful situations.

Strategize 
Planning and preparing for the future is what makes an excellent proactive individual. Thinking ahead and focusing on the success of tomorrow will lead to better decisions. Sometimes it helps to envision a goal and work your way backwards through the action steps that got you there. This may help you to strategize a plan that will bring the future into the here and now and ultimately lead to your successes for tomorrow.

Contribute 
Get involved and participate! This will keep you engaged at work. In order to be part of a solution you must always take the initiative and engage in the actions of others instead of merely reacting to them. Contributing to your work environment will give you the opportunity to exert influence and truly be a part of a team effort.

Execute
All of these ideas are great and will work out well to your benefit when you follow through. You must hold yourself accountable and take ownership of your actions and performance. Most importantly you must never procrastinate. Realize that the work needs to be done now and not tomorrow. Focus your time and energy into executing a proactive state of mind.

Making the choice to be proactive will allow you to take charge of your life and where you want to go. Being proactive will make you more successful in both the work environment and at home. Instead of waiting for things to happen and reacting to them as they come up, create your own opportunities and events. Go against the grain and lead the life that you want to lead instead of following everyone else’s cues. Do not be the person that waits for opportunities and things to happen, make things happen for yourself and be successful!