Becoming proactive is not only helpful, but it saves you a lot of stress later on. Are you tired of just standing on the sidelines and watching your life pass you by? Every move or play is one that will not get you any closer to your end goal. Proactivity helps you assess and weigh out your options and be conscious of your next move. Most people think that doing busy work, or mainly just things that keep their to-do list long, or running mindless errands all day is being proactive…they are wrong! If you spend all of your time doing endless amounts of tedious work that doesn’t contribute to your end goal, you are just running about in circles day in, and day out.
The activity does NOT equal proactivity. It is the authenticity, and carefully calculated thought put into your actions that turn into proactivity. You also need to be mindfully present. You need to keep your thoughts in check and on the task. All these things combined will help you be more proactive.
Now why is it important that you are proactive in your business? As a manager? A business coach? As a parent teaching your children? Managing your finances? Studying at a university or trade school etc. It is highly important to be actively engaged and proactive because it allows you to be present while making calculated moves that will help you reach your end goal the best way.
For instance, pretend you are going over your family budget with your spouse. You have three children who you absolutely love! You and your spouse want them to receive a great education whether attending a university or a trade school. While your children are still young, you and your spouse discuss how you would like to be able to financially assist them in their education. However, universities can be quite expensive even with scholarships. However, you decide now, that you will set aside a certain amount every paycheck that will go towards their education funds. This is being proactive in your children’s future because:
- You have set the goal financially to help your children.
- You know exactly how much to set aside to reach that goal, and
- By starting and saving now, while your children are young, not only will you teach them important principles about finance and managing their money, but by the time they’re 18, you will have met your goal.
If you spend all of your time doing endless amounts of tedious work that doesn’t contribute to your end goal, you are just running about in circles day in, and day out.
Another business coach example is, say you owned your very own bakery. You sell loaves of bread, pastries, pies, and other delicious things. From the moment you step into your shop, you are thinking of all the tasks that need to be completed, and what you need to do to get them done. What if one morning you have more customized orders than usual? Would you start off the morning by making the regular amount of pastries as you would on any other day? Or would you think ahead and prepare more, so that not only do you have enough for the orders, but enough for your regular business day as well. This is being proactive. Because you are consciously thinking of your next step, your next move, your next play. And you are calculating or planning out, what needs to happen in order for you to make it. Being proactive is helpful for all areas of life. It reduces stress, helps you plan ahead, and creates or shows the path to your success.
