Be more proactive.
How many times have you heard that?
We are often told to be more proactive because it will help our career and that being proactive
helps in life overall.
This video will cover the difference between being proactive and reactive, benefits of
being proactive, and how to be proactive.
So what’s the difference between proactive and reactive people?
In a work environment, someone reactive will wait for more orders after finishing the task
but a proactive person will go look for more things to do.
The proactive person is always looking for an opportunity to improve in this scenario.
In essence, someone reactive deal with things in life as they come.
Something will happen and they react to it.
Theres a stimulus and then they respond.
Reactive people usually have no plan and they are the people that try to wing it through
life.
They are only focused on the present.
Also, reactive people are not open to change because they like being in a comfort zone.
On the other hand, someone proactive usually has things planned out.
They have countermeasures because they realize some things can go wrong.
They look at both the present and the future.
A proactive person can anticipate a stimulus and have a difference response than the proactive
person.
Compared to a reactive person who doesnt like change, proactive people are open and willing
to accept change.
Now lets talk about the benefits of being proactive.
In your career, being proactive is likely to help you get a promotion.
This is because you will be providing more value to the company you work for.
In life, being proactive will help you be more prepared for situations and stress less.
You have a plan and you can realize potential issues so you will be prepared for possible
outcomes.
This will also make you a better problem solver.
Proactive people are also more driven to achieve their goals.
They are not willing to sit back and let things happen.
They want to determine their future and will set goals to achieve to create their own path.
Also, proactive people have a better sense of direction in life so it is easier for them
to make decisions.
They know what will help them move forward and what to cut out.
Finally, proactive people are more self aware.
They tend to know themselves better than reactive people and know what they want.
They take charge of themselves and know what purpose they have.
So how can we be more proactive?
First, simple planning is a great way to start being more proactive.
A simple to do list for everyday is a great way to start.
It helps you get in the mood to start planning out other stuff in the future.
With a to do list, you can control how your day will flow.
Theres always a lot of things going on in our days and a to do list can give us a sense
of direction.
As an added bonus, a to do list can help you build discipline because if you dont complete
all the tasks, you can stop yourself from doing other things until you complete it.
Next, start setting goals to achieve.
This is going to be more long term than a daily to do list so you want to make sure
it is achievable and specific.
You also might want to set a time frame to achieve the goal so theres a sense of urgency.
While a to do list will give you a sense of direction for the day, a goal will give you
a sense of direction for an extended period from months to maybe even years.
Then, make sure you hold yourself accountable.
Proactive people know it is up to themselves to advance in life.
They know people can help them by reducing the learning curve but they know they have
to put in the work.
People that help them are a support system but they cant succeed for the individual.
No one will solve your problems and most of your problems will be your fault.
Finally, be consistent.
Some days you will get things wrong and you will want to quit.
It is perfectly normal.
But, proactive people are successful not because they get everything right but because they
are consistent.
They take steps everyday to work towards their goals.
A small step each day can go a long way.
Finally, make sure you account for bumps along the way.
Proactive people are successful because they can recognize problems ahead of time and react
to them by taking countermeasures.
Look at the big picture and realize what can potentially happen.
By having countermeasures, you will save yourself a lot of time and stress.
If you are not planning, you are planning to fail.
What was your biggest takeaway from this video?
Comment below and if you enjoyed this video check out my other videos.