We all know people who are constantly unsatisfied and complaining. Their problems are always because of other people. It would be either the government's fault, or the bad weather, or just the problem would be that nowadays everything is worse. Those are the people that act reactively. On the other hand, there are those who focus on solving the problems. They are looking for creative ways to take the responsibility in their hands.

Now let's take for an example the animals to better explain the reactive model. When there's an outside stimuli, the animal reacts according to its internal intuition. It's like they are programmed to react in a certain way, without being able to even realize why and how they do it.

So here's the reactive model.

And the thing that differentiates us as a human species is that we have the unique capability to interfere between the Stimuli and the Reaction. We can influence our reaction in the short span of time between them. This helps us to actively decide how we act according to our external environment.

So here's the Proactive Model

As we can see the CHOICE can be influenced by our conscious, imagination or will.

As Eleonor Rousevelt said:

"Nobody can hurt you without your permission."

The proactive people decide themselves how they will act if for example the weather outside is bad and whether this will influence their emotions. They can take control and responsibility for their life.

We can easily understand which model do people follow just by listening to the words they use in their everyday life.

Reactive people say: "I can't do nothing about it" "That's just who I am" "I must.." "Only if I had..."

Proactive people say: "Let's take a look at the alternatives" "Well, I can try a different approach" "I would rather do..." "I will do..."

No doubt that in life there are things that cause us to worry: our health, our kids, problems at work etc. And if we can't influence those things anyhow and they are out of our control, then the time and energy spend thinking about them are totally unproductive.

But there are those things, that we can change. Those are the things that are within our reach of control. We can focus most of our time and energy by being proactive and act accordingly.

So here's how to be proactive

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1. Prepare yourself for different scenarios

You should develop foresight and be able to predict the likelihood of different scenarios and how you can approach them before they even occurred.

• Learn to anticipate problems and events.
• Understand how things work, look for similarities and patterns
• Use your imagination and logic when anticipating future outcomes
• Take into account each variable that can influence the turn of events
• Be actively waiting for things to occur, so you can act immediately

2. Be Solution-Focused

Don't allow yourself to feel powerless. When there are challenges, take control and confront them before they grow bigger. One of the greatest traits of successful people is good problem-solving skills. It will always be possible things to go wrong. And it's how you handle them when they do. That's what makes you effective and successful.

3. Set yourself "SMART" Goals

Proactive people know how to plan. Look ahead and anticipate long-term consequences. Each end goal is a result from a chain of events. And it's important to have a clearly defined goal that is quantifiable. This will help you measure your success. For example, a goal to "be healthy". What does healthy mean? When are you healthy? A goal to "strengthen your body and lose 10 lbs in 2 months" is measurable and attainable.

In order to set yourself the right goals you can use the "SMART" Goals" concept:

S: Specific (Pick something particular instead of using a broad category.)

M: Measurable (Choose something you can measure)

A: Attainable (You should be able to achieve it)

R: Realistic (Be honest with yourself. Getting rich overnight is rarely realistic)

T: Timely (Set yourself a deadline)

Using this method will help you set your goals and effectively measure the results.

4. Don't observe, but take action

To be proactive, you should take the initiative and get involved. You should be a part of the solution. Engage with people.
Don't procrastinate. Hold yourself accountable and stand behind your decisions. If you don't act, nobody else is going to get you where you want to go. It's totally up to you.

In short:
Reactive people focus their energy on things that are out of their control. That's what makes them feel powerless and they start whining and complaining. Whereas proactive people initiate and act. They do the things that lead to positive changes. They have the abilities to plan for different scenarios, hold on to promises and achieve their goals.


Warm Regards,
@atwix

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Sources: Chrissy Scivicque, Seven habits of highly effective people, Michael Mogill, Shutterstock