Professional Documents
Culture Documents
How To Become A Proactive Person
How To Become A Proactive Person
How To Become A Proactive Person
HAROLD TAYLOR
HOW TO BECOME A
PROACTIVE PERSON
THE 7 HABITS OF
PROACTIVE PEOPLE
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How to Become a Proactive Person: The 7 Habits of Proactive People
1st edition
© 2020 Harold Taylor & bookboon.com
ISBN 978-87-403-3476-0
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Contents
CONTENTS
About the author 6
Introduction 7
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Contents
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON About the author
He has developed over 50 time management products that have sold in 38 countries around
the world. His time management newsletter, now in electronic format, has been published
for over the thirty-five years and he has had over 250 articles accepted for publication in
various magazines.
CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation in 1987 from the National Speakers
Association. In 1998 the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers inducted him into
the Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame. And in 2001, he received the Founder’s Award from
the Professional Organizers in Canada. The award has been renamed the Harold Taylor
Award in his honor.
Prior to his speaking and writing career, Harold held management positions in industry
for twelve years at Canadian Johns Manville and American-Standard and was a teaching
master in the business division of Humber College in Toronto for eight years. He has been
an entrepreneur for over forty years, incorporating four companies during that time.
His first company, Harold Taylor Enterprises Ltd., established in 1967, was a multiple
association management company that also published four magazines and a line of greeting
cards, and sponsored public seminars and management training programs. Since 1981, when
he incorporated the time management company, Harold Taylor Time Consultants Inc., he
has personally presented over 2000 workshops, speeches, and keynotes on the topic of time
and life management.
Harold lives in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada. He writes e-books for Bookboon.com (35
to date), publishes a weekly blog article at his website (also posted on Facebook & Twitter),
a free quarterly time management newsletter for his 2000 plus subscribers, sends out regular
tweets, and speaks to seniors and other groups on “growing older without growing old” in
addition to “time and life management.” His website is www.taylorintime.com.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Not only has our work environment changed during the past decade or so, our work habits
have changed as well. Just because technology now allows us to work any place at any time,
does not mean we have to do so. If you choose to be available 24/7, you will lead a hectic
life with little chance of keeping up with your full-time job.
We tell people how to treat us by how we manage our time. If we send business emails on
Sunday, we will receive emails on Sunday in turn. If we answer our business phone after
normal working hours, we will receive phone calls after working hours, and so on.
We can get more accomplished, not by working longer hours, but by being selective and
focused during the hours we have decided or contracted to work. Whether you work for
someone else or are self-employed, it is essential to balance your “work” time and your
“personal” time.
Make sure your expectations line up with the expectations of the company. Does the
company measure your performance by the number of hours you put in or by the results
you achieve? Successful companies measure performance by the latter, and that is the kind
of company I would rather work for. Management by results involves having targets of
performance. These targets could be such things as volume of sales, number of subscribers,
quality measurements, employee turnover or whatever, depending on your position in the
company and the nature of the business.
Seldom would you have targets based on the number of hours worked in a week, the amount
of overtime you can put in, the quantity of emails handled in the evenings and so on.
Many people work for companies that value and measure results; but feel they must work
longer hours to achieve those results. That is not the fault of the company if the expectations
are reasonable. It is the fault of the workers by not managing their time well. It is a simple
case of not keeping on top of the job during the hours allocated to the job.
There are many strategies that you can use to manage your time effectively, including getting
organized, delegation, focus, the use of technology and so on. But the most important one,
the one discussed in this book, is being proactive. By being proactive, you cannot only
avoid working overtime and playing the “catch up” game all the time, you can actually keep
ahead of your job as well – and lead a balanced life in the process.
This book will show you how to become a proactive person and provides many examples
along the way.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON How proactive are you?
In the meantime, take the following test to determine the current extent of your proactivity.
If you score low, be sure to read the following chapters carefully and put as many of the
suggested strategies as possible into practice. I suggest you do not skip this self-evaluation
instrument since it may prompt ideas or new perspectives on how you might become even
more proactive than you are now. In fact, I believe there is something in this book for
everyone, regardless of their score.
Always – 3
Sometimes – 2
Seldom – 1
Never - 0
3. I keep a weekly “To do” list rather than, or in addition to, a daily “To do”
list. ___
8. As soon as I learn of the dates of events I plan to attend, I mark them in ___
my planning calendar.
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9. The work I do is important and relates to company goals. ___
5. I put deadlines on all my planned tasks and activities. ___
8. As soon as I learn of the dates of events I plan to attend, I mark them in ___
my planning calendar.
11. At night I prepare what I will need for the next morning, including the ___
clothes I will wear the next morning.
13. I book hotel rooms, car rentals etc. well ahead when I travel. ___
14. I prepare checklists for coming events for which I am responsible. ___
15. Before I leave work in the afternoon, I confirm what I will be working on ___
the next day.
16. I take notes at all meetings and enter into my planning calendar any ___
actions requiring my attention.
17. I have personal goals as well as business goals, both in writing. ___
18. When an unanticipated problem occurs, I take action to see if such a ___
problem can be prevented in the future.
For each of the last 18 statements, assign the following points for your answers.
Always – 0
Sometimes – 1
Seldom – 2
Never - 3
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON How proactive are you?
23. The tasks are urgent by the time I work on them. ___
26. Other people say I am spending too much time at work. ___
28. I run out of supplies such as computer cartridges, printing paper, pens ___
etc.
30. My backlog of work is overdue & would take over two hours to ___
complete.
33. I struggle to stay on top of things and find myself playing catch-up. ___
34. I wait until problems occur before I take action to address the underlying ___
causes.
___
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON What it means to be proactive
2 WHAT IT MEANS TO
BE PROACTIVE
Proactive people are excellent time managers, because they are future-oriented, setting specific
goals for every meeting and event, setting deadlines on all tasks, and scheduling time in
their planners to work on the important, goal-oriented tasks and activities. They seldom
appear rushed or stressed since they always allow more time than they think the activities
will take, and they allow for interruptions and unforeseeable crises.
Reactive people, on the other hand, act in response to a situation rather than creating or
controlling it. They are usually disorganized since they never have time to develop systems
or routines for filing paperwork and electronic documents. They waste time searching for
things, shuffling papers, and following up with others. And they do not have the luxury of
setting distant deadlines on tasks and projects. Everything is rush, rush. They do not have
the option of scheduling priority tasks for specific times in the future, because they are too
busy dealing with the present. They are captive to the tyranny of the urgent.
Reactive people are problem solvers rather than problem avoiders. They wait for things to
happen and then jump into action. Many of them feel they work better under stress, and
seem to enjoy the adrenaline rush as the “fight or flight” body reaction kicks in. But stress
eventually takes its toll, and health problems frequently add to their productivity problems.
Proactive people, on the other hand, not only set deadlines for all priority tasks and projects,
they aim to finish these commitments well before the deadlines.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON What it means to be proactive
I see proactivity as continually dipping one mental foot into the future while the other
foot remains firmly planted in the present. Seldom should you have to take a backward
step except to retrieve a lesson from the past. Everything you do now, everything you say,
every person you hire or promote will have an impact on the future. So, keeping one foot
in the future refers to considering the impact of something before you do it. Think before
you act. Never make snap decisions unless it is a crisis.
– Stephen R Covey.
If you are not proactive, your job, and the tasks and activities that it includes, will control
you rather than the other way around. You become so busy fighting fires, reacting to the
demands of others, solving problems that should never have occurred, playing “catch-up,”
and making amends for missed meetings, forgotten commitments and late assignments that
you get even further behind.
Proactive people, on the other hand, not only set deadlines for all priority tasks and projects,
they aim to finish these commitments well before the deadlines. This is a habit you should
develop – keeping one step ahead on many of the jobs that will have to be done in the
future. This will be covered in chapter five.
Proactive people do not often wait for things to happen; they make things happen. They
foresee consequences, risks, and opportunities and act to anticipate and change the expected
course of events. They feel in control, and confident in taking the initiative when a procedure
needs changing, a goal needs adjusting or a task needs doing. Proactivity becomes a mindset
that not only avoids needless work down the road but can avoid time-consuming problems
as well.
– Wayne Schmidt.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON What it means to be proactive
They make sure they are clear on the company’s mission and policies before setting goals,
check what is available on the market before selecting a planning calendar and prioritize
their workload before scheduling the individual tasks in their planner.
In the next chapter we will discuss an example of how a proactive person might use this
“before rather than after” approach in the case of a person seeking employment.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Example of a proactive approach
3 EXAMPLE OF A PROACTIVE
APPROACH
Compare that to a proactive approach where you might apply for a position before it is
advertised or even available. If you were a proactive person you would probably start looking
for a job even before you needed one. Do not wait until you graduate from college. Or if
you are currently employed and hear rumours of downsizing or layoffs, do not wait until
it happens. If you are in a dead-end job or dissatisfied with the work, environment, people
or pay, do not wait until the stress makes you ill or forces you to quit.
“You cannot change what you have done, only what you
are going to do.”
– Suze Orman
Take a proactive approach and identify the companies you would like to work for, research
these companies, determine how you could be a valuable asset to them in your area of
expertise and approach the hiring managers before any jobs are advertised. Who is your
competition now? Have the odds of gaining appropriate employment increased any?
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Example of a proactive approach
The more people you meet through networking, the more effective you will become. You meet
a lot of people simply by going about our daily routine. But you should also have a plan.
What type of company would you like to work for, and which specific companies appeal
to you? If you do not know, find out. Being proactive is not any easier than pounding the
pavement, knocking on doors. It is simply more effective. The results you get are normally
in proportion to the effort you put into the search.
Assume you are seeking a position in quality control at the management level with a company
such as 3M. That should be specific enough. And remember you can always change your
plan or modify your focus. But if you have nothing to aim at, you will probably have the
results to match.
Google the companies, scan the newspapers for articles about them, and visit their websites.
Become familiar with their products, mission statements, community involvements and so
on. Pay special attention to anything you discover about quality control in the company
or companies you are targeting. Do this to the extent that if you met people from that
company today, you would be able to carry on an intelligent conversation with them.
– Benjamin Franklin
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Example of a proactive approach
To start with you should immediately join two associations, - a peer group, whose interests
match your own (which in your case would be a professional association such as the American
Society for Quality,) and one whose members represent your target market (such as your
local Chamber of Commerce or Association of Women Executives,) where executives from
those companies would attend. If your target market is small business owners. you might
join the local chamber of commerce or board of trade or an association of entrepreneurs.
Check to make sure the executives of your target companies belong to the associations you
choose.
It does not have to be a job that you are after. You could be looking for new customers,
increased sales, business growth, expert advice, or whatever. In any case, joining the associations
is not enough. You must attend their monthly meetings and other functions as often as
possible. The more visible you are, the more contacts you will make and the more chance
you have of gaining employment or referral business or help with an existing business. Do
not join too many associations. You simply will not have the time to network properly.
There is little reward for having your name listed in a membership roster.
When you join these associations, get involved if possible. I have owned an association
management company where we managed dozens of associations, and all of them were
constantly seeking volunteers. Officers and committee members are on networking’s inside
track when it comes to opportunities, whether that involves a career, information, product
promotion, company growth or simply expanding your network for future use. You do not
need a specific reason right now for networking. It is also a proactive person’s insurance
policy for the future, and a great way to make friends and expand your horizons.
– Lord Chesterfield
The more you network, the easier it becomes. Have plenty of business cards and one-page
resumes. And memorize an “elevator speech” – a brief description of your specialty skills,
experience, intentions, and unique value proposition. When someone asks what you do,
simply say you are currently unemployed, if that happens to be the case, and explain what
type of job you are looking for. Or you could set yourself up as an independent consultant
temporarily. Keep your elevator speech less than 30 seconds in length, but include the
name of a couple of companies you have worked for, the specific skills that you offer, and
the benefit of these skills to your target market. And rehearse it; because you never know
when you may need it.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Example of a proactive approach
Make up a few folders, which I refer to as “Press Kits.” containing detailed resumes, copies
of certificates from courses you have completed, articles you may have written for a company
newsletter, referrals, major accomplishments – anything that highlights your experience,
expertise, accomplishments, awards, education and so on.
Arrive at every meeting a little early so you meet people as they arrive. Overcome your
reluctance to start up a conversation. I realize that some people are more extroverted than
others, but you can overcome any fear simply by realizing that they are just as anxious
to talk to you. The more you network, the easier it becomes. And networking requires a
proactive approach.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habits of proactive people
If it is a task to be completed, use your planning calendar, and block off enough time to
complete the task plus an additional 20% or more. I allow 50%, because invariably I would
underestimate the time it would take or the interruptions that I would have to contend
with at that time. If travel time is needed as well, allow for it.
Then, as you mentally walk through the future event, as described later, jot down what you
will need to complete the event, task, or activity. If you need to order something, invite
people, or download information, do it at that time, or at least well before the event. And
be sure to have a follow up file, carton, or whatever is needed, appropriately labeled, to
house the material.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habits of proactive people
Meetings are good examples of time wasted due to a lack of preparation. People may have
the time scheduled, and yet have neglected to read the reports in advance or review the
agenda items to determine whether they need to prepare or do anything in advance of the
meeting. And you cannot leave these things until the day of the meeting.
You should make up a checklist of things you need to do or bring to the event - one
checklist for each event. Be sure to house the checklist in a follow up file to review a day
or two before the event.
– George S. Patton
A networking checklist might list such items as business cards, company brochures, press
kits, client lists and so on. What are the items you wish that you had brought along the last
time? Copies of your unique value statement? A copy of your elevator speech for review?
Those promotional pens? Add them to your checklist.
In their imagination they mentally walk through the three days of events, deciding in
advance what they will wear at the various functions, which presentations they will attend,
and who they will seek out to maximize their networking opportunities. In the process,
they might decide that they will need business cards, writing materials, an empty carry-on
bag to house the information that they will be collecting at the exhibits and casual clothes
for the Saturday night barbecue.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habits of proactive people
In their pocket or purse they carry a marked envelope in which deposit their various receipts,
and an expense form that they fill out during spare moments in their hotel room. It is no
accident that a proactive people always seem to have a spare pen to loan, a safety pin to
offer, a Band-Aid or pain killer when someone’s in distress and shampoo when there’s none
in the hotel room. These are the people you turn to when you need a hair dryer or a list
of meeting rooms or change for the hotel vending machine. They are also the people who
are frequently selected as project managers, management trainees and group leaders. They
are organized, punctual and productive – and respected by their managers and peers alike.
The day goes so much easier when you keep on top of your work.
These practices can be developed and nurtured until they become habits. Practice with little
things, such as deciding before going to bed what clothes you will be wearing the next
morning. You may discover that something needs pressing. In the morning, mentally walk
through the day. What time will you leave the house, where will you park, what jobs will
you do first etc. The more times you think ahead, the more comfortable you will become
with planning. As you see your days running smoother, with fewer crises and problems, the
more you will be encouraged to become proactive in everything you do.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 2: keep ahead of your commitments
If you are not proactive, your job, and the tasks and activities that it includes, will control
you rather than the other way around. You become so busy fighting fires, reacting to the
demands of others, solving problems that should never have occurred, playing “catch-up,”
and making amends for missed meetings, forgotten commitments and late assignments that
you get even further behind.
Proactive people, however, not only set deadlines for all priority tasks and projects, they aim
to finish these commitments well before the deadlines. This is a habit you should develop
– keeping one step ahead on many of the jobs that will have to be done in the future.
When I suggest negotiating deadlines on assignments given to you, I mean even those with
seemingly realistic deadlines attached. Managers usually ask for things to be completed
before they really need them. That is how they became managers. They are being proactive
by allowing for the unpredictable. What you are doing is negotiating away some of that
extra time for your own use. Except that you do not use it unless it is essential. You aim
for the minimum time and look great when you finish early.
“Just-in-time” might be a great strategy for inventory control, but not for tasks or projects.
And by applying the proper strategies you can do better than just keeping on top of your
job; you can keep ahead of your job as well.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 2: keep ahead of your commitments
These strategies include negotiating deadlines and then scheduling enough time each day or
each week to complete the assignments early. It will not only make you more productive, it
will build your reputation as well. Deadlines are a definite productivity aid. For a detailed
discussion on how to manage deadlines, refer to my book, Making Deadlines Work for You,
published by Bookboon.
For example, I write a column for a local newspaper every two weeks, post an article on
my time management blog every week, issue a newsletter every quarter, purchase supplies
as needed, and so on.
– Peter Marshall
Many times in the past I have been under stress writing an article at the last minute,
searching for items to include in my newsletter, or trying to think of a topic, let alone
doing the writing for a column due the next day. But since I started being more proactive,
these situations are rare.
What you must do is build an inventory of material that you can draw upon when needed.
You do this by using the short segments of time that you get when you finish a task ahead
of deadline, or find yourself traveling by train or waiting for a virtual meeting to start or
standing in line at a grocery store or whenever. There are plenty of wasted minutes they
can be redeemed if you are prepared to take advantage of them. The largest chunks of time
I get available are those times when I take less time for the important task than had been
scheduled in my planner.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 2: keep ahead of your commitments
certain projects. Those are the times I am most thankful that I have an inventory of work
to draw on. You can decide what your safety factor should be, but I do not think you can
ever have too much. Newsletter material can be used for articles or a blog and vice versa.
There is more information on how to inventory these items in my book, How to Keep on
Top of your Job, published by Bookboon, but your tasks will be different than mine so use
whatever works for you.
For example, if you must take the minutes at meetings, working from the agenda you
can write up at least half of the information based on your experiences in all those past
meetings. It is difficult to listen and make notes at the same time, especially if more than
one person is talking at the same time. It would be easier if you drew up a skeleton outline
of your minutes ahead of time, complete with names of those present, time convened and
adjourned, and boilerplate material, such as “After considerable discussion it was moved
byy_________ , seconded byy_________ , that we proceed with the inventory on June 15th as
planned. You can always change the odd word, cross off or add to your version of what
you think will occur.
– Bernard Baruch
Before you make a phone call you can jot down the items you want to discuss so you will not
forget anything. When you receive a phone call you can make notes on a pad of forms, entering
who called, the time, items discussed, action required, and date the action is completed. You
could use text replacement software when writing e-mail messages, so you do not have to keep
typing the same complex and technical words when referring to your product lines or typing
the same paragraph in most emails. Even the numbering cartons of office supplies, stacking
them in reverse order on the shelves, and reordering when you reach number 2, would ensure
you never run out of ink toner, computer paper, felt pens, or whatever.
These are all examples of the “work ahead” concept of being proactive by keeping ahead of
your commitments. The more you do this, the more it becomes a habit, and you will find
that you are questioning most tasks and activities to determine whether there is a better
way of doing them.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 3: do not wait, anticipate
6 HABIT # 3: DO NOT
WAIT, ANTICIPATE
According to eMarketer, it costs five to ten times as much to find a new customer as it does
to retain an existing one. Loyal customers are more profitable to your business because they
usually buy more of your products and services, are less sensitive to price, and often refer
other clients to you.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 3: do not wait, anticipate
You might do a mental walk-through, visualizing yourself as the customer. How would you
like to be treated? I know I like to be greeted with a smile and a willingness to help, not
someone who is transferring their bad hair day onto me.
It is important to keep in contact with past customers, offer guarantees, and provide fast
service. Building loyal clients is an important part of any marketing strategy. You do this
by earning their respect and demonstrating a sincere concern for their well-being. Deliver
more than you promise. This requires that you respect their time.
Another thing we can anticipate is that people do not want to be kept waiting. If you are
a professional or operate a business where the customer comes to you, a certain amount of
waiting cannot be avoided – especially in the case of doctors, lawyers, accountants and so
on. But research shows that customers perceive waiting time to be less if there are signs to
read in your waiting room – or anything else that will keep them occupied. Always have
something to read such as current magazines and signs as well as Wi-Fi. If appropriate, TV
and a play area with toys for kids would also be a plus.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 3: do not wait, anticipate
Waiting time also seems shorter if customers have someone to talk to. Paco Underhill, in
his book “Why we buy,” recommends taking care of the customer within two minutes. This
is not always possible; but any waiting without contact over a minute and a half creates
time distortion in the minds of the customers.
Time waiting after initial contact seems to go faster than the same amount of time spent
waiting before the interaction. So, acknowledging that the customer is waiting tends to
relieve time anxiety. It is a good idea to acknowledge the customer when they first arrive
and at least every five minutes thereafter.
Even giving the customer an estimate of the waiting time is better than nothing. Underhill
claims that being told the wait would be about two minutes makes the actual four- or
five-minute wait go faster.
In a supermarket or in some retail store situations, a single line leading to the cashiers
ensures that people are served in turn. And impulse items placed where the line forms, not
only distracts from the wait, but is also smart merchandising. Customers hate waiting in
line, and stores with long line-ups at the check-outs frequently encounter abandoned carts
containing merchandise.
You can help both the boss and you by anticipating their needs. They need assignments
completed early, not late, goals achieved, new ideas proposed, and information provided
without being asked. They need you to volunteer to assume portions of their jobs. They
need you to improve your skills and knowledge and be ready to assume their position at
any time. They need you to be proactive.
– Henry Kaiser
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 3: do not wait, anticipate
Some managers have brief daily stand-up meetings with their staff to make sure everyone
is on the right track, roughly know one another’s plan for the day, have an opportunity to
get clarification on anything that might hinder the day’s progress, and are able to minimize
any interruptions during the day.
We should all keep one foot in the future. And by that I do not simply mean trying to
predict what will happen in the future and preparing for it, but by creating the future you
would like to live. You do this by setting and achieving goals on an ongoing basis.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 4: take control of your time
If you are reactive, your job and the tasks and activities it includes, will control you rather
than the other way around. You become so busy fighting fires, reacting to the demands of
others, solving problems that should never have occurred, and making amends for missed
meetings, forgotten commitments and late assignments, that you get even further behind.
You will have insufficient time for planning, innovating, and delegating. If you are a business
owner, you will be working in the business instead of on the business.
– William James.
There is no one best way to set goals. I described one or two goal setting procedures in
my book, Develop a Goal-setting Mindset, published by Bookboon. As far as my latest small
business was concerned, I had a simple system where I would ask myself, “If I only had
time to achieve one thing this year that would improve my company’s success, what would
it be?” I would do some solo brainstorming, choose one idea and write it down. Then I
would ask, “If I had more time, what would I choose as number two?” And so on, until I
had selected five or six goals, and then I would stop. Do not take on too much.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 4: take control of your time
I would write those goals in the front of my planning calendar, along with deadline dates.
And then block off time each week to work on these goal-related activities. That was my
one big overriding goal - spend time each week working on a goal related activity. If you
spend even a little time each week working on a goal, it will get done. The key is to block
off the time in advance, be proactive, and follow through on your commitments.
Working exclusively from a To do list is being present oriented. Working from a planner
is future oriented. In the latter case, you are assigning future time, not just present time,
to the various tasks that must be done. By allocating future time to tasks, you know how
much time will still be available for other tasks and activities. You are able to prioritize when
you work from a To do list, but the tendency is to do the urgent items first, regardless of
their importance. And there are so many urgent items, you continually delay the important
ones that are not yet urgent.
– Aristotle
One of the problems with that approach is that some of the things you want to do are
delayed forever. You may want to write a book to gain credibility and multiply your income
as a professional speaker for example. Or convert your website to e-Commerce and increase
your income by selling online. Or develop a new product that everyone agrees would be a
top seller. But those things are not urgent, and the time to work on them is not yet available
because there are so many urgent items that must be done first - items that simply help
you continue with the status quo.
Many great ideas are abandoned simply because people do not have the time to work on them.
The main reason that people lose control of their time is their tendency to be reactive, not
proactive. When you are reactive, you allow circumstances to control you, rather than the
other way around. You must take control of your time and block off future time for the
important activities that will achieve your goals. Do not sacrifice what you want most for
those urgent tasks that continue to consume your time.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 4: take control of your time
– John Wooden
But if they can keep on top of their jobs – or ahead of them as illustrated earlier – by being
proactive, they have no excuse for delaying those important tasks. And since the proactive
approach includes goal setting, deadlines, and breaking those larger tasks into smaller chunks
and working on them a little at a time, they no longer seem so overwhelming.
Proactivity and procrastination cannot both exist at the same time. They are mutually
exclusive.
People tend to get carried away or sidetracked when Googling for information as well.
People probably need only 20% of the material they download, 20% of the material they
read, and are continually distracted by pop-up ads and superfluous information. It may
be interesting information but learn to say no to the good so you can say yes to the best.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 4: take control of your time
Proactive people take the initiative when a thank you, or acknowledgement is called for.
They take the initiative when someone needs help, or an emergency occurs, or there is work
to be done. Reactive people want to be told, but proactive people initiate.
– Victor Hugo
People who take the initiative usually save time for themselves and others. With the technology
available today, they would not hesitate to look something up on the Internet rather than
interrupt someone to ask for help. It not only saves time but increases their knowledge.
Initiate means “to begin.” People who initiate action can never be accused of procrastination.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 5: improve your power of recall
The information or memory is stored in different places in their brain. What they see goes
to the visual cortex in the occipital lobe. What they hear goes to the auditory cortex in
the temporal lobe. What they taste goes to the insular-opercular cortex, and so on. Then
they are all rerouted to the other neural destinations as their brain works to recognize and
evaluate the incoming information. It takes a fraction of a second.
The structure that weaves these memory traces into a unified experience is the hippocampus,
which in turn works with other regions, such as the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex to
evaluate the importance of incoming information. Data they do not need is deleted and
relevant data are consolidated into long-term storage for future use.
You have an amazing brain. Whenever you focus on, what impresses you most and you deem
important, is retained. The memory is influenced by your mood, surroundings, and other
circumstances. You encode memories more strongly when you are in a highly emotional
state or it is unusual what has significant meaning, or you are playing close attention to
it. You remember what you really want to remember, and soon forget the rest. That is one
reason multitasking works against memory and mindfulness works in its favour.
You can influence the memory every time you recall it, so it can be a little different each
time you remember it. Therefore, the first recall is the most accurate one.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 5: improve your power of recall
We use our memories from the past when we travel forward in our minds to predict how
people will react to various alternatives that we might be considering. Episodic memory –
the sequential recollection of personal events from the past are drawn upon when we plan.
In fact, it was also found that the reverse is true as well. Students’ memories worked best
when they planned.
Harvard Medical School researcher Moshe Bar, as well as other researchers, claimed that
even straightforward memory functions like memorizing a grocery list can be improved by
using a proactive approach. By reading the list over a few times before entering the store,
you are priming your brain. As you walk up the aisles, the items on your list will stand out
on the shelves, and you will eliminate a lot of searching and backtracking.
I refer to this as sensitizing your mind. For example, I have found that if I want to write a
book on a certain topic, and I think about the topic, and make notes about the information
I should include, during my daily routine, almost miraculously, I come across articles, blogs,
magazines, and so on that address these topics. It is similar to the experience of buying a car,
complete with visits to dealerships, negotiating on price, taking a test run in the specific car,
model, colour etc. that you want, and after finally making the purchase, noticing a dozen
or more identical vehicles on the way home. And you thought it was a unique selection!
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 5: improve your power of recall
In the example of the grocery list referred to above, as I read the items on the list, I also
visualize where the items would be located in the store and say them out loud in that order.
I can pick up each item in that order as I walk the aisles. You must be familiar with the
supermarket to do this, but I shop at the same store most of the time.
The more you visualize the future, the more proactive you will become. The past, present,
and future are all connected, and although you can only be physically in one of them at
any one time, you can mentally participate in all three.
• Associate new information with information that you already know and can
recall easily.
• Always understand any information before committing it to memory.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit # 5: improve your power of recall
• Make up a brief story, implanting the new information you wish to remember.
The brain loves and remembers stories.
• Make up a rhyme or jingle that incorporates the new information, such as “30
days has September, April, June, and November.”
• Make up an acronym of the key words you want to remember. Example: for
the Great Lakes that border Canada and the USA, the word HOMES represents
Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
• Recall the information in the same location in which you memorized it, if
possible.
• Periodically review information that you have memorized.
• When memorizing anything, whether a list of names, facts, procedures, or skills,
visualize them in your mind.
• Use body language as you memorize, gesturing as you proceed. Movement assists
the memory and recall processes.
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HABIT # 6: ENHANCE YOUR LIFE WITH
HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON VALUE-ADDED EXPERIENCES
9 HABIT # 6: ENHANCE
YOUR LIFE WITH VALUE-
ADDED EXPERIENCES
“The man who does not read has no advantage over the
man who cannot read.”
– Mark Twain
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HABIT # 6: ENHANCE YOUR LIFE WITH
HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON VALUE-ADDED EXPERIENCES
Reading, especially those business books and other nonfiction books that stimulate the brain
even more, is believed to improve memory as well. The reason given was that it increased
their empathy and emotional intelligence, improving their social skills, which in turn led to
an increase in social interaction with others and ultimately lowered stress levels. They also
mentioned the advantage of improving vocabulary and exercising the brain, which both
have a positive impact on the brain. It is a good way of increasing cognitive reserve since
it is an integral part of lifelong learning.
At the same time, you must be careful not to waste much time reading non-essential material
online that is irrelevant to your job, interests, or purpose. As indicated by the 80/20 Rule,
you probably need only 20% of the information you take in to make 80% of the decisions
you will have to make or problems you will have to solve.
– Moshe Bar
We dream up our most creative future projects, not while running between meetings, but
while leaning back in our chair contemplating the ceiling tiles or sipping a coffee in the
cafeteria. And it’s amazing how many times that thoughts come to you about things you
have to do to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting while you are thinking about something else
– or trying not to think at all. Give your proactive brain time to do its thing.
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HABIT # 6: ENHANCE YOUR LIFE WITH
HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON VALUE-ADDED EXPERIENCES
meant to be applied, not just remembered. Knowledge becomes wisdom when it is combined
with practical experience and life’s lessons. And as you grow older, it even helps protect you
from dementia and improves your quality of life.
Lifelong learning not only adds valuable information for later recall, the forced thinking
exercises the brain, grows neurons, and increases neural connections. Lifelong learning
could delay the onset of cognitive impairment by 3 to 8 years. Our chance of developing
Alzheimer’s drops 17% for every year of education beyond high school, according to John
Ratey, in his book, Go wild: free yourself from the afflictions of civilization.
– John C Maxwell.
You do not have to go back to school or take courses to keep learning. You can also do it
by reading newspapers, listening to audio recordings, keeping up to date with world events,
discussing current events with friends at McDonald’s, and so on. But courses, seminars,
conferences, and workshops provide the opportunity to network, interact with others, and
build relationships as well.
Proactive people are not idle observers. They are active participants in all areas of their lives,
whether that is in school, at work, at home or away. Take responsibility for your own life.
Do not wait for others to make it better.
Staying socially engaged affects your cognitive functioning as well. And research by Sheldon
Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University indicates that the more social connections you have,
the greater your ability to fight infection.
Relationships also improve your mental health, boosting your happiness, reducing stress,
and improving your self-confidence and self-worth. People with strong social support have
a reduced risk of depression, and an increased sense of belonging and purpose.
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HABIT # 6: ENHANCE YOUR LIFE WITH
HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON VALUE-ADDED EXPERIENCES
People also tend to live longer than those with fewer connections. Data collected from
Brigham Young University showed that people with active social lives were 50% less likely
to die of any cause than their non-social counterparts. Low levels of social interaction have
the same effects as smoking 15 cigarettes a day – and even worse effects than being obese
or not exercising.
Besides networking, discussed earlier, you can meet people and build relationships by
volunteering, attending community events, joining a church, working out at a gym, and
going to places where other people gather. It only remains to be proactive by reaching out to
others. Introduce yourself, initiate the conversation, exchange business cards if appropriate,
and follow-up if you with an invitation for coffee later if your interests seem to be mutual.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit #7: maintain a proactive attitude
– Duncan Muguku
You can quickly get into the habit of being proactive by starting with the small, but time-
consuming things that you encounter on a regular basis. For example, income tax time is
frequently stressful and time consuming because of the last-minute searching for back-up
materials for the various deductions allowed. Tax time should not be viewed as a one-
time event consuming hours or days of your time, but a year-long process that produces
an organized collection of everything the CPA or you need to file the returns. Whether
hard copy or digital, it takes only minutes to prepare folders for the various income and
expense items that you receive throughout the year. For example, two sets of folders, one for
personal and the other for business to house copies of various receipts as they occur would
be a proactive approach for an entrepreneur and save a lot of time and grief in the future.
Filling the car’s gas tank when it’s convenient rather than when it’s empty, keeping an
inventory of greeting cards, sorted into categories, before you need them, and updating
your resume quarterly even though you are happily employed are all examples of being
proactive. Getting into the habit of small things like these can build the larger habits of
always starting to plan a repetitive event as soon as the last one has ended, booking speakers
for your meetings at least two meetings ahead, and managing stress before it becomes a
problem. Be patient. You cannot become a proactive person overnight. But when you do,
you will be in the minority, and a valuable asset to any company and in any job.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit #7: maintain a proactive attitude
Some things cannot be rushed, and impatient people pass up great opportunities simply
because it would take too long to accomplish them. I recall as a youngster getting a fulltime
job at a supermarket after graduation from high school despite my older brother’s urging to
go to university and get a degree. “You will go a lot further a lot faster with a degree,” he
told me. My reply was “But it takes four years to get a degree. By the time I get a degree I
will be 24 years old! His reply? “Well you will be 24 years old anyway, won’t you?” It took
a year for his answer to sink in, but I finally realized he was right. Would I rather be 24
years old with a degree, or 24 years old without a degree?
The same thinking what apply if you are 50 and thinking of starting up in business, or 70
and thinking about getting a degree in physics. Would you rather be older with or without
something you wish you had done earlier?
Time passes regardless of what you are doing. So, you might as well be doing something that
pays the greatest return on your invested time. Do what you need to do, and keep doing
it, sacrificing those immediate benefits that you want now, to obtain the major benefits
that you want the most.
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HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON Habit #7: maintain a proactive attitude
– David Schwartz
As John Maxwell says in his book, Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn, “Knowledge
may come from study, but wisdom comes from learning and improving in the wake of
your mistakes.” And management guru Peter Drucker, claimed, “I would never promote a
person into a higher-level job who was not making mistakes … otherwise he is sure to be
mediocre.” If your expectations are low, so will be your personal productivity.
There is a definite connection between body and brain that we can use to alter our mood,
attitude, and behaviour. So, engage the body as well as the mind to develop a positive
attitude. Not only think positive thoughts but act out positive thoughts by tackling tasks you
previously though you were unable to do. Express positive thoughts in your conversations,
write positive thoughts in a journal, or e-mail messages to your friends. Surround yourself
with positive people. The more you think, act, speak write, experience, and share positive
things, the more quickly your brain will get the message that positivity is important for
your survival. And you will become a positive person.
– John C Maxwell
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BOOKS REFERENCED IN “HOW TO
HOW TO BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON”
Maxwell, John C. Sometimes You Win - Sometimes You Learn: Life’s Greatest Lessons Are Gained
from Our Losses. Center Street, 2015.
Scivicque, Chrissy. The Proactive Professional: How to Stop Playing Catch up and Start Getting
Ahead at Work (and in Life!). CCS Ventures, 2016.
Underhill, Paco. Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping. Simon & Schuster Pbks., 2009.
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