What Does Being Proactive Mean?
Being proactive means having total mastery over your own mind, emotions and behaviors. It means believing you have the power to change negative situations and take control over your life. Being proactive leads to happiness. It begins with self-awareness.
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Definition
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Being proactive can be understood by understanding its opposite: being reactive. Being reactive means basing your feelings on what happens outside of you. Reactive behavior is based on the belief that your actions won't affect your circumstances. Being proactive means you take the initiative to make things happen and believe you have the power to make positive choices that can change negative existing circumstances.
Self-Awareness
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Being proactive starts with self-awareness. Self-awareness means observing your mind and having knowledge of your habitual thoughts, beliefs and emotions. It also means being aware of your behavior patterns. Self-awareness is the key to being proactive because if you're not aware of your negative reactions, it's impossible to take the initiative to change them into positive actions.
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Will Power
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Being self-aware does not necessarily lead to proactive behavior. Just knowing what behaviors you would like to change is not always enough. A good example of this is a smoker who knows smoking is harmful and would like to stop but is unable to quit. Will power is needed to be proactive.
Responsibility
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Being proactive means having an attitude of responsibility for your own life. In his best-selling book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," author Stephen Covey explains what being proactive means this: "Look at the word responsibility---"response-ability"---the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling."
Self-Mastery
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Being proactive means having complete mastery over your thoughts, emotions and beliefs. It also means having control over your actions and never blaming someone else for your mistakes or negative circumstances. Being proactive starts with self-awareness and grows with will power and taking responsibility for your actions. It is the key to creating personal happiness and the kind of life you desire.
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