Be Proactive - Not Reactive | Mike Mindel

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Be Proactive - Not Reactive

By Mike Mindel | August 2, 2007

If you’ve not yet started the Thirty Day Challenge yet - perhaps you’re being reactive?

There’s a reason why Stephen Covey put Be Proactive - Not Reactive as his number one habit (out of seven in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People).

So How Do You Know You’re Being Reactive?

Well you’re probably looking at The Thirty Day Challenge and thinking some of the following thoughts to yourself:

I’ll just wait until day 2 begins to see if I like it
I can’t be bothered with all those plugs - I don’t really need them
Oh this is nice. I’ll just watch the content and do it all at the end
I can’t…
I must…
If only…
I can’t do all this technical stuff
How do I kill myself today?

As Covey puts it:

‘This kind of thinking just isn’t going to help you. The serious problem with reactive language like this is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

People become reinforced in the paradigm that they are determined, and they produce evidence to support the belief.

They feel increasingly victimised and out of control, not in charge of their life or their destiny.

They blame outside forces - other people, circumstances, even the stars - for their own situation’.

So what’s the solution?

Just Change Your Mind About That - Be Proactive

Whenever we think the problem is ‘out there’, that the problem is outside of our control then that is outside-in thinking. The stuff out there needs to change before we will.

Well. Just change your mind about that!

The proactive approach is to change from the inside-out. It all starts with what you tell yourself.

I can do the thirty day challenge.
I may not have all the anwers right now, but I will.
I’ll just get started and see what happens.
Day 1 looks interesting, I’ll put the kids to bed and watch it.
Whats a blog? Oh… that’s a blog. Oh. I want one of those. Where do I get one?
I can understand this technical stuff with a little bit of work.
I’ll start now.
I choose…
I prefer…
I will…

Just read those through to yourself and say them in your mind. See how it makes you feel? Doesn’t it just feel like you are able to do things now. It’s all in your control…

Be different by being different. Effect positive change on the outside world from the inside out.

Rember what Goethe said about being proactive:

“Whatever you believe or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”

Just remember… without action - nothing can be created.

It doesn’t matter if you get things wrong. Just get going. You’ll fix it as you go along.

What. You think doing the Thirty Day Challenge is just about the challenge itself?

Just dwell on that for a while.

I think you’ll surprise yourself.

Now go ahead. Just get started with the Thirty Day Challenge. I give you permission to help yourself.