Taking Responsibility for Your Life: The Proactive Approach

Habit 1: Be Proactive Be proactive is about taking responsibility for one s own life. Proactive people don t blame parents, circumstances, or conditions for their behavior. Instead, they choose to focus on areas of life that lie within their circle of influence.

Proactively defined Proactively means more than taking initiatives. It means that as human beings, we are responsible for our lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions.

Be proactive for your life Simply put, being proactive means taking responsibility. If you re not in charge of your life, nothing else is really possible. Choose not to be a victim, to be reactive, or to blame others.

Story Be Proactive One day a farmer, walking down the street in a small town came across a large stone in the middle of his path. The farmer complained: "who could be so careless as to leave such a big stone on the road? Why does someone not remove it?" He went away complaining. The next day, the same thing happened with a milkman. He too went away grumbling but left the stone as it was. Then one day, a student came across the stone. Worried that someone may fall over it and hurt himself, he decided to push it aside. He pushed long and hard all by himself and eventually managed to remove the stone from the path. He came back and noticed a piece of paper where the stone was kept. He picked the paper and opened it. Inside was written, "you are the true wealth of this nation. There are two kinds of people - talkers and doers. Talkers merely talk, while doers do. The moral of this story is that if you don't want to get involved you have no right to criticize. Become the change you wish to see in this world. Service to society is the rent we pay- for the space we occupy on this earth

Proactive Focus Pro-active focus is positive energy; Pro-active focus is concerned with principle valued centeredness; It brings empowerment, confidence and self-independence; The behaviour of a pro-active person includes being value- driven; It is the ability to read reality accurately.

Reactive focus Re-active focus is concerned with external things. Re-active focus is circumstance. It is when people worry on things to which they have no control. Re-active people focus their efforts on feelings (outside stimulus). Thair behavior leads to increased helplessness and dependence on others. They also include things such as blaming, accusing attitudes, reactive language and increased feeling of victimization. concerned with weaknesses based on feelings of inadequacy,

Story A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband. When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words .Continue

Story The husband just said I am with you darling the husband s totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her.

Which statements are either proactive or reactive 1. NOWRIN WAS NEW TO OUR OFFICE. SHE WALKED IN WITH A SMILE AND INTRODUCED HERSELF TO HIS COLLEAGUES. 2. MISU WAS AT HER SISTER S VOLLEYBALL GAME. SHE WAS BORED AND SAT ON THE BENCH LOOKING AROUND FOR HOURS. 3. RINKU WAS ASSIGNED A PROJECT ON TRADE LOAN. HE DIDN T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT TRADE LOAN BUT WAS WILLING TO RESEARCH AND LEARN. 4. REHENA GOT FRUSTRATED WITH HER HOMEWORK AND DROPPED THE PAPER INTO A BALL. 5. MOHSIN IS A NEWLY JOINED CO WHO REQUESTED HIS AREA MANAGERS FOR ORGANIZING A STAFFS GET TOGETHER. 6. RAFIQ IS A CREDIT OFFICER WHO ALWAYS BLAME MEMBERS OF VILLAGE ORGANIZATION FOR THEIR IRRESPONSIBILITY. 7. SAMINA WAS A BRANCH MANAGER WHO REQUESTED HER RM TO KNOW ABOUT THE AUDIT REPORT OF HER BRANCH 8. IBRAHIM, AN AREA MANAGER ORGANIZED WEEKLY MEETING AND HE WAS SHOUTING TO ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS FOR INSINCERITY.

A Circle of Concern A circle of concern encompasses the wide range of concerns we have, such as our health, our children, problems at work, the amount of government borrowing, or the social threat.

A Circle of Influence A circle of influence encompasses those concerns that we can do something about. They are concerns that we have some control over.

Proactive Focus Circle of Circle of Influence Concern Positive Energy Enlarges the Circle of Influence

Reactive Focus Circle of Concern Circle of Influence Negative Energy reduces the Circle of Influence

PROACTIVE ACTIVITIES OF MANAGERS OF MICROFINANCE PROGRAM Proactive Issue Time Process Expected results

Exercise on language Proactive language Reactive language o I can or I will, o I can t o There s nothing I can do o He makes me so mad o That s just the way I am o I have to do that o They will never allow that. o I can t o Let s look at the alternatives o I control my own feelings o I can choose a different approach o I will choose an appropriate approach o I choose o I prefer.

Language of PROACTIVE and REACTIVE Managers of Microfinance GROUP EXERCISE

Actions you can take to develop Habit 1 oEmbrace responsibility for your choices and actions. Refrain from pointing fingers at others or external circumstances for your problems. oFoster a proactive mindset. Concentrate on what you can control and influence, rather than what you cannot oCultivate self-awareness. Stay attuned to your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. oEstablish goals and devise plans oPractice gratitude

Exercise EXERCISE: WATER BOTTLE AND SODA BOTTLE

THANK YOU