How To Become A Proactive Person

“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.“

Ralph Marston

The most effective people and the most valuable employees are the ones who are proactive. They control situations by causing things to happen rather than waiting to respond after things happen. They don’t sit around waiting for answers to appear; they stand up and find the answers.

The ability to be proactive provides a clear advantage in only in the workplace but also in life, that is why we came up with a system, how to take your initiative to your own hands.

1. Predict. Never be caught by surprise. Learn to anticipate problems and events. Understand how things work; look for patterns; recognize the regular routines and natural cycles that exist in your business. Use your imagination when anticipating future outcomes, use your creativity and logic. Come up with multiple scenarios for how events could unfold. Proactive people are always on their toes.
2. Prevent. Proactive people foresee potential obstacles and exert their power to find ways to overcome them before those obstacles turn into concrete roadblocks. Don’t allow yourself to get swept up in a feeling of powerlessness. When challenges approach, take control and confront them head on before they grow into overwhelming problems.
3. Plan. Proactive people plan for the future. Avoid one-step, “here and now” thinking and instead, look ahead and anticipate long-term consequences. Don’t make decisions in a vacuum; every decision is a link in a chain of events leading to one final conclusion. In order to make the best decision, you have to know where you came from, where you are, and where you want to end up.
4. Participate. Proactive people are not idle observers, they are active participants. Recognize that you are only a piece of the whole and that you influence—and are influenced by—the actions of others. Don’t simply react to them. Engage with them. Exert your influence and make a contribution.
5. Perform. Being proactive means taking timely, effective action. You must be decisive and willing to do the work NOW. Procrastination is not an option. Being proactive means you have taken careful, thoughtful steps to choose the appropriate path; you’re not just reacting impulsively to your environment.

Proactive people are constantly moving forward, looking to the future, and making things happen. Be one of them, starting today!