A sudden job loss, a nervous breakdown, our partners walk out on us, or the electricity is cut off, and suddenly, we begin to react. We start putting out fires… running around, wondering what to do.
Then comes the dreaded questions:
Why did I procrastinate? Why didn’t I look for another job? There were rumours about my company downsizing… but I only prayed and hoped I wouldn’t be laid off.
I could have sent out my CV the moment I heard the whispers, when the signs were already on the wall.
Why didn’t I take care of my health? I have been having some strange pains for months, but I ignored them. Why did I let it get this far? Now I’m having a nervous breakdown.
Why didn’t I read the telltale signs in my relationship? Now he has left me. I could have done something about it and changed my ways! But now it’s too late.
Do these thoughts ring a bell?
Why do we keep procrastinating? Why do we keep putting important things on the back burner? Why do we allow life to happen to us?
Life is full of uncertainties, and if we’re not prepared, we get caught off guard. We end up spending too much time fighting fires, being constantly in a reactive mode.
But should life be lived that way? Dreading every moment, not knowing where or when the next curve ball will come from? Always responding after the damage/events have happened? Never creating opportunities to reduce or eliminate the problem before it even appears?
That’s the power of a proactive approach.
Being proactive is the best way to live, but our nature by default, reacts to our environment. And when we let our circumstances control us, we become trapped in automatic, non-intelligent responses that often bring pain and suffering. Life becomes a constant struggle because we are never truly prepared for what lies ahead.
With a proactive mindset, we respond to circumstances differently. We anticipate curveballs and challenges before they hit, and we take steps to reduce their impact or avoid them altogether. We are more prepared, confident, and have greater control over the outcome, rather than reacting impulsively to circumstances.
Life becomes more interesting; doors of opportunity begin to open. We shift from constantly surviving to intentionally thriving.
In a nutshell, you take control of making things happen instead of letting things happen to you.