Volume 5, Issue 3 - March 2004
 


Being "Proactive"
just means changing your mindset
By Rhonda Scharf (Finniss)

In the 1990s we all heard the word "proactive." It seemed to be the buzz word of the decade. But what does it really mean to be proactive? One definition is "to do things before they need to be done - the opposite of reactive." How can we be proactive with our day-to-day jobs? How can we ensure the pile doesn't threaten to overtake us?

Here are five steps that will help you become proactive - and reduce that daily frustration.

1
Keep track of specific dates and diarize to-do activities. It blows me away how full the stores are on Christmas Eve. Doesn't Christmas come at the same time every year? Why is it that some people just don't get organized until the last minute? I know that many of us believe that we work better under pressure, but in reality all we need to do is ensure that we keep track of constants. Things like the due date for our tax returns, the mortgage and budgets, Christmas, birthdays and Valentine's Day. Put each deadline in your diary with a line that says "budget forecast due in four weeks." A week later, enter it in your diary this way: "budget forecast due in three weeks." This kind of double-entry system really works. The mind responds to nagging, even when it is your own.

2
You do not work better under extreme pressure. Pressure can be good, but only a certain amount of it. I am one of the many people who believes she works better under pressure. And I do, but there is a limit to that pressure. By constantly reinforcing to yourself that you work better under pressure you are creating your own panic situation. Convince yourself you work better a week in advance of the due date (or even a month in advance) instead of during the last few hours before a due date. College and life are not the same - "cramming" before your business presentation won't earn you an "A". Pressure, yes, but try the one-week-in-advance pressure.

3
Do a time sheet on regularly occurring items. Things like the due date for your taxes and annual budget time are easy to predict. What about those things that are not so easy to predict? By keeping a time log you may notice that on Fridays unexpected projects are dumped in your lap, causing you stress and worry over the weekend. If you were to keep track of those types of unexpected events, you might begin to see a pattern. Once you've identified the pattern, you can plan for it.

4
Avoid minutiae. It is so easy to get caught up in the little things that take so much time during the day. It makes us feel like we've accomplished a lot, when in fact, we haven't really. My son does this. He will sit down to do his homework and suddenly it will occur to him that his pencil case is messy and needs to be cleaned out. Twenty minutes later he has moved on from cleaning the pencil case to ensuring that every pencil is sharp, that he has a new eraser and a clean ruler. After 45 minutes he will say that he has done 45 minutes of homework, when in reality he has really only done 10. Don't we know people who do the same kind of thing at work? They complain about the volume of work when really they are spending too many hours doing the little things rather than focusing on the priority items.

5
Work during your prime times. To be able to stay proactive - to do things before they are due - it is important to work with your body's clock. At the moment, I am writing this article six days before its due date and it is 9:24 in the morning. I work best during the first two hours of any day, and during the last hour. When I really need to get things done, this is the time I schedule them for.


Proactive is more than a buzzword. It is a style. It can be a personal style, a work style, or both. You really do choose the style you want to operate in. I can guarantee that if you choose to work in a proactive style you will experience less stress, less frustration and much greater satisfaction with what you have accomplished.
   
 
   


Rhonda Scharf (Finniss), CSP is a Certified Professional Speaker, Trainer and Author and President of ON THE RIGHT TRACK - Training & Consulting. Rhonda is available for training and keynote speeches for your organization. Call today at (877) 213-8608 or e-mail Rhonda@on-the-right-track.com. Why not take a moment and sign up here for her complimentary quarterly newsletter.
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