Habit #1 Be Proactive (Part 1)

Proactive vs. Reactive To be proactive means to think before you act. To be reactive means to react without thinking.

Hmm…. I’d better walk around so I don’t fall in. #$%!!@!!!@*&!!! Proactive Reactive

Proactive vs. Reactive Proactive Reactive An essay is due on Friday so you begin your rough draft on Monday, finish it on Tuesday, proofread it on Wednesday, and print it on Thursday just to be ready. An essay is due on Friday so you begin your rough draft on Thursday night at 10:30. The printer is out of ink. You blame the printer for your bad grade.

Proactive vs. Reactive Proactive Reactive You are responsible for planning a surprise party for your best friend. You begin planning months in advance and think ahead about anything that can go wrong. You plan accordingly to prevent any complications. You are responsible for planning a surprise party for your best friend. You figure you have time so, you wait until the last minute to buy supplies. The supplies you need are sold out. You blame the stores for not having what you need. Your friend has no surprise party. Is it any surprise that this happened?

Proactive vs. Reactive Proactive Reactive You are an AVID student who wants to go to college. You heed the advice of your teachers and guidance counselor and get A’s and B’s in your A-G classes. You are prepared for college and you get into the college of your dreams. You are an AVID student who wants to go to college. College is four years away so you think have time to get your act together. You don’t take your freshman and sophomore years seriously. By junior year you start putting in some effort. You don’t get into the college of your dreams. You are angry with your teachers for letting you fail.

Proactive vs. Reactive Proactive Reactive You look online to view your grades. You notice a grade is missing. You did the assignment and you find the graded assignment in a file at home. You speak to the teacher and show her the graded assignment. The teacher gives you credit for the assignment and apologizes for the error. You look online to view your grades. You notice a grade is missing. You did the assignment but you threw it away. You don’t have the assignment and don’t talk to the teacher. You end up getting a D in the class instead of a C. You have to retake the class to get into a 4 year college. It’s all the teacher’s fault!

Proactive vs. Reactive Proactive Reactive You want to go to a party with your friends. You know there will be drinking. You don’t want to break the trust you have with your parents, so you decide not to go. You want to go to a party with your friends. You know there will be drinking. You go to the party and things happen. Your parents don’t trust you anymore and won’t let you go out in the future. You are angry with your parents.

On Your Own