Proactive people: how to have a proactive attitude
Some people have the ability to react to situations in a thoughtful way, are able to anticipate situations and control their behavior actively. These are proactive people, that do not react to events impulsively, but act proactively by taking the reins and making decisions.
Proactive people and reactive people
We can distinguish two types of people, depending on their way of responding to situations, the proactive people and reactive people.
- Reactive people. Reactive people react impulsively and uncontrollably to situations. They do not foresee, nor anticipate, and above all, they can not control their actions. The reactive person usually waits for others to react and follows that reaction. When nobody reacts, or simply is solely their responsibility, they have difficulties to take the reins of their reactions and usually respond with aggression, and exploit with others so that others are the ones who take the initiative.
- Proactive people. Proactive people, on the other hand, have a completely different attitude, they are people capable of anticipating the consequences of their actions and, faced with difficult situations, they are responsible and activate their resources. Proactive people are not people who respond very active and impulsive, no, their reactions are meditated and based on their values. Proactive people are able to control themselves and direct their performance.
Characteristics of proactive people
1. They are people who trust in themselves. The main characteristic of proactive people is their trust, they are people who trust their
capacities and that's why they act calmly, and they make thoughtful and responsible decisions because they know they have the capacity to do so.
2. They are people who take responsibility for things to happen. This implies much more than taking the initiative, because they are assuming a responsibility, that of their actions to make things happen, to achieve their ends.
3. They use positive language. They are positive people who believe in different alternatives and constantly seek solutions. One of its characteristics is its ability to see the positive and therefore use positive language.
4. They are people who seek different alternatives for action. Proactive people analyze different situations, anticipate consequences and look for different alternatives. They are people who do not get stuck in the first setback because they have several alternatives.
5. They have an attitude of self-control. One of the most relevant features of proactive people is their attitude of self-control. They are people able to control their impulses and their emotions, to act reflexively, that is, before acting they have meditated on the different alternatives.
6. They are dynamic. A proactive person is not an overactive person who reacts without direction and without sense, but is a dynamic person oriented to action, decision making and creativity. They are persons
7. They are characterized by their perseverance. Proactive people do not give up, nor lose time in complaints and laments, they are persistent people who look for different alternatives to achieve their goals and objectives.
8. Accept criticism and errors in a positive way and learn from them. They are people who understand that error is part of the process of development and learning and that they accept criticism. They are able to see mistakes and criticisms in a positive way and learn from them.
9. They have an adequate self-concept, they know their strengths and weaknesses. Proactive people meditate and act knowing the situation and knowing themselves, they are aware of their strengths and take advantage of them. But they are also aware of their weaknesses and act modeling their action depending on both.
10. They are people who think long term and reach their goals. Proactive people are not limited to short-term goals, they are able to plan long-term and achieve their goals little by little.
How to have a proactive attitude
To have a proactive attitude we can make some small changes, which will bring great consequences.
- Discipline and self-knowledge. It is important that you practice discipline with yourself and that you learn to know and control yourself. Discipline is fundamental to create habits that lead us to know ourselves and to control ourselves. You can start by practicing meditation, it will help you stop and become aware of what is around you and yourself. *
- Initiative and responsibility. The next step is to start taking initiative and making decisions with responsibility. The comfortable thing is to let others do it, maybe the time has come to do it ourselves and that we are responsible for the positive and negative consequences.
- Learn from your mistakes instead of punishing yourself for them. To do this you must begin by accepting your mistakes and limitations, only then you can know them and learn from them. *
- Listen to others actively. You can learn a lot from others and your opinion will help you make decisions.
- Practice assertiveness. You can and should defend your opinions but remember to practice respect for others, when we disrespect others and succumb to the habit of blaming the other we are not responsible for our part. Assertiveness helps us change our attitude.
Celia Rodríguez Ruiz. Clinical health psychologist. Specialist in pedagogy and child and youth psychology. Director of Educa and Learn. Author of the collection Stimulate Reading and Writing Processes.
