7 Habits of Highly Effective People Habit of the Week

Be Proactive

iLEAD Schools embrace the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, from the best-selling book by Dr. Stephen R. Covey. Published in 1989, it is one of the best-selling books of all time. The habits are simple and based upon principles that stand the test of time. Principles are akin to lighthouses–the waves may crash against them, the wind may howl around them, but they remain steadfast. Principles are based upon universal truths, not fads, trends, or new ways of thinking.

Habit 1 is Be Proactive. This is the habit of choice. Victor Frankl once wrote, “When we can no longer change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” We are not, then, a product of our circumstances but a product of our choices. We can choose our responses to the challenges that present themselves in our lives. We can, as Dr. Covey explains, “create our own weather.”

In other words, being proactive means thinking ahead and being prepared. We are free to choose and are responsible for our choices. We are the programmers of our own lives. Here is the paradigm: “I can pause between the stimulus and my response. I can choose how to react based upon principles. As a result, I am more self-aware, I use more proactive language, I can take greater initiative, and I can be a creative force in my own life.”

How do we apply this habit in the classroom? We use everyday circumstances to empower our learners to make good choices. When we see this happening, we name it and praise it and talk about it. When a learner needs guidance in this area, we ask the right questions to help them see that there is much they can do to solve their own problem or alleviate their current circumstances. Can’t write in your journal because you don’t have a pencil? What can you do about that? Unhappy because somebody is teasing you? You can choose how to respond in order to empower yourself. Don’t understand a math concept? What questions can you ask or what might you do in order to gain understanding?

Being proactive is a positive choice. It is a habit of the heart and the mind. “You can live your life,” wrote Albert Einstein, “as if nothing is a miracle.” Or, he continues, “You can live your life as if everything is a miracle.”

The choice is yours!