What does it mean to be proactive? What gifts come with the ability to be proactive?
One definition of proactive is the following: The adjective proactive can describe a person who gets things done. If you are proactive, you make things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen to you. Active means “doing something.”. The prefix pro- means “before”. So if you are proactive, you are ready before something happens.
Until today I have not put a lot of thought into what level of proactive ability I move with? As I have pondered the subject today, I realize as a Mom I had to be proactive and think tasks through ahead of time or my family would not have had the quality of life we enjoyed. It is interesting to acknowledge that in many instances I resented the experience. I wallowed in the thoughts of it all depended on me and I could not count on my sons or their father to participate. So I dwelled in “poor pity me” reactions. On top of that, on the occasion that any one of them did assist, I was always afraid to show my appreciation thinking that might stop any future participation. Crazy thinking for sure!
Having lived a long enough life now, I can look back and actually smile at my foolishness. I have long since discovered the joys of being part of a team. To share life with others has become one of my greatest pleasures and I consider it a profound compliment when invited to be a part of a team effort. I may still resist at times but in the final recognition, I have to be honest and look at a tendency to avoid circumstances that cause me to stretch beyond my usual boundaries.
So that brings me to today and some of the realizations I have come to. It is leadership that I have resisted. It is more comfortable to be in a position where someone else has to make all the decisions and I do my part to the level of my comfort. There feels like a risk involved to become truly proactive in all of my projects. What is that risk and why do I fear it? It helps to ask myself such questions as my answers allow me to move in a brand new direction.
Today I am contemplating the gifts that come with living as a proactive person. One important one is to reduce my stress level. Preparing in advance for any task allows completion to be guaranteed. It takes away the shame I have so often experienced when there was something obvious I could have done and did not do it. It allows others to give me feedback and at times additional ideas on how to accomplish a task. It allows others to declare their interest in taking part of the project involved. It allows me to pause and consider additional aspects I might have stayed unaware of. To be proactive results in feeling prepared and the comfort that brings.