Habit 1: Circle of Concern or Influence?
HOW LARGE IS YOUR CIRCLE?
You have control over three things: what you think, what you say, and
how you behave. To make a change in your life, you must recognize these gifts are the most powerful tools you possess in shaping the form of your life.
—SONYA FRIEDMAN
The problems, challenges, and opportunities we face each day fall into two
areas: Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence. We each have a wide range of concerns—our health, our children, problems at work, the national debt, terrorism in the world, the weather. As we look at this list, it becomes apparent that there are some things over which we have no real control and others that we can do something about. Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do something about: health, children, problems at work. Reactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern, things over which they have little or no control: the national debt, terrorism, the weather. Gaining an awareness of in which area we expend our energies is a giant step in developing proactivity.
During this week, write down the various challenges and problems you face.
Which area does each fall within?
What is your immediate response?
How will you change your response to meet the challenge more effectively?