Don’t wait for your ship to come, swim out to it.
Cathy Hopkins
Habit 1 of Almond Acres Charter Academy’s study of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is Be Proactive. The premise of this habit is that we have the power to tell our brains what to do! It is such a simple concept and frankly, simple to do. Feeding our thoughts with positive and productive ideas nourishes our lives with happiness and success. Thinking about doing something is the first step. Taking the next step and telling our brains to do it, is the action. Actions lead to habits, habits lead to character, and character leads to destiny.
Students who practice proactive behavior are able to ignore distractions, prioritize tasks, complete class assignments, and plan ahead. Academic, athletic, artistic, or any other intelligence will grow by focusing on the circle of influence and minimizing time and effort on areas of concern or distraction.
Trying v. Doing
There are so many occasions in life when the word “try” is incomplete and only reactive. I think that “try” is a half-baked idea. Most of the time trying is short sighted–doing is what gets it done!
The next time you congratulate your child for an accomplishment and he tells you, “Thank you, I tried my best,” remind him that he didn’t just try – HE DID IT! If he says, “I’ll try,” instead encourage “I will”. Trying insinuates that we may have given our best effort, when in fact, when we accomplish things, we did give our best effort. Proactively telling ourselves to do it is power and causes great actions.
Reactive language v. Proactive language
- I’ll try vs. I’ll do it!
- That’s just the way I am. vs. I can do Better than that!
- There’s nothing I can do. vs. There is something I can do!
- I have to. vs. I get to!
- I can’t. vs. There’s got to be a way!
- You ruined my day. vs. I’m not going to let your bad mood rub off on me.
Being proactive also helps us to take responsibility for our actions and to accept responsibility for our choices. Proactive citizens don’t blame others, they challenge them and step up and as change agents in families, schools, and community. Encourage this habit this week with the following efforts:
- 🔵 Heart – reach out to a family member or friend who may need some encouragement
- 🟡 Mind – search for an answer to an unanswered question
- 🔴 Body – shop for foods that will support a healthy brain
- 🟢 Soul – take 5 minutes to enter the classroom of silence
Being proactive is stepping up to life instead of letting it step on you. Like every habit, it takes 3-20 times to turn it into a habit. At Almond Acres, we teach our students to be patient, persistent, and positively proactive. We think it pays dividends.
“Have a can-do-titude.”
Mr. B
Learning Links
- Why Yelling is a Waste of Time and Energy – Proactive Parenting
- How to Get Your Kid to Talk about What Happened at School
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Video)
About AACA
Almond Acres Charter Academy is a public, tuition-free K-8 school that employs credentialed teachers and administers state-mandated testing to provide families in northern SLO County an additional choice in public education. Located in Paso Robles in a newly built, state-of-the-art facility, AACA is open to all students from all communities. AACA’s mission is to help students succeed academically and socially by educating the whole child: heart, mind, body and soul. We grow great kids!
