I’ve been running in circles. I’ve known this for quite some time. Sporadic productivity with scattered goal attainments can blur the lack of real progress. I’m guilty of this.
After spending a week away from home (the majority of which cooped up in a lovely hotel room in downtown Chicago battling a horrible virus that had me in bed and completely unproductive for 3 days), I found myself frustrated and discouraged for falling off track from my plan. Amidst my self-pity and irritation at what I couldn’t control (me being sick) a good friend gave me some sage advice:
Read the Circle of Concern/Circle of Influence section of Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”
When I got home from Chicago, I pulled out my 7 Habits book and looked up this section. It was uncanny how this material so perfectly fit what seems to be holding me back in my life, both personally and professionally. (My friend knows me well.) As I read, I realized how I have been running in circles (literally, in the “Circle of Concern”). Covey writes:
As long as we are working in our Circle of Concern, we empower the things within it to control us. We aren’t taking the proactive initiative necessary to effect positive change.
The Circle of Concern covers the wide range of concerns we have about anything and everything consuming our time and energy. Within that circle is the Circle of Influence – the things within our Circle of Concern that we can do something about. It’s about identifying how we are responsible for our choices. We can choose to run around in circles, investing time and energy into a myriad of concerns that cross our mind. OR, we can choose to invest our time and energy into all of the things we can control - our thoughts, actions, behaviors and decisions. We can choose to forego reactive thinking and wisely embark on proactive thinking. We can choose to focus on what we have (problems, complaints, distractions) or what we want to be – who we are becoming.
Practical Action Items: Covey writes that there are two ways we can put ourselves in control of our live immediately:
- Make a promise and keep it.
- Set a goal and work to achieve it.
Plain and simple, I’m directing my focus on these two things from now until the first of the year. I’ll be holding myself accountable for how I spend my time and energy. I’m inspired to make changes resulting in an increased Circle of Influence as I become a better functioning human being. In 2010, I plan to cease running in circles but to master my circles.
Photos: lluisr and Stephen Covey
