After the onset of the pandemic, and during any crisis, our mindset takes a dramatic shift into functioning reactively. We don’t have the time or the information needed to take proactive steps in response to a crisis situation. We are left to respond reactively.
Reactive responses can be exhausting and lead to higher levels of burnout. You are asking your mind and body to constantly remain alert and ready to respond to an unknown situation. You are spending your time putting out fires, not planning how to avoid fires in the first place. Two years in and it’s not surprising that many elements of corporate culture have taken on incorporated this reactive attitude. It’s becoming normalized and that can be dangerous.
But, how can you shift back to a proactive mindset vs the reactive one you’ve been working in?
What’s the difference between proactive vs reactive?
First, let’s take a look at the differences between spending your time in a reactive manner versus spending your time in a proactive manner.
Reactive Behaviors
Corporate culture reactive behaviors are ones like:
Responding to emails the minute you receive them.
Treating every interruption as an emergency that needs to be handled right then.
Letting other people’s needs direct how you spend your day.
While it can seem like people who instinctively act reactively are more productive because you can see them responding quickly, they are also more likely to make mistakes or miss obvious solutions because they are moving so fast.
Proactive Behaviors
Corporate culture proactive behaviors are ones like:
Working systematically towards set goals.
Prioritizing tasks and responsibilities and using that to set your daily routine.
Setting and keeping a daily routine.
People who work proactively are generally more thoughtful in their actions and decisions, rather than just, well, reacting to a problem.
How to switch to a proactive mindset
So, how do you go from the habit of reactivity saying yes to every interruption, letting other people control your day, constantly being on your phone, and checking things? You know you want to make the shift to a more proactive mindset but how do you actually make that shift? The best place to start is to work incrementally.
Think back over your last, typical workday. Try to categorize how you spent your time, whether it was in a reactive manner or a proactive manner. Right now, you may feel like your day is 100% reactive and 0% proactive, or 85% reactive and 15% proactive.
Next, determine what you want that percentage to be. Do you want to reclaim an additional 10% or 20% of your time? What would be the ideal split of your workday? Once you figure that out, find blocks of time on your calendar to devote solely to proactive measures and put it on your calendar. The best way would be to find the same block of time every day, or on a regular basis, so people learn that you are not available for interruptions during that time unless it’s an emergency, thereby reinforcing your use of that time proactively.
It can also help to plan what proactive measures you want to accomplish during that time. Do you want to work on establishing stronger co-worker relationships in this new hybrid environment? Do you want to circle back to long-term planning efforts that got abandoned at the start of the pandemic? Having a plan for your proactive time is the best way to not get sucked back into the idea of using it reactively.
Once you’re in the habit, you can start to build more proactive time into your schedule if needed. But you may not need it. As you gain control of your time use and start acting proactively, you will find there are fewer fire drills and surprises coming your way, naturally leaving you more proactive time to use.