Terri Ramsey Beavers There are all sorts of amazing opportunities to explore and take advantage of in life, and all sorts of great experiences waiting to be had – but in order to thrive as fully as you can in life, it’s necessary to be proactive.
Individuals who are proactive are more likely to be open to new experiences and opportunities, to learn more about ways of enhancing their quality of life along the way, and to seize upon the opportunities that present themselves along the way.
Unfortunately, many of us struggle with being proactive, often due to a tendency to overthink and to get caught in the state of mind that has been termed “analysis paralysis.”
Here are just a few tips to help you to stop hesitating and to become proactive.
Take an initial action as quickly as you can to interrupt the cycle of overthinking
While it’s important to properly consider your actions, it’s also important to get into the habit of taking an initial action as quickly as you can when you want to do something, if you’re prone to overthinking.
In many cases, simply taking the first step towards a desired outcome can be a very powerful thing. It can generate momentum, energy, motivation, and can give you a clear sense of the next steps you should take along the way.
The more you hesitate before taking that initial action, though, the likelier you are to begin talking yourself out of taking action, and to end up feeling disheartened.
You may well find yourself in a loop of disempowering thoughts, spinning you a narrative that it’s pointless to try because you’re unlikely to succeed, that you’re just “not ready yet,” that you need to give it more thought, and so on.
Confront your fears bit by bit to begin overcoming them
A big part of what tends to keep people from being proactive is often straightforward fear.
If you are frightened, nervous, or insecure about putting yourself out there and being proactive, it’s likely a good idea to begin addressing those fears so that they don’t dictate the overall course of your life.
The most effective overall way of combating fears is to confront them head-on, and to put yourself in situations that you find daunting, bit by bit.
With more practice, you’ll tend to find the fear becomes less powerful, and you will be better able to act proactively.
Try paying more attention to your gut and seeing what it tells you
The rational, thinking mind – the part of the mind that has been referred to as the “monkey mind” in some Eastern spiritual traditions – tends towards procrastination and over-analysis.
Your more intuitive mind, however, also known as your “gut,” tends to behave very differently and to”feel” the way forward.
There are certainly different levels of intuition, with some being very profound, and others being less reliable. But if you want to be more proactive, paying attention to the voice of your intuition and getting a feel for which direction it’s telling you to go in, can be very powerful.
