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Seven Habits - Habit 1: Be Proactive
By Brick | March 10, 2008
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Due to the similarities between the Time Management Matrix of Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People and my own Life Management matrix, I decided to read the book again. I had first read the book in the early 90’s and while I am not the type of person who reads books a second time, I am already glad I went back to it. I am also the kind of person that likes to start from the very first page and read sequentially forward until the end (although I have picked up the useful habit of giving up on a book if I find at any point that I am truly not enjoying it - in and of itself a great time management tip).
After an inspiring introductory chapter, Covey starts on his 7 habits, the first being the habit of being proactive. It starts with a discussion on how we react to various stimuli in our environment. Here are two models to consider:
Model 1: Conditioned Response
In this model, we are conditioned to respond in a certain manner. Perhaps genetically we are predisposed to alcoholism. Perhaps as a child you learned from your parents to deal with upset by losing your temper. Perhaps your spouse is pushing all of the right buttons to trigger a conditioned response!
Model 2: Choice
In this model, we choose a response to any given stimulus. While we still may not control the actual stimulus, we consciously choose how to respond. Perhaps your spouse is pushing all of the right buttons that would ordinarily make you lose your temper, but you decide not to get angry. You decide that the underlying issue is not that big a deal and you go outside to take a walk instead, maybe to reflect on what might really be getting at your better half. You come back refreshed and ready to have a civil conversation. The basis of Habit 1: Be Proactive is built upon accepting that this model is valid and superior.
Which Model Is Best?
Here is what I think: both models are accurate descriptions of how we do, and can, deal with stimuli to produce a response. I think the difference lies in what level of thought these two models reside within. In my opinion, a conditioned response is an unconscious response, while a conscious decision on how to deal with a situation is exactly that - a mental action that takes place in the conscious domain of thought.
One thing you might ask is why do we most often operate according to the first model - conditioned responses - when the second model is so superior? The answer, I believe, is that having the freedom to choose one’s response to a given stimulus is not always the superior model! There exist situations where we do not have the time to make a conscious decision on how to react. Conditioned responses allow us to act according to a genetic or learned behaviour, virtually without having to take the time to think about it. There are situations where this time save is critical (e.g. running away from a lion). We can imagine that in times past, this mechanism of a conditioned response was probably critical for humanity’s very survival.
We can also imagine that given the importance of conditioned response to our very survival, we are biologically predisposed to acting according to conditioned responses. Acting according to conditioned responses is therefore easier, which is probably why we continue act out according to conditioned behaviour for much of our lives regardless of the specific stimulus.
Like most things, it is probably not an all or nothing proposition. There is a time and a place for conditioned responses and conscious decisions. In the past, we can imagine that the a optimum distribution of unconscious to conscious reactions probably favoured conditioned responses:
As we leave the cave, this predisposition to conditioned responses may not be as ideal as it once was. Who knows, maybe as a species we will evolve to the point that making conscious decisions on how to act will become as easy as our conditioned responses. However, as basic survival becomes less of a concern, we are probably much more effective when we make conscious choices in most everyday situations. That doesn’t mean that all conditioned responses are bad, and in fact, without adequate time to think about a response, we still need to rely on conditioned responses. We can image that the optimum distribution of unconscious to conscious reactions probably now favours conscious responses:
The Importance Of Time Management
So, let’s assume that (1) acting according to conditioned responses is easier, (2) that in most everyday situations, conscious choice is usually superior to conditioned responses, yet (3) conscious choices require more time to generate a response. One can clearly see that without adequate time, we almost have no option but to act out according to conditioned behaviour. If conscious choices will provide the basis for proactivity and greater effectiveness as Covey suggests, we need the luxury of time to make these choices. If we have too much on our plate, I can see how we will inevitably slide into conditioned response mode - out of sheer necessity. Therefore, while I mostly accept Covey’s proposition, it rests, in my opinion, on the fundamental need to organize your time so as to have the time to make conscious decisions.
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Topics: Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People |
