Are You Active Or Reactive?

What does it mean to be active or reactive? It is possible that you have never thought about these two concepts. However, they are particularly relevant in the workplace. In fact, these qualities often influence which path you take in your professional career. Therefore, we decided to further explain these terms.

You probably have a friend or acquaintance who is always advancing and making progress at work or in other areas of life. He is constantly looking for opportunities and challenges that drive him to achieve success.

You probably also know someone who gets stuck in their job. He has no specific ambitions. This is the main difference between a reactive and an active person.

Active or Reactive

Active people take initiative

Still not sure if you are active or reactive? Well, the first thing to analyze is whether or not you are taking initiative.

Initiative has to do with the skill that is highly valued in the workplace: pro-activity. You can read more about proactivity in this article from the  Harvard Business Review:  “Managing the Pros and Pitfalls of Proactive People.”

When you take the initiative, you perform certain actions that make you a creator instead of a receiver. For example, instead of waiting to find a job, contact the company that interests you directly. You can do this by emailing them application letters in which you describe your interest.

This is a great way to see if you are active or reactive. Active people rarely wait. They are also not afraid to take the reins. In addition, they try new things and move on. They experiment and make mistakes instead of waiting for something to happen.

If you are an active person, you will not allow a closed door, a “no” or a failure to hold you back. You are proactive and you keep trying. Believe it or not, acting this way opens new doors for you. It may not pay off immediately. Still, it will help you in the long run.

A reactive person awaits the results

By now you may already have a better idea about the difference between an active and a reactive person. If you don’t recognize yourself in the first description, maybe you do in the second. What does it mean to be a reactive person?

For starters, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not committed to your job. You may work a lot but always get the same results. You are the wallflower that no one notices. How did that happen? The reason is that you haven’t told anyone you’re there. You may even hide your skills as if you were ashamed of them.

Being a reactive person can sometimes make you feel comfortable. At other times, you probably wish you were more active. However, you don’t know how to do that.

Being reactive means you have a hard time moving forward. You believe that it is easier to stay in your comfort zone.

The two sides of a reaction

It is your choice. You decide whether you want to be an active or a reactive person. Your results and success will depend on that choice. If you are a reactive person, you can feel happy in your routine without any change. However, if you want something more, this pose can become a real obstruction.

What happens when you wait for things to happen? Well, you will probably feel frustrated. You will only complain and saw about the bad luck you have. We’ve mentioned it before. This is partly because you want to be proactive but don’t know where to start.

If you tend to be a reactive person, taking action will make you feel uncomfortable. That’s not bad though. It means that you are flexible enough to take action when you need it.

Are you more active or reactive? It is important to remember that one is not better than the other. They’re just different strengths. They will take you on different paths. The great thing about this is that you can always choose the one that suits you best.