In my time as a high performance coach, I’ve seen traits that high performers possess that set them apart. One of the most important qualities of someone who continually finds success has got to be this: they are proactive, not reactive.

What’s the difference? 

A proactive person is one who plans. They plan their day, their week, their month, and even their year! (Yes, I just made a FRIENDS reference).  High performers foresee challenges and eliminate the problems before they have a chance to come to fruition. And they have a clear direction for where they want to go so they don’t get sidetracked by distractions or the need to put out fires (that may not be fires at all). 

The opposite of a proactive person is a reactive person, who waits for an issue to arise and then starts to problem solve. Reactive people don’t have a clear picture so they get tossed around reacting to whatever comes their way and often not progressing...