Whoever takes the initiative is the architect of his own destiny: he does not expect others to open the way. Only in this way do we discover why we must dare and act alone. Where to start?
Written and verified by the psychologist GetPersonalGrowth.
Last update: 15 November 2021
Taking the initiative means not only taking the first step in making an appointment with the person we like, but also breaking the mold and starting your own projects. It is a social capacity that requires enthusiasm, intuition, creativity and a willingness to anticipate events to overcome difficulties.
Who would disdain it? Have you ever heard yourself say: "What you lack is initiative"? Thus, and almost without realizing it, that word becomes a desire to add to one's personality and behavior and a push to make one's dreams come true.
Virtue, social skills, leadership skills: we can define initiative in many ways, but it certainly cannot be denied that either you have it or you don't have it. Lack of initiative usually resides in personal insecurity and also fear. We are afraid of failing, of exposing ourselves and others, and of discovering that we are at fault.
Still, there is no difference between staying where we are and failing. We are still in the same place, in the same territory, where nothing happens, where we do not advance socially, emotionally or professionally.
In order for our reality to improve and if we wish to fulfill the dreams that populate our mind and heart, We have to do it. We must take the initiative.
How to take the initiative and get what we want
It will have happened to everyone to feel stuck between the desire to act and the feeling of not knowing how to do it or simply not being able to dare. Asking for a raise, telling someone we like it, turning our life around, starting a new phase ... Taking the initiative takes more than courage.
Above all, it means having a good disposition and a plan of action. Because it may seem otherwise, but the person who has initiative does not improvise, he plans.
Such conduct certainly requires the activation of adequate cognitive, emotional and behavioral mechanisms. We therefore invite you to learn some strategies that stimulate taking the initiative.
Tune the emotions to the goal
Some emotions are not helpful and do not facilitate a task. Taking the initiative often brings out two emotions: fear and shame. We are afraid of failing and exposing ourselves. They will be our worst enemies and as such they must be annihilated.
In what way? First of all by establishing a dialogue with ourselves to remember what we deserve. It must be understood that fear and shame disable us, deactivate our potential and distort our identity. Conversely, enthusiasm is an exceptional emotion that always facilitates the initiative.
Plan, observe, take the opportunity
Taking the initiative is not synonymous with diving in with your eyes closed. The pool may be empty and we risk making a mistake that we could have avoided.
Being foresighted and active means taking into account the context, making predictions, observing the situation from different angles and drawing up a specific plan.
We avoid leaving everything to chance. To get what we want, luck can certainly accompany us, but it is good to remember that we create it with commitment, work and originality.
Sometimes it is enough to ask for help to take the initiative
It is our responsibility to create the present and shape the future we want. Nonetheless, this does not mean that we cannot count on the help and advice of an expert. Surely there is someone around us who can play the part of him to facilitate this passage.
In addition to that, we may meet someone who has gone through the same experience and can advise us. We keep an open mind, we listen to the opinions of others, let's consider other perspectives to make a decision by putting together all possible data.
Every great victory starts with small battles won every day
Enterprising people do not improvise and do not risk everything. In other words, if I like someone, I can't tell them how I feel overnight. The conquest part of the daily seduction.
The same is true in any other scenario. I can't ask the boss for a raise if I haven't proved my worth first. Nor can I make a radical change in my life if I don't close some doors and open others. The secret is to proceed gradually and face each situation with charisma and wit, demonstrating in every context how much we are worth and who we are.
There will be times when we will have to take a step back. But that's good, it means learning something, evaluating new options and seeing everything in a broader perspective to gain more momentum.
In essence, taking the initiative doesn't just take courage: it's about knowing how to plan, be patient and manage our emotions well in order to fill up with courage and enthusiasm. Acting driven by impulse is not useful, on the contrary it is useful to reflect and act intelligently.
We can all train ourselves to have more initiative and get what we want or create the life we ​​want.
