Yesterday, as I was on my way to pick up my kids from school, it occurred to me that I was feeling exhausted—I mean really tired. As I made a mental scan of my day, I realized that I had been in a “reactive” mode most of the day rather than a “proactive” mode. We do need to react to situations that occur in our lives as best we can at that moment, however, Smart Women know that living a “proactive” life where you plan, prepare, and practice conscious living is clearly more rewarding.

Living a “reactive” life can be exhausting and frustrating. There are a lot of quick stops and fast starts–most of them unplanned. The best way for me to describe my day was it felt like I was in a ship without a rudder. No direction, just floating out in a big sea of confusion. No real direction, just reacting to each wave. There was no planned course or clear navigation. I was just trying to keep this rudderless boat afloat and get back to shore.

In contrast, when you are living a “proactive” life, your days are on course with clear navigation, doing things that will lead you to your Big Ideas, Dreams, and Goals. Being “proactive” about your life is being conscious and thoughtful about how you spend your days. You are queen of your ship, with a well thought out map on where you’re going, what you’re going to do, and with whom you will do it.

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