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This model is reflected by a famous quote by Reinhold Niebuhr: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, ... Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Itaque nostrum est-quod nostrum dico, artis est-ad ea principia, quae accepimus. Semovenda est igitur voluptas, non solum ut recta sequamini, sed etiam ut loqui deceat frugaliter. Nosti, credo, illud: Nemo pius est, qui pietatem-; Fortasse id optimum, sed ubi illud: Plus semper voluptatis? Quid est, quod ab ea absolvi et perfici debeat? Quod mihi quidem visus est, cum sciret, velle tamen confitentem audire Torquatum. Sed eum qui audiebant, quoad poterant, defendebant sententiam suam. Sit hoc ultimum bonorum, quod nunc a me defenditur; Quaero igitur, quo modo hae tantae commendationes a natura profectae subito a sapientia relictae sint. Eorum enim omnium multa praetermittentium, dum eligant aliquid, quod sequantur, quasi curta sententia; Sapientem locupletat ipsa natura, cuius divitias Epicurus parabiles esse docuit. Servari enim iustitia nisi a forti viro, nisi a sapiente non potest. Profectus in exilium Tubulus statim nec respondere ausus; Is ita vivebat, ut nulla tam exquisita posset inveniri voluptas, qua non abundaret. De vacuitate doloris eadem sententia erit. Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Quis Aristidem non mortuum diligit? Sed in rebus apertissimis nimium longi sumus. Facillimum id quidem est, inquam. Quod autem satis est, eo quicquid accessit, nimium est; Quod, inquit, quamquam voluptatibus quibusdam est saepe iucundius, tamen expetitur propter voluptatem.
- Audit your focus.
Spend a week tracking how much you focus on factors that are out of your control ...
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Si longus, levis dictata sunt. Habent enim et bene longam et satis litigiosam disputationem. Qui ita affectus, beatum esse numquam probabis;
Quo plebiscito decreta a senatu est consuli quaestio Cn. Confecta res esset. Ut optime, secundum naturam affectum esse possit. Me igitur ipsum ames oportet, non mea, si veri amici futuri sumus. Ex rebus enim timiditas, non ex vocabulis nascitur. Ratio quidem vestra sic cogit. Tecum optime, deinde etiam cum mediocri amico. Ait enim se, si uratur, Quam hoc suave! dicturum. Quid, de quo nulla dissensio est? Equidem, sed audistine modo de Carneade? Quos quidem tibi studiose et diligenter tractandos magnopere censeo.
It can be difficult to determine what’s in your Circle of Concern versus your Circle of Influence. For example, as a senior manager, a member of your team might be influenced by you yet will ultimately make their own decisions. One strategy to mitigate this is to consider an additional element called the 'Circle of Control', which relates directly to your behaviour at the centre of the two circles.
Another potential challenge lies when taking this model to its extreme, as it can be used to justify 'narcissistic tendencies' by focusing on yourself rather than using it as a means to engage or impact the external world.
Victor Frankl and the holocaust
Covey’s example of applying this model puts a lot in perspective. He cites the story of Austrian psychiatrist Victor Frankl and his experience in the Nazi holocaust.
Frankl saw most of his family killed and everything stripped away from him, yet he endured. Frankl said: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”
Hopefully, you’ll use this heroic example of proactivity as inspiration rather than intimidation.
This model particularly aligns with productivity models that encourage high value activity.
Use the following examples of connected and complementary models to weave the circle of concern and influence into your broader latticework of mental models. Alternatively, discover your own connections by exploring the category list above.
Connected models:
- Psychological Safety: this model can support the development of psychological safety by shifting from a blame culture.
Complementary models:
- Growth mindset: combining this mental model with a growth mindset allows you to consider how to increase your circle of influence.
- Habit formation and habit stacking: developing these practices as daily habits and processes to use in meetings becomes a powerful life approach.
- Cialidini’s Six Principles of Influence: Cialdini's model aims to extend your influence over people and can be used to challenge the defined limits of the circle of concern and influence as a result.
- Jealousy as a Map: to help establish your priority goals.
This model was created by Stephen Covey, author and speaker and was first featured in his book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People'. Find out more by visiting the Franklin Covey Institute here.
My Notes
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Arun,
A proactivity tool is mentioned in Actionable takeaways, how or where can we get access to this?
Thanks
Dimiter