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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. Non quam nostram quidem, inquit Pomponius iocans; Nihil acciderat ei, quod nollet, nisi quod anulum, quo delectabatur, in mari abiecerat. Restatis igitur vos; Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Istam voluptatem, inquit, Epicurus ignorat? Causa autem fuit huc veniendi ut quosdam hinc libros promerem. Qui non moveatur et offensione turpitudinis et comprobatione honestatis? Quod maxime efficit Theophrasti de beata vita liber, in quo multum admodum fortunae datur. Ostendit pedes et pectus. Profectus in exilium Tubulus statim nec respondere ausus; Sed in rebus apertissimis nimium longi sumus.
- Audit your focus.
Spend a week tracking how much you focus on factors that are out of your control ...
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. An me, inquam, nisi te audire vellem, censes haec dicturum fuisse? Nihil enim iam habes, quod ad corpus referas; Nondum autem explanatum satis, erat, quid maxime natura vellet. Aliena dixit in physicis nec ea ipsa, quae tibi probarentur; Quarum ambarum rerum cum medicinam pollicetur, luxuriae licentiam pollicetur. Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Tuo vero id quidem, inquam, arbitratu. Cur fortior sit, si illud, quod tute concedis, asperum et vix ferendum putabit? Ad corpus diceres pertinere-, sed ea, quae dixi, ad corpusne refers? Egone non intellego, quid sit don Graece, Latine voluptas?
Vitae autem degendae ratio maxime quidem illis placuit quieta. Itaque a sapientia praecipitur se ipsam, si usus sit, sapiens ut relinquat. Conferam tecum, quam cuique verso rem subicias; Nec vero alia sunt quaerenda contra Carneadeam illam sententiam.
Aliter enim nosmet ipsos nosse non possumus. At negat Epicurus-hoc enim vestrum lumen estquemquam, qui honeste non vivat, iucunde posse vivere. In qua quid est boni praeter summam voluptatem, et eam sempiternam? Mihi, inquam, qui te id ipsum rogavi? Multa sunt dicta ab antiquis de contemnendis ac despiciendis rebus humanis; Quis animo aequo videt eum, quem inpure ac flagitiose putet vivere? Si longus, levis. Quid enim possumus hoc agere divinius? Quod si ita se habeat, non possit beatam praestare vitam sapientia. Quae autem natura suae primae institutionis oblita est? An me, inquam, nisi te audire vellem, censes haec dicturum fuisse? Haec quo modo conveniant, non sane intellego.
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