Expansion of "Circle of Influence" is a key to success...

A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions. Confucius

Most of us spend time in talking about things that are way beyond our control. People love to talk about corruption, pathetic drainage system, traffic jams, performance of Government, Don’t we? For example, corruption agitation has caught the attention of whole of India. While this is good, however, when it comes to doing something about it in a meaningful way, we shy away.  Office environment is no different.

I did learn early in my life that if you want to make a difference, you need to stop focusing on circle of concern and instead work on enlarging your circle of influence.  

We all love to chatter about the concerns during breaks, X working in the organization, Y not working, which generates negative energy. Instead, if we want to be successful, it is imperative that we bring what is beyond our control to the attention of people whose control it falls in and then get out of it. There is no point brooding over all these.

When people are more focused on circle of concern they crib and live in a world of dilemma and assumption.  They keep blaming external factors for things not working well and if only it was within their control to change them.  This can lead to inefficiency, lethargy, frustration and passing the buck situations.

However, people who are more proactive and focused concentrate on circle of influence and  take charge for whatever is in their control.  They are solution oriented rather than problem seekers. They would focus on “how” more than “why” to take charge of a situation. If anything is not working well which they cannot do much about, they will try figuring out people who can help. They are energetic, optimistic, efficient and committed and look forward with positivity.   Instead of reacting to or worrying about situations which they have little or no control, they focus their time and energy on things they can control. 

It is imperative to know that we always have a choice whether to use our energy or lose it.  The size of our circle of influence vs circle of concern depends on what choices we make; happiness or sadness, decisiveness or ambivalence, success or failure.

Below are some tips to increase your circle of influence which will further decrease your circle of concern..

• Whenever you come across a situation which is not favorable, ask yourself, what can you do to change this situation for the better?  Figure out some good ideas and act on them. If you really can’t think of anything, realize that you’re wasting valuable time and energy worrying about the issue. Let it go, and redirect your resources to an area where you can actually make a difference.  In difficult situation, we can ask  God to give us the courage to change the things that we can and ability to accept that we can't, along with wisdom to know the difference.

• Increase your value through learning and knowledge. Knowledge can only expand the areas which you want to enhance. If you are experiencing financial problems, gain knowledge on financial prosperity, if you want to improve your job situation, get a good mentor/coach.

• Do not get too bothered by negative news flashing through various news channels or news papers.  Being informed is good, however worrying too much where you cannot help will put you in negative state of mind.

• Always remember that threats are the best opportunities.  Many times problems are blessing in disguise with hidden opportunities so face them with positivity.

• It is natural that people want to spend time with those who are positive, upbeat and enthusiastic, and volunteer themselves wherever they can help, hence these are the people who expand their influence.

So the decision is yours, you can either be part of problem or be part of solution.