Circles of Influence and Concern or Yes, Mary, you can make a difference!
Take a blank sheet of paper and a pen. Draw a large circle and then put a dot in the centre. That dot represents you. Now draw a smaller circle around the dot fairly close, but not too close to it. The outer circle is your “Circle of Concern”; the inner circle is your “Circle of Influence”. Now here’s how it works…
Within the Circle of Influence reside all the things in your life that you have a direct impact on – getting up in the morning and brushing your teeth is your decision and completely within your power to do or not do. Getting your kids to get up in the morning and having them brush their teeth when you want them to – well that may need a bit more exerting of influence, so that is closer to the edge of the Circle of Influence. Getting the whole of NZ out of bed and brushing its collective teeth would be on the outer edge of the Circle of Concern!
The trick is being able to push your Circle of Influence out further than you may have thought possible, particularly on issues that interest you or move you in some way. Here is an example of how that can be done, and I know this story is true because I listened to the guy explain how he made it happen. And as I listened I realised this was Stephen Covey’s Circles of Influence and Concern in action. Continue reading »
