How Highly Effective People Prioritize The Circle of Influence Concept

Where focus goes...energy flows!

Do you often feel overwhelmed by your to-do list? Does it seem like there are too many tasks on your plate and not enough time to complete them? We understand how you feel. For many of us, we often find ourselves juggling multiple projects and not knowing where to start.

This is why it's important to prioritize tasks and focus on our goals with a clear mind. In Stephen Covey's book, '7 Habits of Highly Effective People', Covey introduced the concept of the Circle of Influence/Circle of Concern. In this article, we will explore what this model is and how you can use it in your life to help prioritize tasks in an efficient way.

The Circle of Influence/ Circle of Concern has become a popular tool for individuals, teams, and companies due to its simplicity and effectiveness. We'll discuss the concept in detail, so you can begin applying it to your own life and work today.

Steven Covey Book- "7 Habits of Highly effective people"

If you're looking for a practical, reliable guide to help you become more successful, then pick up a copy of Stephen Covey's best-selling book, "7 Habits of Highly Effective People." In it, he outlines the Circle of Influence/Circle of Concern model he developed and which has become one of the most popular ways to get organized and prioritize tasks.

The Circle of Influence breaks down into two basic parts: your immediate control and what you can influence. Everything you do is either a direct result of your own choices or it’s something you can work to change. To be successful, you need to focus on the things that are within your control first - these fall into your “circle of influence” - then move outward to those that are within your ability to influence - in your “circle of concern”.

For instance, instead of worrying about global warming (in the circle of concern), try reducing your carbon footprint by recycling and limiting energy use at home (circle of influence). Looking for something even closer? Prioritize developing strong social relationships with friends and family (circle of influence), over worrying about things like stock market performance or economic trends (circle of concern).

This model is an incredibly effective way to make sure that your time is spent on activities that are personal priorities and have immediate results – helping you stay focused on what’s important until bigger tasks can be tackled.

Identifying Your Circle of Influence and Circle of Concern

In his book ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, Stephen Covey suggests that we divide our attention into two distinct circles: the Circle of Influence and the Circle of Concern. The former being those things that we have control over in some manner, and the latter being those things outside of our control.

Identifying what falls into your Circle of Influence is part of the key to success. Things like relationships, communication, and one's mindset would all fall under this umbrella. You have complete control over them - it is only up to you to take the necessary steps to improve in these areas.

On the other hand, your Circle of Concern includes environmental issues, public policy, crime rates and other elements that you may feel passionate about - but which you do not possess direct influence or control over. It is important to focus on what falls within your circle if influence in order to be effective in life.

The Proactive Habit: Focus on Things You Can Influence

One of the most famous concepts from Stephen Covey's book, '7 Habits of Highly Effective People,' is the Circle of Influence/Circle of Concern model. It encourages us to focus on things that we have control over—the things inside our circle of influence.

So what exactly does this mean?

Focus on the Things You Can Control

The Circle of Influence/Circle of Concern model encourages us to recognize that there are a lot of things in life outside our control — and those should be treated with a level of acceptance and understanding. But then there are also many areas in life where we can be proactive—these are the ones we should focus on and prioritize.

Develop Wise Stress-Management Skills

This proactive habit helps develop wise stress-management skills, such as decision-making and problem solving, to name just a few. Focusing on what is inside your circle of influence allows you to work smarter instead of putting in hours into something that doesn't yield results. According to Covey, it’s important to “invest energy in your Circle of Influence."

Highly effective people have an awareness that they can control their perspectives, thoughts, attitudes and reactions which ultimately end up affecting their behaviors. By recognizing this concept and being mindful about it every day, we can learn how to be effective leaders, collaborators and team members—all while prioritizing our time efficiently in order to get the most out of it!

Begin With the End in Mind: Have a Clear Vision and Purpose

Highly effective people begin with the end in mind and have a clear vision and purpose. This means they can separate themselves from the noise, prioritize and stay focused on what's important.

Stephen Covey's book, '7 Habits of Highly Effective People', outlines his Circle of Influence/Circle of Concern Model, which helps to visualize how to prioritize tasks. The Circle of Influence is made up of things that you can do something about, whereas the Circle of Concern is comprised of things you have no power over, like global politics or weather patterns.

Highly effective people use this model to focus their attention on their circle of influence. They develop a clear vision and purpose, which helps them keep sight of what they want to achieve – whether it's personal, professional or both – so they can break it down into smaller goals that are more achievable and reasonable. This way they can take actionable steps towards reaching their end goal without getting side-tracked by external issues that are out of their control.

By having clarity and conviction in their mission and purpose, highly effective people can spend time cultivating relationships with influential players who will help them move towards their goal faster and more effectively. They understand that relationships are key for both personal and professional growth so don't put off networking or seeking out mentorships or other collaborations until later on; instead they make it an immediate priority.

Put First Things First: Prioritize Important Over Urgent Things

One of the key concepts in Stephen Covey's book, '7 Habits of Highly Effective People', is the Circle of Influence/ Circle of Concern model. It's a simple idea to help you prioritize your tasks and focus on the most important ones first.

The circle of influence is the smaller ring within the circle of concern. The circle of concern is the outer ring and contains things that are outside your control – problems in society, global issues, etc. The circle of influence focuses on what you CAN control – things that are happening in your life and how you react to them. This smaller circle encourages you to take action on what is within your control rather than reacting to external stimuli.

The way Covey puts it is, 'Put First Things First'. That means focusing on the important tasks over urgent ones, distinguishing between activities that have short-term gains versus those with long-term benefits. This takes some practice, but it helps you develop an effective strategy for managing your time and energy—allowing you to reach greater success while avoiding burnout!

Think Win-Win: Create Mutual Benefit in Your Relationships

Part of becoming highly effective is understanding the importance of win-win relationships. As Stephen Covey said in his book, ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, this means understanding the power of creating mutual benefit in relationships. By understanding the Circle of Influence/Circle of Concern model and focusing on what’s within your circle of influence, you can make decisions that create a win-win situation for both you and those around you.

What is this Circle of Influence/Circle of Concern model? Simply put, the Circle of Influence are things that we can control or influence and the Circle of Concern are things that we cannot control or influence. In order to think win-win and create mutual benefit, it’s important to be aware what is within our control and act on those things.

By becoming aware of our personal responsibilities within our circle of influence, we can then focus on what matters in our relationships with others. We can bring a positive attitude to every interaction, invest time into understanding other perspectives, work towards shared goals, value each other's contributions to mutual success, and remain flexible when needed – all factors which lead to more meaningful and beneficial relationships for both parties.

Continuous Self-Renewal: Sharpening the Saw

According to Stephen Covey's famous book, '7 Habits of Highly Effective People', one of the key elements to being successful is a concept called the Circle of Influence. The idea is to constantly strive for self-renewal and improvement in order to be more effective.

The circle can be broken down into four components: physical, mental, spiritual and social/emotional. Each component has its own set of activities that need to be maintained and pursued in order for an individual to continue growing.

Physical

For the physical component, activities such as eating right, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep are important practices that should be implemented by anyone trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Exercise not only gives you more energy and boosts your mood but also keeps your mind sharp so you can take on any task that comes your way with confidence.

Mental

Here, focusing on learning new skills or engaging in activities that build knowledge is encouraged. That could include reading books related to various topics like business or leadership, taking online courses, watching educational videos or attending seminars. Keeping up with current events or trends are also positive habits that help enhance mental capacity and open up more opportunities when it comes down to making decisions about career and life.

Spiritual

This involves taking time for yourself – focusing on clear goals and being mindful of what really matters in life. Meditation or yoga can help you achieve inner peace and provide clarity of thought during times when decisions have to be made quickly. It's not just about relaxation though – by exploring your values and purpose in life, one can find their inner strength which is necessary for tackling difficult challenges along the way.

Social/Emotional

Synergize: Work Together to Achieve More

Covey's fourth habit is all about teamwork—'Synergize'. This is the concept of working together to achieve a common goal, and it relies on the Circle of Influence/Circle of Concern model.

Prioritization becomes a lot easier when you can work with other people. Not only do you have help in handling tasks, but you also get feedback on your ideas which can help your productivity. Plus, when one team member is stuck on something, another team member may be able to pick up the slack or offer an alternative solution that can help move things along.

In ‘7 Habits’, Covey emphasizes “synergy” - the concept that two heads are better than one and good teamwork can lead to great results. He even included a few rules to help foster a harmonious team environment:

1. Seek first to understand, then to be understood
2. Acknowledge that everyone’s opinion matters—even if yours takes precedence
3. Encourage healthy disagreement between team members
4. Take initiative and ownership for collective progress
5. Respect the work contributed by each team member
6. Celebrate successes as a team

When prioritizing tasks efficiently, there's no replacement for consistent communication and collaboration between team members from different departments or divisions—the synergy of their combined skills and perspectives can really add up!

Conclusion

Stephen Covey’s Circle of Influence/ Circle of Concern concept is a powerful way to understand how we prioritize our actions and focus our energy. By recognizing the things we can actually control, and letting go of those things outside of our reach, we can make sure that our energy is focused on the people and things we care about the most and that our efforts are more likely to be successful.

The message is clear: focus on the things we can influence, the ‘Circle of Influence’, and release those that are outside of our power, the ‘Circle of Concern’. In this way, we can make sure we are investing our time, energy, and resources in the things that really matter, and that can help us create the life we desire.

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