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Reduce busyness. Focus on what you can do something about. Build resilience.
Author Maria Noone. 2018.
Stephen Covey developed the "Circles of Control, Influence, and Concern" model in the 1980s. This tool remains a valuable resource for helping individuals regain control over how they spend their time. It assists in identifying time-wasters and, in doing so, strengthens resilience. Over the past decade, we have taught this concept to many healthcare leaders, who find it effective and easy to implement in both their personal and professional lives. Below is an adapted version of the Circles of Control and Influence.
In work and in life there are many places we can put our attention. Our lives don't just happen. Whether we know it or not, it is being designed by us. As easy or as hard as it may seem we get to make choices about where our attention goes. There are emotions, feelings, thoughts, behaviours and activities that we make choices and decisions about every day; such as to take action or be inactive, to be optimistic or find complaint, to hold onto fears or to develop courage, to assert control or embrace the unknown, to seek to understand or seek to be understood, etc. Granted, some choices and decisions are easier than others to make. Regardless, every moment, every situation provides a new opportunity to do something or nothing at all. What is important to understand, is where our attention goes impacts how we experience life. It has an impact on the time we spend on those things we can affect (our areas of influence) versus what we cannot (the areas of concern that we have no control over).
Three areas where attention goes:
1. What you have direct control of (YOU)
2. What areas you have influence over (YOU, WE)
3. What areas are of concern but you have no control over (YOU, WE, IT).
Things I control
An area of control is the area we have direct control over, ourselves! The amount of control is limited by individual self-awareness, including the conscious choices and decisions made and actions taken. The key to this area is our personal self-awareness and self-leadership—how well we go about leading ourselves through life and its challenges.
Things I can influence
An area of influence is the area we can affect. It encompasses those matters that we can do something about. What we can influence is reliant on emotional intelligence if we are to influence others in a non-harmful way. When focus goes onto areas that can be influenced we become more proactive. Proactive people work on things they can do something about. The nature of their energy in doing this is positive and enlarging. They think of possibilities. They create their circle of influence and make it larger.
Concerns outside of my control
The area of concern is the area we have no control over, and it sits outside of our current reach. It encompasses the wide range of concerns we have in life, such as national or global issues, matters to do with whānau and friends, some problems at mahi, government policy, issues of the environment, the threat of war, etc. When we focus on this area of concern we become reactive to life‘s circumstances. The nature of being constantly reactive is neglecting those issues that are under our influence or control because our energy and time is going elsewhere. Therefore, the ability to influence shrinks.
Control, influence and concern each affect different emotions
The nature of the areas where a person's focus goes affects their emotions, thoughts, feelings and actions. The areas that we have control and influence over, tend to be enlarging, positive and proactive. It is a proactive empowered state. The areas that we are concerned about but cannot influence tend to be more problem-focused, negative and restricting. It is a reactive, endless, powerless state. Influence grows by focusing on those things you can do something about (areas of control and influence).
How can you apply?
Make a list of where your time is spent. This can be a context within your life such as a project, mahi, processes, systems, whānau, people, social media or it cold include a glance across all areas of your life. Consider where your time is spent, including general matters you are involved in, thinking about, feeling, experiencing, and doing from day to day.
Transfer items from the list into each relevant circle. Consider, do you have direct control over it (yourself), do you have indirect control (area of influence) or are you concerned about it (but have no control). If you get stuck on where to list an item, ask yourself the four questions below.
Allocate time and energy spent. How much time and energy is spent on these areas in a given day or week? Timing can be approximate, it does not need to be exact. Consider, is it reasonable and useful the amount of time spent. Consider momentarily whether the thoughts, feelings and emotions spent on areas of concern are conducive to your happiness, goals, and intentions.
Let go. Make decisions about what you ‘need to’ or ‘should’ let go of from the larger outer circle. Before getting involved in new activities and responsibilities, think deeply about whether it is worth your effort and time. If there is spare time left over, you have the choice to transfer it to those things you can do something about.
Four questions worth asking when faced with a concern
Is this in my circle of influence? Quickly ask and answer the question of whether the matter is in your area of influence or area of concern. In your reasoning you can apply logic or follow your gut response.
Is this worth my influence? If you recognise that you can influence a matter, you still need to determine whether you have the time, resources, and energy to invest in it. This may require prioritising.
Is there a small part of what I am concerned about, that I can influence? If the matter is in your circle of concern, is there an aspect that you can influence, e.g., Itemised in the circle of concern is the ‘national economy and high cost of living’. In the circle of influence could be ‘coaching tamariki/children to have healthy relationships with money by modelling healthy money habits, smart work ethic.’
Who can I talk to that can influence what I am concerned about? If the matter is in your circle of concern but outside of your control, check if there is anyone you know who can influence the changes instead, then leave them to it.
Gaining awareness of how you spend your energy, time, and resources is a significant step toward becoming proactive. Instead of reacting to or worrying about conditions beyond your control, being proactive allows you to focus your time and energy on matters you can influence. Challenge yourself to concentrate on tasks you can contribute to or complete. Effectiveness will result from this approach, especially if you avoid letting perfectionism and worries compromise your judgment.
The more you concentrate on your areas of influence and control, the broader and larger those circles will become. Learning to "let go" or manage concerns in the outer circle can be challenging initially, but these are skills that can be developed and will prove invaluable over time!
Click the PDF download below for the remaining information, examples and full slides.
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