Proactive Habits of Highly Effective People people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence Habits of Highly Effective People. They work Habits of Highly Effective People on the things they can do something about Habits of Highly Effective People: health, children, problems at work. Habits of Highly Effective Reactive focus their Habits of Highly Effective People efforts in the Circle of Habits of Highly Effective People Concern--things over which they Habits of Highly Effective People have little or no control: the national debt, terrorism, the weather. Gaining an awareness of the areas in which we expend our energies in is a giant step in becoming proactive.