{"id":3365,"date":"2026-01-16T14:33:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T14:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/?p=3365"},"modified":"2026-01-16T14:33:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T14:33:17","slug":"choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1155046524?h=c5a4de4035&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;\" title=\"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year, we\u2019re talking about the kind of person you want to be. You already set the stage with positivity. You layered in purpose. Now we add the third piece that decides whether 2026 happens to you or whether you happen to it by: Being proactive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proactive means you make things happen, not just watch them happen. You create outcomes instead of complaining about them. You dictate results rather than being at the mercy of them<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most people live on the reactive side. They just wait. They wait for someone to tell them what to do. They wait for the schedule to fill up. They wait for the doctor to find the opportunities. They wait for the patient to ask the right questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You are not most people, and this is not meant to be a \u201cmost people\u201d kind of practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You are here to learn how to become the person who leans forward into the day, into the schedule, into the conversation, into your own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is what proactivity really is. It is a posture. Proactive in your thoughts. Proactive in your actions. Proactive in your responsibilities. Proactive in the way you take initiative instead of waiting to be rescued, reminded, or pushed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A reactive mind says, \u201c<em>There is nothing I can do, this is just how it is.<\/em>\u201d A proactive mind says, \u201c<em>Okay, this is what I am seeing. What can I do about it?<\/em>\u201d Same situation, totally different energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A patient cancels. Reactive thinking says, \u201c<em>Here we go, another hole in the schedule, this always happens<\/em>.\u201d Proactive thinking says, \u201c<em>What can I do right now to move the day toward the goal? Who can we call<\/em><em>? What unscheduled treatment is out there?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A teammate is struggling. Reactive thinking says, \u201c<em>Not my problem, I have my own stuff.<\/em>\u201d Proactive thinking says, \u201c<em>If they go down, the whole day goes down. What can I do to help, even for two minutes?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A patient seems unsure about treatment. Reactive thinking says, \u201c<em>Well, I explained it, if they do not want it that is their choice.<\/em>\u201d Proactive thinking says, \u201c<em>Maybe I did not ask the right question. Maybe I can get creative with options so it is easier to say yes.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See the pattern. Proactive is not about blaming yourself. It is about claiming your power. It is not about running around frantically to do more. It is actually the cleaner, calmer way to live, because it takes the stressful surprises out of most of your day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A proactive assistant has trays set, supply issues handled before they become shortages, and questions ready for the doctor instead of waiting until they are standing over the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A proactive hygienist owns their column, knows which patients need a deeper conversation, and sees themselves as a creator of dentistry for the future, not just a cleaner of teeth today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A proactive front office team member is not surprised when a day falls apart, because they already checked confirmation, they already knew which patients might be shaky, and they already had a backup plan in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is what separates \u201c<em>things happened to us<\/em>\u201d from \u201c<em>we made the day happen.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dentistry is actually one of the best classrooms to learn proactivity. You get to see what happens when patients are reactive about their health. They wait. They ignore. Then one day they wake up in pain, with more complicated treatment, more cost, more fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can use that as a mirror. Do you want to live your life that way, waiting until things hurt before you move, or do you want to be the patient who takes action early and enjoys the benefits for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask in your Monday Huddle conversation, \u201c<strong>In our practice, what does it look like<\/strong><strong> when we are being proactive instead of reactive?<\/strong>\u201d Let each person describe this. Then pick one area where you know you have been reactive and decide together how to flip it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, on a personal level, I want you to quietly answer this for yourself: \u201c<strong>In 2026, where am I tired of being reactive in my life and what is one proactive step I can take this month?<\/strong>\u201d Write it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You are building the muscles of proactivity at work. Use those same muscles to build the kind of life you want. You already have everything you need to start being that person today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So let\u2019s go make 2026 the year you stopped waiting, stopped watching, and started leading your life and your practice proactively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This year, we\u2019re talking about the kind of person you want to be. You already set the stage with positivity. You layered in purpose. Now we add the third piece that decides whether 2026 happens to you or whether you happen to it by: Being proactive. Proactive means you make things happen, not just watch&#8230;  <a href=\"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/\" title=\"Read Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-huddle"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This year, we\u2019re talking about the kind of person you want to be. You already set the stage with positivity. You layered in purpose. Now we add the third piece that decides whether 2026 happens to you or whether you happen to it by: Being proactive. Proactive means you make things happen, not just watch... Read more &raquo;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dental Success Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-16T14:33:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-16T14:33:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Scott J. Manning, MBA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Scott J. Manning, MBA\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Scott J. Manning, MBA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d39ccd774b94ac87d5d1c8ca164f3914\"},\"headline\":\"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-16T14:33:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-16T14:33:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":760,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Huddle\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\\\/\",\"name\":\"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-16T14:33:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-16T14:33:17+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Dental Success Today\",\"description\":\"with Scott J. Manning, MBA\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Dental Success Today\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Dental-Success-Today-Logo-Web-Blue.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Dental-Success-Today-Logo-Web-Blue.png\",\"width\":700,\"height\":85,\"caption\":\"Dental Success Today\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d39ccd774b94ac87d5d1c8ca164f3914\",\"name\":\"Scott J. Manning, MBA\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f03df68ded27bf47e12a440f290a8fb027b3b425682c0c9214b135cc18b83940?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f03df68ded27bf47e12a440f290a8fb027b3b425682c0c9214b135cc18b83940?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f03df68ded27bf47e12a440f290a8fb027b3b425682c0c9214b135cc18b83940?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Scott J. Manning, MBA\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/b859fb31aeded1fe\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life","og_description":"This year, we\u2019re talking about the kind of person you want to be. You already set the stage with positivity. You layered in purpose. Now we add the third piece that decides whether 2026 happens to you or whether you happen to it by: Being proactive. Proactive means you make things happen, not just watch... Read more &raquo;","og_url":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/","og_site_name":"Dental Success Today","article_published_time":"2026-01-16T14:33:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-16T14:33:17+00:00","author":"Scott J. Manning, MBA","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Scott J. Manning, MBA","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/"},"author":{"name":"Scott J. Manning, MBA","@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d39ccd774b94ac87d5d1c8ca164f3914"},"headline":"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life","datePublished":"2026-01-16T14:33:16+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-16T14:33:17+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/"},"wordCount":760,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Huddle"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/","url":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/","name":"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-01-16T14:33:16+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-16T14:33:17+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/choosing-proactivity-the-difference-between-leading-and-lagging-in-life\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Choosing Proactivity: The Difference Between Leading and Lagging in Life"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/","name":"Dental Success Today","description":"with Scott J. Manning, MBA","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Dental Success Today","url":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Dental-Success-Today-Logo-Web-Blue.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Dental-Success-Today-Logo-Web-Blue.png","width":700,"height":85,"caption":"Dental Success Today"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d39ccd774b94ac87d5d1c8ca164f3914","name":"Scott J. Manning, MBA","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f03df68ded27bf47e12a440f290a8fb027b3b425682c0c9214b135cc18b83940?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f03df68ded27bf47e12a440f290a8fb027b3b425682c0c9214b135cc18b83940?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f03df68ded27bf47e12a440f290a8fb027b3b425682c0c9214b135cc18b83940?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Scott J. Manning, MBA"},"url":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/author\/b859fb31aeded1fe\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3365"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3366,"href":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3365\/revisions\/3366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentalsuccesstoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}