Free Circles Of Control coaching tool
Work out what's in your control and what isn't
The Circle of Control exercise, based on Stephen Covey's ideas from "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," helps us focus on what we can actually do something about. It teaches us to sort our concerns into three areas:
- Circle of Concern: This includes everything we worry about, whether or not we can change it.
- Circle of Influence: This focuses on things within our concern that we can affect in some way.
- Circle of Control: This is the smallest area, covering only the things we can directly control.
They do things that have a positive impact. Reactive people, however, focus on the Circle of Concern. They often end up blaming others and feeling like victims.
By concentrating on what we can influence or control, we can let go of things outside our power. This reduces stress and stops us from feeling powerless. Focusing here improves our productivity and gives us a stronger sense of progress and achievement. Learning this exercise helps us become more proactive and empowered.
Free coaching tools
Download all coaching resources with your branding in 2 minutes
Preview of Circles Of Control
Circles Of Control
This quick exercise is to work out what is in your control and what isn’t, particularly when you are feeling overwhelmed.
This exercise helps us redirect our thoughts on to things we can do something about and reduce our worries over what we ultimately have very little to absolutely no control over.
When we get overwhelmed with things in our lives (that scary news report, an email from the boss or working out what to eat for dinner), it can knock us. These things can snowball quickly and it can feel like we have zero control.
Feeling overwhelmed or out of control can also derail us and make us tense up, glaze over or doom scroll endlessly because anything else feels too hard.
When we feel like we have no control it can even be paralysing. We may spend our time endlessly trying to find or regain control. We may retreat under the covers feeling helpless, like a child. We might end up blowing up and taking our our frustration and panic on our nearest and dearest in the form of angry outbursts.
However this feeling presents in you, this exercise can give you more clarity, more focus on the things that will make a difference within your life and give you control to “let go” of worrying and stressing about things that you haven’t any control over anyway.
There are 3 circles within one another for this exercise.
The smallest circle is labelled "Control", the second slightly bigger circle is labelled "Influence" and the biggest outer circle is labelled "Concern".
These 3 circles make up what you can control, what you have some influence over in your life and what you have no control or influence over.
The circle of control is made up of what you can control
Your thoughts, your decisions, your actions, your behaviour, how you spend your time, your mindset & work ethic.
The circle of influence is made up of things you have some influence over, but don't have control over
Your business success, local policies, the school your child attends, your health, other peoples actions or choices.
The circle of concern is made up of all the things we have no control or influence over. We are only able to react to it
World disasters, the news, the economy, the weather, your past (decisions choices or behaviour).
Fill in your own Circles Of Control
Use the examples on the previous page to start you off if you need to. You can fill your circles of control sheet in broadly over your life or focus on one area like your business, work or home life.
You can also complete one for a pressing matter or something super specific. Perhaps you are going for a new job or need to confront a friend about something. Work through what you can control, what you have some influence over and what you have no control over (only concern) about applying for that new job or confronting that friend..
Circles Of Control Reflection
Answer these questions once you have completed the activity on the previous page.
You could do this in your own time or in a session with your coach.
Circles Of Control Reflection