When you think ahead, you can stop small problems from turning into big ones. This is called being proactive—taking action before trouble starts, instead of waiting and reacting later. It’s like putting on sunscreen before you go outside, instead of waiting to get a sunburn.

A simple way to be proactive is to use the Identify, Prioritize, Act model:

1. Identify: Notice a problem that keeps happening or could happen soon. For example, you realize your phone battery always dies in the afternoon.
2. Prioritize: Choose the problem that, if solved, would make the biggest difference. Maybe, out of all your daily hassles, having a working phone is most important to you.
3. Act: Take one small, doable step to fix it before it gets worse. So, you decide to start charging your phone during lunch.

Don’t try to fix everything at once—just focus on the steps that will make the biggest difference. Ask yourself: “What’s one thing I could do now that would save me a lot of trouble later?” The goal is to find small, doable actions that help you avoid bigger problems later.

When you suggest a proactive step, it helps to explain your thinking. A recommendation without reasoning is just an opinion. When you connect your suggestion to patterns you've observed, scenarios you've imagined, and trade-offs you've considered, your recommendation becomes more persuasive and easier for others to evaluate.

Start by sharing what you’ve seen before. You might say, “Every time I wait until the last minute to do the laundry, I end up running out of clean clothes. That’s why I think doing laundry earlier in the week will help.” Next, think about what could happen if you follow your idea or if you don’t. You could explain, “If I do laundry on Wednesday, best case, I always have clean clothes when I need them. Worst case, I still have to do a small load later, but at least I’m not scrambling.” Also, mention any trade-offs, or what you might have to give up. For instance, “Doing laundry midweek means I have to spend some time on chores when I might want to relax, but I’d rather have clean clothes and less stress later.”

Here’s a conversation that puts it all together:

• Victoria: I've been thinking about our group trip planning. We always end up arguing about the itinerary the week before we leave.
• Chris: You're right—that happened the last three trips. What do you suggest?
• Victoria: Let’s make a shared document for everyone’s must-do activities. Best case, we avoid conflicts. Worst case, we just spend an extra hour.
• Chris: What's the trade-off?
• Victoria: We spend a little time upfront when people aren't fully engaged yet. But I'm pretty confident this prevents the last-minute stress.

This conversation shows how to use patterns from past experiences to suggest a simple, proactive step. Victoria explains her idea clearly, considers the best and worst outcomes, and talks about the small trade-off. This makes it easy for everyone to understand the benefit of acting early.

Explaining your idea this way helps others see your logic and makes it easier for them to agree or suggest improvements.

No plan is perfect, and it’s okay to admit you’re not 100% sure your idea will work. Being honest about how confident you are helps everyone know what to expect. You can use phrases like:

• “I’m pretty sure this will help.”
• “I think this could work, but I’m not totally sure.”
• “I’m not sure, but it’s worth a try.”

It’s also smart to say what you’ll look for to see if your idea is working. Ask yourself, “How will I know if this is helping? What would make me want to try something else?”

For example, you might say, “I’m about 80% sure charging my phone at lunch will help. If my phone still dies, I’ll try charging it twice a day.” Or, “I think bringing snacks will work, but if people forget, we might need a reminder.”

By sharing how sure you are and what you’ll watch for, you show you’re open to learning and making changes if needed. This makes your ideas stronger and helps everyone work together to solve problems before they grow. In the upcoming activities, you will practice turning critical thinking into clear, actionable advice that makes a real difference.