In today’s world of uncertainty and flux, change has become the ever constant. Either you can remain a rigid tree trunk in the storm and break, or be a blade of grass that sways with the wind and survives the storm. A rigid mindset in today’s melting pot world makes you obsolete whereas an adaptive mindset sets you apart and makes you future ready. Flexibility is the order of the day today, they often call it, riding the waves of change and surviving to succeed!
My articles in this column are written from real life experiences. Chapters pulled out from the university of life around me. Careful observations of how other people lead, live and survive. This is my 40th article in the column ‘Destination mindset’ and I also feel the most relevant in current times. My opinion is that flexibility and the ability to adapt has been instinctive through the sands of time. Yet, more important now. It’s like a voyage of a ship. While the destination and route are mapped, the Captain is always watchful of the changes happening in the weather and is adaptive to even changing the route to ensure the safe travel of his passengers. So what really is an adaptive mindset and how can we align our mindset to it?
Is it difficult to be adaptive?
Of course. Intrinsically human beings are built to be comfortable in familiar surroundings and sequences. Most of us like to find our wristwatch where we keep it. Unknown to us we are wired to our way of doing things and call it our routine. This includes our little personal rituals. Just take an example of shifting homes. It takes us long to adapt and settle down to our new abode and replace our old way of doing things. Or say a dear relative who lived with us passes on. It takes us forever to accept the void and change in our lives. But yet we love change and go on vacations ‘for a change’! While it’s difficult to be adaptive it’s even more difficult to be flexible. Mostly because this is where our ego comes in and our importance of self. Why should I accept this? It’s not how I do it? Does this mean that I am wrong? These are the questions from our inner self that plagues us.
The good news is that, if we really try we can be more adaptive, flexible and adjusting
Start with a serious resolve to develop an adaptive mindset
Changing your mindset itself is bringing in a big change in your own self. Changing the way you are wired naturally and how you behave. Like any new habit it needs efforts and discipline. Any change has to be real or else it’s fake. And anything fake as you would know backfires.
The first step is to be inclusive, open and being real. You will need to go all the way to be adaptive. Welcome change and its positives with open arms. Change is bound to happen whether you accept it or not. Don’t drown with its wave, surf on it!
Technological evolution is the cornerstone today to more productivity, convenience and better time utilization. Keep up with these changes, make technology the centre of your life at work and play. There are changes every day. Keep track of how the new generation gallops ahead, their changing values and culture. Understand them. They are the future.
Nurture your adaptive mindset
Increased flexibility and adaptability will make it easier for you to sustain your success and happiness. You will be able to handle change crisis better. When you are flexible your stress levels go down as you oppose less and adapt more. Nurture your new mindset and lead a better life. Enjoy evolution, enjoy progress and new ways of doing things right.
“Adaptability is about the most powerful difference between adaptivity to cope and adapting to win” Max Mckeown
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
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