Be Adaptable…

How rigid in our minds do we become over time?  I tend to have things planned out a certain way and when things go off plan, it makes me have a hard time dealing with it.  I like to accomplish one goal at a time and in a certain order.  I’m just weird that way.  An unplanned win is not a true win for me in my mind.

This week has been a test of my adaptability to many things in my life.  From different challenges at work, new products and processes for my business, and even some curveballs thrown my way on the personal side.  It seems to just be one of those times in my life where I must let go of my plan and just adapt and go with the flow.  That is something I really struggle with.  I may seem calm, cool, and collected on the outside, but inside, I am in a panic when my plans go off the rails.  I don’t handle deviations well.  

Sticking to a plan is great in many ways.  It allows you to get stuff done.  Lots of people struggle with just making decisions and following through on the plan.  I typically am good at making decisions, even if it’s the wrong one.  I am a believer that a decision is better than no decision and over thinking it.  I would rather change courses when I realize I am wrong than stay in one spot spinning my wheels.  That is where adaptability comes to play. 

Adapting to a new situation, new way of thinking, new responsibilities, etc. takes time and work.  Making any change is hard.  Making a change from when you are wrong is harder.  I sometimes feel I should think more before I act, but I found that if I do that, I get analysis paralysis and never end up doing anything.  I find I work better by adapting my plans and just owning up to my mistakes.  Not everyone is like that by any means, but I’m sure at least a few of you can relate.

I see a lot of people struggle to adapt to new situations.   A lot of people simply rely on what worked in the past to carry them through most anything that comes up in the future.  That thought process just isn’t realistic most of the time.  Trying new things and doing things new ways can vastly improve even the old mundane tasks we have been doing for years.  New technologies are a big part of that adaptation that we need to embrace.  For instance, I have been machining for over 20 years.  I have made tons of different things, out of a bunch of different materials.  This past week, I received some parts I had metal 3d printed and they are so much better than I anticipated them being.  That technology will open a bunch of doors for me to be able to design new things and have them made in a new way.  

I am open to change, I admit when I am wrong, and I am up for learning from others.  It is what I have been working on myself for the past few years.  I don’t want to be the one stuck in the past while everyone else is making strides to better their lives and their processes. 

This week I encourage you to look at those areas in your life that you may need to do some adapting.  When you find one, make a change and see how it goes.  After few times, you will be hooked on the goal of constantly pushing forward…

“Gently instruct those who oppose the truth.  Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.”   2 Timothy 2 NLT