It's occurred to me I can view obstacles as a puzzle, sort of "a situation in need of a solution", rather than my previous tendency to see major challenges as a point of shutdown and frustration. After all, our perceptions are all about how one views things, aren't they? We CAN adjust our attitudes to invoke (or trigger) improved emotional responses, and when we learn to do so it's enlightening to look around and see better opportunities appearing around us.
First however, I had to move past the place where my mind naturally goes; rushing to assess everything in only black and white, with inflexible, distinct lines of right and wrong answers. Now I'm remembering to remain open to the potential for multiple shades of gray, charcoal, silver and even an occasional sliver of dark burgundy or blue.
The ability to change and restructure your efforts as needed leads to growth and progress......
....and, depending upon what species you are, change may really mean survival!
I'm sure you have seen this many times, but the quote remains valuable advice:
What's the actual definition of adaptability? Below is a good explanation along with the one I found on Merriam Webster's site: Adaptable (adjective) is described as "capable of being or becoming adapted". i.e., "plants that are easily adaptable to colder climates."
Keeping an open mind = allows for development of new problem solving strategies.
So, how can we shift our thinking to view life's ups, downs and potholes more smoothly? Here are three examples of situations and possible responses we might put into place to increase productivity.
• Accepting a traffic delay with humor instead of irritation: "Okay, so I'm a little later than planned. Deep breath! Let's review today's projects and evaluate which are most important to accomplish first."
• Re-prioritizing goals because of a missing component: "We can't finish without that essential piece. However, we can review everything we have - and let's and finalize all the other details while we're waiting".
• Learning that a plan of action is no longer feasible: "Well team, it turns out that our original strategy isn't going to get the job done. Time to step back and evaluate other options!"
"The need for adaptability has never been greater than it is now. The ability for people, teams and organizations to adapt to changes in their environments, stay relevant and avoid obsolescence is the defining characteristic between success and failure, growth and stagnation, business and bankruptcy." See the article "14 Signs Of An Adaptable Person"
Techniques for improvement:
Remember - being flexible enough to adjust course when needed = IS working smarter.
I hope you found some of these points enlightening and useful. It seems that while learning more about the ways we tend to block our own progress by resisting change, I actually became more open to the process of "flipping my frame" to a new perspective. I'm eager to continue trying different approaches towards each situation and challenge that comes my way! Thanks for reading and have a great day ~
Andrea Baumann
Marketing Delmarva
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