The slowest pace of change you will ever experience for the rest of your life is happening right now.
~The Adaptation Advantage
(McGowan and Shipley 2020)
Did you sigh when you read that?
We know the pace of change is accelerating. We also know the need for continuous adaptation isn’t disappearing anytime soon.
And we’re getting some good practice at it! We’ve been invited and forced to adapt more in the past year than at any other time in our lives.
But…
…we’re tired.
…we’re sick of it.
…we have nothing left in the tank.
…change feels hard.
…we miss our old life.
What’s the path up and out of this conundrum rather than into a pit of despair? (Or at least away from yet another week of hoodies, yoga pants and too much sugar and carbs?)
I have two possibilities to ease the resistance:
- People who don’t love adapting can still be good at it. It just consumes more energy than for those who are highly adaptable. Because becoming more adaptable is a learnable skill, my vote is to choose to get better at it. By definition that will recharge my batteries when a new change comes my way.
- Although we’re all in this together, some days are clearly better for some of us than others. When you’re in good space, encourage someone who isn’t. Later in the week, those roles could be reversed. Get in the habit of giving and getting help, as keeping all this stress inside is not only unhealthy, but it also contributes to the disconnection we’re all experiencing. Reinstate “emotional turn taking” on your team.
Energy is becoming an increasingly valuable currency in these days. Guarding it — and even increasing it — cannot be dependent on change slowing down.
P.S. Thank you to the many people who reached out to me about last week’s post on inclusion and safety. It clearly resonated, and I’ll look forward to those conversations continuing.