“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” — Charles Darwin
One of the best ways to get results is to change your approach. You can change yourself faster than you can change other people. This gives you incredible flexibility in any situation. Your ability to change your thinking, feeling, and doing is the key to changing your lot in life or changing the results you get.
One of my manager’s was especially good at knowing when to ask, "… Is it working?" or "… Is it effective?" They’re simple questions, but they cut right to the chase. It’s not about whether it should work, or whether you want it to work — these are direct questions that force you to lay your cards out on the table and see what you’ve got. Either you’re getting the results you want, or you’re not.
A few of my mentors noted that I’m quick to change my approach when something’s not working. They said this is a good thing. Not everybody is quick to admit something’s not working and try a different approach. For me, I learned early on that flexibility is my friend. One of my favorite definitions of insanity is "keep doing the same thing, but expect different results." I learned from Tony Robbins that you "Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach." I learned from Bruce Lee that you "Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own." So the sooner I can figure out that something’s not working, the sooner I can test another approach.
So, let me ask you … is your approach working for you?
Photo by Brenda Starr.
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