Adaptability Unleashed: Create the Change You Want

Change is inevitable, but it’s how you choose to handle it that will define you.

It won’t just tap you on the shoulder; it’ll kick down your door.

We’ve all been there, standing in the wreckage of our well-laid plans, the job that went south, or the move that turned life upside down.

And it’s in these moments, when everything is disrupted, that you have the chance to start a significant new phase in your life that goes beyond just getting by—it's a chance to make meaningful change in your personal story.

My own life has been made up of many different experiences or as I like to call them, chapters, distinct and significant in their own right.

Cities, continents, and careers—I've navigated them all, with a lot of unexpected plot twists of personal and professional upheavals, some by choice, others by the sheer force of life—like the time I unexpectedly played a game of tag with a car.

Spoiler alert: The car won.

Multiple surgeries later, I found resilience not in total acceptance of my fate but in the action of moving forward, purposefully.

Resistance: The Teacher Nobody Wants or Asks For

Let’s get real.

Change isn’t a neat, philosophical concept—it’s a messy, in-your-face reality that demands you to step up or step aside.

It’s the nights (and at times days) spent arguing with reality, wrestling with the 'whys', and the mornings where your reflection asks, “What now?”

It’s not about the stoic acceptance of fate; it’s about the persistent, sometimes grudging, embrace of what’s to come coupled with an inner knowing that you get to decide.

The world won’t pause for our learning curve.

Technology, AI, societal shifts—they’re rewriting the rules as we play the game.

It’s a world where adaptability isn’t a soft skill; it’s a necessity.

Crafting Your Playbook for Change

So, how do you master the often uncomfortable art of personal change management?

Here’s my advice, based on a life of messy change and exceptionally stubborn (what can I say, it’s my superpower) adaptability:

1. Champion a Growth Mindset: Embrace each major change in your world as an opportunity for learning. Let growth be your compass, not comfort.
2. Forge Resilience: Resilience is your armor and your strategy. Set micro-goals, celebrate the wins, and let the momentum of each small success propel you forward.
3. Stay Informed and Ready: The tech landscape is a beast that never sleeps. Arm yourself with knowledge and skills; make continuous learning a strength.
4. Flex Your Adaptability Muscles: Practice mental and physical agility. The more you can bend, the less you’ll break.
5. Self-Reflection is Your Strategic Advantage: Assess, debrief, and strategize. What are your life lessons telling you? Adapt your tactics accordingly.

Change management isn't about avoiding the difficulties and uncertainties that come with unexpected events.

It’s about going forward into the unknown with a game plan, with intention, and with an eye on your vision and goals.

Your move. Will you let change overwhelm you, or will you seize control and manage it effectively?