Mastering Change

"Master of Change", by Brad Stulberg - what an amazing discovery. I summarized here some of the concepts of the book that really resonated with me - concepts to take for life.

• Tip #1: Diversify your sense of identity.

The more you define yourself by any one activity the more fragile you become.

If that activity doesn't go well or changes, you lose a sense of who you are.

The opposite is “self-complexity”, having multiple components to your identity.

• Tip #2: View life as a continuous cycle of order, disorder, reorder.

You may crave order and stability, but that stability is a moving target - it’s always somewhere new. It doesn't come from resisting change. It comes from working with it. You are always somewhere in the cycle of order, disorded, reorder.

• Tip #3: Focus on what you can control

During the periods of uncertainty, separate what you can control from what you can not control from what you cannot, and focus on the former.

This allows you to respond instead of react. Do this repeatedly and you begin to develop confidence - based on evidence - that you can navigate challenges.?

• Tip #4: Expect it to be hard

Expectations shape reality.?

If you are running a marathon and expect it to feel easy at mile twenty, then you are in for a rude awakening. If you expect it to feel super challenging, you’ll be prepared to grind. This is true for all hard things.

Setting appropriate expectations doesn't mean you stop striving for excellence. It means dropping the bar of perfectionism and meeting reality how it is, not how you want it to be.?

• Tip #5: Adopt a Rugged Flexibility mindset

Rugged flexibility understands that progress is nonlinear.?

To be rugged is to be tough, determined, and durable - it’s about showing up over and over again.

To be flexible is to adapt and bend easily without breaking - to make adjustments and be fluid when needed.?

Adopt a mindset that embraces both: Maintain a strong sense of who you are (core values) while at the same time adapting, evolving and growing.

Find stability in mastering instability.