The Four Practices To Help You Adapt To Change
In this article I want to share how to adapt to change when we have been built to avoid change. Many of us try to avoid change, yet change is often the catalyst for growth. When we step into new environments and opportunities, we unlock will see new possibilities and opportunities. In fact, Psychologists Clifford and Lazareth proposed four simple practices that can help us shift our perspectives to reveal new opportunities. I genuinely believe that where there is change, there is possibility.
The first practice is to step out of your comfort zone. Most of us drink from the same mug, follow the same route to work, and sit at the same desk. However, if we decide to do things a little differently from time to time, such as taking a new route, trying a different technique, or playing chess against a stronger opponent, this expands our capacity and unlocks your inner potential.
The second practice is to change your routines. Sit somewhere new. Speak to someone you have never spoken to before. Move one part of your day around to interrupt the autopilot that narrows your awareness.
The third practice is to try new things actively. Eat a new food. Watch a genre you would usually avoid. Experiment with a different style of clothing. These small shifts break habitual thinking and invite new insight.
The fourth practice is to learn something new every day. It does not need to be significant. A new word, an interesting fact, or a new skill connected to your sport or hobby is enough to expand your thinking and keep your mind agile.
When To Lean Into Change and How To Adapt To Change Head On
Change, renewal, reinvention, and reimagination should not only happen when things become necessary, but rather they should happen whenever things become possible. Every time we read a new cookbook, it changes the way we cook, read a new philosophy book changes the way we think, or engage in a new hobby, experience, or activity can change how we think and feel. These sparks fuel the fire of improvement.
When we try to make a too-big leap or a drastic change, our fears and doubts usually rise with it. Big changes often activate the amygdala, triggering a fight-or-flight response rather than the calm, solution-focused state driven by the cortex. To avoid this, we should begin with changes that are so small and manageable that the amygdala does not register them as threats. When the change feels safe, the cortex remains engaged, and we stay grounded, capable, and optimistic.
One powerful way to achieve this is to frame change as an experiment. Experiments feel lighter than commitments. They reduce pressure, encourage curiosity, and give the brain permission to explore without fear of failure. Once we experiment with something new, the brain can build more permanent habits and the beliefs that support them.
In a team or organisational context, this can start with a simple question, such as: ‘How can we improve customer satisfaction in a way that requires no extra money, time, or resources?’ These questions create safe entry points for innovation and help people open up their minds without triggering resistance.
The Problem With Not Adapting To Change
Failure to do so results in something called the curse of incumbency. Kodak is a reminder of what happens when organisations fail to adapt. At its peak, Kodak dominated the global photography market, yet it struggled to respond to digital technology despite inventing one of the first digital cameras. They did not fail because their products were poor, but they failed because they did not evolve. The world around them changed faster than the world within them. At time of writing its not change that’s catching organisations out, but the pace of change. So we need to evolve, adapt and learn and apply that learning faster than our competition to stay ahead of this curve.
This is the reality every individual and organisation faces today. Technology, customer expectations, and working practices are evolving at an extraordinary speed. Companies like Uber and Airbnb grew rapidly by reimagining existing industries rather than relying on traditional models. The lesson we can take from just those two modern-day examples is not that all jobs will disappear in the next 5-10 years, as some futurists suggest, or that technology will replace everyone. The lesson here is that relevance belongs to those who learn, adapt, and reinvent the fastest.
Change Feels Unnatural To Most People
Change is now the natural environment of progress, and the mindset we bring to it will determine our performance. Make one small change on top of another and I promise you, you will reap the compounding benefits.
Einstein referred to compounding as the eighth wonder of the world. Compounding applies not only to money but also to habits, skills, and identity. Small, consistent improvements create exponential outcomes over time however to exploit these returns requires long-term perspective, disciplined choices, and the willingness to value incremental gains.
High performers understand that passion, consistency, and teachability all multiply capability. Passion pulls us toward a goal that matters whilst consistency keeps us taking action even on the days we do not feel like it whilst teachability ensures we remain open, curious, and willing to evolve.
As I mentioned earlier, sustained excellence requires reinvention. The perfect example comes from arguably the greatest golfer ever – Tiger Woods. It’s hard to become number one, but it is even harder to stay there. Tiger Woods rebuilt his swing pretty much the day after he secured his first masters championship win because he understood that staying ahead demands continual refinement. He refined his swing and came back with a more prolific, accurate and versatile. Many successful companies reinvent their own products before competitors force them to. Better never stops because at some point better will become better than the best.
We Need To Stay Future Relvent and Future Literate
To stay future relevant, we need to deconstruct, rethink, and rebuild with intention. This is not bureaucracy; rather, it’s a culture of purposeful progress. Therefore, we should define our organisations not by what it sells but by the value it creates for the customer. Customer needs evolve, and so must the way we serve them.
To stay future-relevant, we need to remain curious, iterate, learn quickly, and adapt even more rapidly. The external world will continue to change. The question is whether our internal world can keep pace.
TO LEARN HOW TO EMBRACE, LEAN INTO AND HOW TO ADAPT TO CHANGE PROFESSIONALLY AND INDIVIDUALLY GET IN TOUCH:
Duncan shares more tactical insights and strategies about change management, achieving success, cultivating a high-performance mindset and fulfilling your potential on his YouTube Channel on Youtube.com/duncanstevens – To discover more about unlocking your ability to embrace, lean into and how to adapt to change in organisation or to even hire him to speak about high-performance leadership, change management, influence or collaboration at your event you can follow the link below. Duncan is a professional keynote speaker and global authority on high-performance leadership, change management, influence and collaboration.
