As layoffs and speculation about the onset and depth of the next recession continue, the worst thing any of us can do, as individuals or leaders, is nothing. Now more than ever, we must continue to grow. There’s biological and received wisdom to ‘keep our heads down’ and wait for the storm to pass. But nothing is more dangerous in today’s business climate than inaction.
It is time to invest the time, effort, and yes, money, in the learning and evolution required to weather this storm, which is not going to be short, or gentle.
We're living amid a dramatic storm of change that shows no signs of letting up. Evolve accordingly.
But what to change? The answers to that are quite unique to your situation, but they can be found using a simple, three-step framework.
Change In 3D
Start with yourself. In the Me dimension, what is it that you, or the ‘yous’ on your team need to change to be as resilient and creative as possible to survive through and beyond this storm? This might include basic hygiene factors, like better or more sleep. It might be more physical activity or a mental health practice, whether ‘over the counter’ or with professional guidance.
Or maybe you need to learn a new skill, topic, or ‘language’. All industries and functions are changing so fast that lifelong learning is a necessity. Alternatively, learning something totally incidental to your work – think flower arranging, a new foreign language, or basic car repair – can be a powerful driver of creativity and cognitive recuperation that many of us need.
These three dimensions are a simple, holistic way to consider our options and priorities.
The next dimension in our 3D framework is We. What might you change about the groups you belong to, whether family, friends, or colleagues? Maybe there’s a ritual you could add to help restore some of the connection you lost during peak pandemic. Or a bad habit or a rut that you’ve fallen into that it’s time to let go of. You’d be amazed what a new meeting opener, or family dinner routine, can do for the group’s dynamic and each member’s wellbeing.
Finally, think about the World changes you’d like to make, or at least contribute to. What is it in your World – the people and planet you have a one or two degree connection to – that you’d like to be different? Consider the news stories that particularly make you angry or break your heart.
As you recognize those issues that resonate with you, what can you do to better understand them and possible solutions? Is there a clear way that you might donate time or money that would advance a credible solution? Or something you can be a spokesperson for in your various We communities, professional or personal?
The 3D model is not intended to overwhelm or guilt trip you into action. It just serves as a simple and holistic framework to help you identify the easiest, most impactful, or most enticing areas of your life to make a change.
How to Change
Of course, identifying what you want to change is not always the hardest part. It’s making the change where many of us get stuck. First and foremost, be sure that you’re clear about and working to maintain a growth mindset. And fostering the same in your team, family, and friends.
Secondly, increase your exposure to different inputs anywhere you can. Take a different route to work, walk the dogs the opposite way around the block, listen to different music or a new podcast. These approachable forms of novelty will help you get comfortable with the new and different and reduce your [natural] resistance to change.
Choose a different colored apple for your snack tomorrow, or make some equally simple but new ... [+]
Finally, connect to purpose. Read all about that process in this article about effective habit change, using this same 3D framework to identify the specific changes among millions that will actually be motivating for you.
When to Make These Changes
And as for when to change? Now. Every element of our lives is changing so quickly, whether we see it on a daily basis or not. The people and organizations that aren’t actively working to evolve won’t survive to see the next normal that’s emerging before our very eyes.
In the words of Eckhart Tolle: “Humanity is now faced with a stark choice: Evolve or die. … If the structures of the human mind remain unchanged, we will always end up re-creating the same world, the same evils, the same dysfunction.”
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