How many times have you heard people say “it’s damn tough out there” recently?
You’ve probably said it yourself. I know I have. And I don’t care if it’s a cliché - it is one of the most challenging times most of us have lived through, or will ever
So… how will YOU respond?
It’s time to increase your confidence and resilience in lockdown, because we’re all capable of it, and you can still discover financial security, no matter what’s happening in the world.
It’s not survival of the fittest
Give me a break. If it was survival of the fittest, only personal trainers would be counting their blessings now.
According to Charles Darwin, organisms survive by adapting to their environment. It helps them thrive, have more babies, and essentially keep the species going.
Now, you probably don’t want to lower yourself to a mere organism, but that’s what we all are, and we really should heed Darwin’s words when we look at today’s challenges.
You have to adapt. There’s no option.
Well, there is, but it’s one which will ultimately result in lower levels of confidence and far less ability to clear the hurdles currently placed in your way.
Suggesting that it’s only the fittest who can survive has always been troublesome. It suggests a battle - a need to combat your way through every rough point in your life.
If we look at a common business challenge, we have a case in point: price rises. You know you need to do it, but you’re frightened to do so.
Why?
Should you fight with yourself to make that decision or simply accept that your business is adapting to market changes?
If you opt for the latter, you’re running a far more confident, resilient business.
There’s no such thing as a ‘bad’ environmental change
Granted - this one takes some thought, but it really is true.
When something changes naturally, either via a force of nature, general consensus, or in response to external factors, it is neither good nor bad. It just IS.
Certain changes in your professional and personal life may seem bad at first glance, but you can make them good by responding well.
If we take the lockdown as an example and consider how it could have impacted businesses, you’ll see what I mean.
Imagine if, rather than turning to remote work technology and home offices, businesses had flat-out refused to change. They’d have been forced to close their doors, work would cease, and the economy would collapse.
Instead, everyone adapted. People placed their laptops on kitchen tables, bedroom cabinets, and literally on their laps - wherever they were - and continued to work.
As a result, products and services still left the door, and, for many, it has actually IMPROVED productivity and increased the quality of employee output. The net result? Happier, more productive employees, and a more handsome bottom line.
The only block to motivation in business is your mindset - if it’s unwilling to adapt.
I make it sound so easy, right?
That’s kind of the point. It isn’t easy - I’m fully aware of that.
The theory of evolution isn’t easy. The way in which generations have adapted to their biggest challenges has never been easy.
But it all depends on how you define ease. For me, once you realise that “survival of the fittest” is the worst outlook you can have in life, things do get easier. You learn how to adapt to change positively, rather than treating it as a duel.
It’s tough out there. So, invest your time in adapting to your new surroundings and to the ways in which you can meet the challenges life is currently throwing your way (because it won’t stop doing so).
