Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times. – Niccolò Machiavelli
Um, dude? Time to adapt! Change the color scheme!
What does that mean?
What this quote says to me is that things are always changing, that nothing stays the same. If you wish to enjoy continued success, you will have to adapt to the changing circumstances that surround you. You will have to change your conduct, as he puts it, if you wish to have continued success.
If you do the same thing over and over, but life has changed in the mean time, you won’t keep getting what you were getting, will you? And given the way things tend to go, if circumstances change, your results will likely tend to go from bad to worse, don’t they? So what will you do to adapt to how the world around you is changing?
Why is adaptation important?
Just ask the horse and buggy industry why adaptation is important. Unless you live in a town with a large Amish population, there just isn’t much demand for those products. The world has changed (about a century ago), and it left the horse and buggy behind.
The same thing for the Phone Company, the times have changed. When it started, it was the only game in town (patents being what they are). Then came divestiture, and the re-merging of the Baby Bells. Then it started into the wireless industry, buying competitors and forming strategic alliances (iPhone, as an example).
Where can I apply this in my life?
If you ever raised kids (or were paying attention while being a kid), what worked yesterday doesn’t always work today. Motivation, discipline, encouragement, all of these change. Sometimes daily. If you have more than one kid, what worked when the first one was ‘that age’ most likely won’t work on another. Life is just that way.
As you probably realize, things are always changing. Technology moves forward. Our bodies age (good for kids, not so much so for the rest of us). Our relationships mature (either strengthening or deteriorating, as the case may be). The seasons come and go. Everything has a rhythm and a pace.
Adaptation is how we change as we notice the small changes in the environment around us. Grab some paper and write down a half dozen things that are important to you. Then add why they are important, and what it would mean if you lost these things.
They can be attributes (flexibility, strength, mental clarity, wealth), relationships (with parents, kids, spouse, relatives, friends), membership (job, groups, leadership position), or items (family heirlooms, favorite shirt).
My list included most of the examples listed above. As an example, I value my flexibility. It’s important to me because my kids are still young, and I enjoy playing with them. I’m also fairly active, and use my flexibility to work on my hobbies. If I lost my flexibility, it would seriously impact my ability to do any of those things, and that would cost me in my ability to relate to my kids and seriously degrade my self worth.
Now select one of your items and brainstorm some ideas as to how you can adapt to the changes going on in your life and in the world around you. As an example, I am working to keep my flexibility by regularly doing some standard stretches and doing a little yoga every week.
So, what are you going to do to adapt? I would recommend you try to come up with several ideas for each of the items on your list. Some might take more money than time (hiring a personal trainer or taking private yoga lessons), and others might take a fair bit of time, but less money. By having choices, as the availability of your time and money change, you can adapt a little easier. Does that make sense?
Sometimes, adaptation means changing what you do. If you have a medical condition, you might not be able to do all the things you used to do. How will you find new things to provide the same satisfaction as you received from the old activity? Bad knees may rule out running, but you might adapt to walking, cycling or swimming.
The possibilities for adaptation are only limited by your time, money and imagination. Use the possible loss as motivation, leverage if you will, to keep you motivated and adapting. Life will change, and it won’t always be pleasant or easy. I would recommend you stay focused, stay flexible and stay motivated.
From: Twitter, @philoquotes
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/niccolomac130595.html
Photo by Tambako the Jaguar
