The Power of Adaptability
Success in life isn’t solely determined by circumstances, but by your adaptability. Many people today are becoming less adaptable by constantly searching for the perfect solution, whether it’s the right supplement, a perfect partner, or the ideal video game. This mindset is encouraged by modern society, which offers endless options tailored to individual preferences, reducing our need to change ourselves to fit a circumstance. However, adaptation is a key principle of life, evident in natural selection, neuroplasticity, and epigenetics.
Highly successful individuals are those who, when faced with a problem, can change and adapt to address it, rather than getting stuck in rigid patterns. A lack of adaptability can lead to being “hard stuck” in life, whether in gaming ranks or in personal well-being.
Three Ways to Cultivate Adaptability
-
Stop Black-and-White Thinking: Rigid, all-or-nothing thinking is a sign of mental inflexibility and is correlated with conditions like depression and PTSD. Thoughts like “I will never be successful” or “all people are bad” are often a form of black-and-white thinking. Since no human can predict the future, these thoughts are not objectively true. To combat this, notice when you have an all-or-nothing thought and deliberately look for shades of gray. Ask yourself, “What are some things that might make this possible?”. This practice increases cognitive flexibility.
-
Don’t Immediately Counter: When you hear an idea you disagree with, your natural reflex is to immediately counter it. This cognitive rigidity prevents you from learning and growing. To become more adaptable, make a conscious effort to try to understand the other person’s perspective. Look for ways their argument could be valid, even if it contradicts your current reality. This practice is seen in successful gamers who improve over time, while rigid players remain “hard stuck” despite thousands of hours of practice.
-
Replace “This Doesn’t Work For Me” with “How Can I Make This Work For Me?”: This is one of the most devastating thoughts that prevents adaptation. When a solution seems difficult or inconvenient, many people abandon it with the excuse, “I’m not a morning person” or “the gym just doesn’t work for me.” This mindset traps you in a search for a perfect solution that doesn’t exist. Instead, successful, adaptable people view obstacles as problems to be solved, not reasons to quit. They ask, “How can I adapt so this solution can be successful for me?”.
Summary with Actionable/Practical Tasks
Adaptability is a crucial skill for success and is developed by increasing cognitive flexibility. Instead of searching for the “perfect solution,” learn to adapt yourself to the circumstances.
Practical Tasks:
-
Practice “Gray Thinking”: The next time you have a definitive, all-or-nothing thought about yourself or your situation, immediately challenge it. For example, if you think, “I’ll never get a good job,” try to find three pieces of evidence that make this thought untrue, or even a single fact that introduces a possibility of an alternative outcome.
-
Observe Without Countering: When someone expresses a view you disagree with, practice listening to their entire perspective without forming a rebuttal. After they finish, summarize their viewpoint in your own mind to ensure you understand it. This trains your brain to process new information without immediate rejection.
-
Reframe Your Obstacles: When you’re faced with a new task or habit that feels difficult, instead of saying, “This doesn’t work for me,” rephrase the problem. If you don’t like to meditate in the morning, the problem isn’t the meditation; it’s waking up. The new problem to solve is: “How can I make waking up in the morning easier so I can try this meditation technique?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4A5eRNyMrE