Adaptation, Not Change

plant adapting to wooden tableI’ve been enjoying the humorous “Spellman series” by Lisa Lutz, and was struck by a simple statement from lead character Isabel Spellman:

Our ability to adapt is amazing. Our ability to change isn’t quite as spectacular.

How profound! She articulated something that I observe with my clients and myself. Expecting ourselves to start behaving differently just because we want to rarely works.

Does this mean we’re not capable of change? Absolutely not, but starting with behavior change alone rarely works. Success often comes when we put ourselves in a situation of adaptation, instead of change. When this happens, behavior change often feels effortless and is far more sustainable.

So how can we prompt adaptation? Many choose to start with the external environment. When we clear clutter and eliminate distractions, we often start to think more clearly and be more productive.

But to create a new external environment, we need to start with a new internal environment—our own mindsets and beliefs.

Creating a new internal environment doesn’t require a personality makeover. We can just shift our focus, to look at things from a different angle. Here are some opportunities for perspective shift:

  • From self-criticism to self-compassion
  • From perfectionism to good enough
  • From overwhelm to one small step
  • From scarcity to abundance
  • From fear to hope
  • From avoidance to acceptance
  • From a “lifetime sentence” to “just for today”

When we shift our focus away from self-limiting beliefs and instead, operate from a perspective of what is possible, we begin to think and act differently. Changes in our behavior become a natural adaptation to our new internal environment.

Tell me about the perspective shifts that have helped you!

Image courtesy of paladin13 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net