Adapt or Die: Why Embracing Change is the Sane Choice with Rich Alderton
Learn powerful strategies for maintaining a positive mindset in the face of major life changes and challenges. In this powerful discussion, Matt O’Neill shares how he navigated massive losses in his real estate business to emerge stronger than before through resilience and a growth mindset. Author and speaker Rich Alderton also reveals simple yet impactful techniques for developing "adaptability intelligence" to thrive in times of change.
Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:
Matt faces biggest career challenge with loss of half company revenue
Adaptability as a learnable intelligence
Tips for managing fear and anxiety about uncertainty
Using mindfulness to overcome negativity bias
Inspiring story of replacing lost business volume in one week
[08:09] Adaptability as a Learnable Intelligence
Adaptability is a learnable skill. While people develop technical and soft skills, those skills are only useful in stable environments. Adaptability is the most important skill since it allows people to apply other skills during challenges and uncertainty. It unlocks one's full potential to perform their best regardless of adversities.
[12:29] Why People Resist Change
People resist change due to evolutionary instincts to avoid threats to security and survival. Humans feel fear and anxiety towards alterations as changes posed risks historically. However, this response today can be counterproductive and prevent embracing opportunities from change.
[15:09] How Change Creates Opportunities to Make a Positive Difference
Challenging times allow people to rise to the occasion and make an impact by embracing change. It provides opportunities to help oneself and others – and explore one's capabilities. Status quo, on the other hand, does not offer growth because it only reinforces past behaviors without learning or progressing. Change provides opportunities to make a difference by pushing us out of routines, and compelling creativity to address challenges in new ways that can help others or solve problems innovatively.
[25:45] Resistance vs. Adaptability
Resilience is about bouncing back to the previous state, while adaptability is about bouncing forward to a better state. Resilience focuses on recovering from difficulties, but adaptability enables growth by learning from challenges and finding new opportunities for improvement. An adaptable mindset empowers individuals to not only withstand disruptions but also to thrive in the face of change.
Notable quotes:
[08:42] If you can only be the best that you can be when the waters are calm, then you're not really going to be of very much use to yourself or society. [08:52]
[13:47] We've got to change the way that we perceive change. [13:51]
[15:33] The status quo is only ever going to tell you that what you did yesterday, you can do tomorrow, and you already know that. So you've learned nothing, you've achieved nothing. What's the point of life? [15:43]
[25:45] Resilience is about the ability to bounce back. Adaptability is about the ability to bounce higher. [25:50]
Resources Mentioned:
Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
S.U.M.O. by Paul McGee
Download this week’s free resource instantly when you sign up for The Good Mood Show newsletter here!
Or, reach out on our contact page at GoodMoodShow.com/Contact and we will email you a copy of any free resource you request.
About the Guest
Rich Alderton is a speaker and author focused on helping people develop adaptability intelligence. He defines adaptability as a form of intelligence that can be learned and improved through understanding how to manage fear and anxiety about change.
Listen On