Adapt in Order to Make Progress

Another previous post that I was reminded of by being in the process of adapting to some of life’s changes this spring.

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       The idea for this post came from a recent fortune cookie which had the following inside: “Adapt to Circumstances in Order to Make Progress” I’ve eaten a lot of fortune cookies and read the words on that little scrap of paper inside each one. Most are just fluff but, once in a while, one hits home – the right words at the right time.

       Adapting to make progress, or just to survive in this ever-changing world, is something all living things do. Humans, animals, plants, and insects all have to adapt as their situations and environments change. It could be due to aging, climate change, habitat disruption, or to gain a competitive advantage. Those that adapt, move on. Those that don’t may be left behind.

       Animals give us the clearest view of how adapting to their surroundings enables them to survive and thrive. One example comes from birds in some parts of the world that travel in mixed flocks, made up of birds that are ground feeders, those that feed low in the trees, and those that feed high in the trees. This seemingly strange arrangement enables the group to have lookouts at all levels to spot any potential predators. Another is from right in my little suburban town where we have deer, several foxes, coyotes, and even a meandering bear once in a while. These animals have adapted to thrive within the limited green areas of our community as their habitat has been reduced by continuous development. The amazing thing is that we very rarely hear of any incidents between these creatures and humans or pets.            

Athletes must adapt to changing conditions almost constantly. As they age, or the game changes, they make adjustments to continue to maximize performance. Hockey used to be a tight checking game in which fighting was a big part of success. Over time, it has morphed into a faster game (though not necessarily better) due to limitations on what defenders can do, and fighting has become rare. Players on the margin had to adapt to the new style of play if they wanted to stick around. In baseball, hitters need to adapt as their opponents learn their weaknesses and tendencies. With the whacky defensive shifts these days, hitters need to be able to hit to even smaller open spots. From experience playing softball, it isn’t easy to hit to the opposite field consistently or to be able to put the ball where you want it. It takes practice and determination.

       We adapt as we learn and grow, and conversely, if we don’t adapt, we won’t learn and grow. Acquiring new knowledge may lead us to change the way we do something that makes it quicker, easier, or provides a better outcome. Putting that knowledge to productive use drives growth and keeps the cycle of progress going.  Failing to do so, can cause us to miss opportunities or worse, to stagnate.

Through Covid, many were forced to adapt to working from home. For some this was an easy and enjoyable transition. For others, it meant making difficult changes in behavior to cope with the new work environment. Now, workers must adapt to going back to the office at least a few days a week. Again, easier for some than for others, but everyone has to change as the workplace changes and evolves or risk being left behind.

       As we age we need to adapt to accommodate physical limitations that come with aging. Taking more frequent breaks during strenuous activities is one example that hit home last week as I was hauling and stacking wood for our woodstove this winter. While the time it takes to complete this has grown as I’ve slowed a bit, this year I made sure to take a water break after every 3rd load to give myself a chance to hydrate and rest. This stretched out the task, but the benefit was that I felt tired but good after getting it done. Taking those breaks gave my body a chance to re-charge a bit each time, making the next set of loads a little easier. The Motrin helped too.

       Throughout our lives, in order to be successful (insert your own definition of success here) we must adapt. Changes in our family situation, job, health, and society in general, force us to continually adjust how we approach life. Even our personal definition of success will likely change over time as we adapt our expectations to changing realities. And that’s OK, even expected, as we look to live our best lives. By adapting to the ever-changing world around us, we can be our best selves and maybe even help others to do the same.  

I will be taking next week off for the Memorial Day Holiday. Next post June 2nd.

Enjoy the long holiday weekend and the unofficial start of summer!

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  05-19-2022