The only constant in life is change. – Heraclitus
This has never been truer than in 2020. We are only halfway through the year and so much has changed for all of us. Human beings are remarkable at the ability to evolve with the ever-changing world. Does everyone like it? Of course not. Is it all positive change? Nope. But no matter the change, how we embrace it, grow, and learn from it can strengthen us and our society.
The minute you think you might be an ‘expert’ at something and stop learning or practicing that craft, is when you stop growing. Take for example professional athletes. They know to stay at the top of their craft it is consistent and constant work. The moment any top athlete stops putting in the work they will no longer be a top athlete because someone is always in the rear view ready to pass them by.
This concept is true for businesses, products, and solutions as well. What once was a great product or business can quickly become obsolete when they stop innovating and evolving. If you research successful top fortune 500 businesses you will find that they continually push the envelope, innovate, and allocate resources into furthering the advancement of their product/service. The pace and adaptations businesses have made to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic is a great example of adjusting and changing to the demands of a new environment.
Something I do each year to help me keep this at top of mind is establishing new goals. Evaluating and brainstorming new goals allows me to improve and promote positive change for myself, both professionally and personally. Setting up recurring goals and staying focused on achieving success requires hard work and a commitment to the result but can pay off in extraordinary dividends. Read books, learn new skills, take a class, or try doing something you’ve never done before. Challenging yourself, staying focused and achieving your goal will not only keep you informed on changes and innovations but provide the satisfaction that comes with growth and accomplishment.
I bring that same focus to developing and designing solutions. Building a solution, stamping it as “final” and forgetting about it doesn’t help me, our clients or Kiriworks. Our development team strives to continually learn more about the industry, about design best practices, and about building and upgrading solutions so that they create meaningful change for our end users. The landscape is always changing, so we do our best to listen to the needs of the industry and adapt to the changes.
What are some things you do to adapt to change?
What changes have you seen recently in your professional life? Personal life?
What goals or tips do you have to make sure that you are always evolving and growing with your personal hobbies or career?
I am always searching for new ways to challenge myself and grow as a professional so I would love to hear your feedback and ideas. No matter what it is you do, keep adapting and working hard because you will never be upset that you did. As Dwayne Johnson would say, “Be humble, be hungry, and always be the hardest worker in the room.”