Your Adaptability Quotient Matters

Did you know that your adaptability quotient determines your coping capability during a crisis?

Life is itself a big gamble; you don’t know which card is coming for you to face, strategise, and play. We can all vouch for that collectively as none of us were expecting to meet the current global crisis.

But what happens when a crisis hits us in any form?

It compels us to change. As humans, we like routine and set habits and patterns that keep us in a safe zone. That is the reason why we tend to gravitate toward our known friends, familiar food, and fashion. It keeps us steady and we start defining our lives through those stories. But suddenly, when an outlier hits us in terms of a person, event, or belief, we feel challenged.

Challenges measure our adaptability. Some people resist them by shutting themselves up; some blame the unknown and protest for the lack of preparedness. 

If a new superior or team member comes in with radical thinking, for example, many may resist this out-of-the-box thinking and may not welcome him or her into their group. They feel uneasy and succumb to resistance to change.

Why is change so hard to embrace?

Change brings shift, and that movement makes us unsure. We feel vulnerable as we are out of our comfort zone.

 This uncertainty and unpredictability churns our vulnerability within us – many associate vulnerabilities with weakness as they bring out our fears and emotions. 

Emotions and feelings are signs of us being human. To acknowledge our concerns and vulnerability, we need courage. We need to be brave and authentic to feel and express our vulnerability. However, most people shut themselves up or resist the change, challenge, or crisis. 

This resistance to vulnerabilities leads to more suffering and more fear. That is the reason why many become more fearful after a setback or a crisis. The more afraid we become, the more doubtful we become. We move away from trust, taking risks, and living life.

To increase adaptability, we need to reignite our curiosity just like a child discovering new ideas. We need to wear our explorer hat and embrace adventure in our nature. A conscious effort towards spontaneous plans enhances the true explorer in us, and that is a great way to increase our adaptability and flexibility. 

Not only do we become open in our minds and hearts, but our relationships also improve at home and work with this adaptable mindset.

As they say, ‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.’ That life of immemorable moments can only be created by our adaptability quotient for us to grow and flow with the changing current of life. 

A caterpillar adapts to become a butterfly by completely transforming its form for its evolution. We humans have a lot to learn from nature for our development.  

This article was first published in the print issue of (10 July - 25 July) BW Businessworld. Click Here to Subscribe to BW Businessworld magazine.

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