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The Secret of Adaptation
Author: Craig Harper
Article:
There's a school of thought which suggests that those who adapt most
effectively (to their situation, environment, circumstance,
challenge) are the ones who ultimately survive, or at the very least, do the
best; succeed when others don't. We see this play out, not only in nature
but in business, relationships, sport, politics and life in general.
Our world, and nearly everything in it, is dynamic; that is, in a perpetual
state of change. Great for those who get bored easily... but kinda scary for
those creatures of habit who are comfortable with familiarity and 'same'.
And while 'same' can be comfortable and safe (what we like) for a while...
it can also be boring, unfulfilling, frustrating and unrewarding in the long
term.
The irony is that the very thing most of us want (to learn, grow, succeed,
improve, win) is usually facilitated by the the thing we (typically) do our
best to avoid; discomfort. In all it's various forms (physical, emotional,
psychological, spiritual, financial, social), discomfort is a very real and
ever-present part of out lives.
And a very real path to emotional development and personal growth.
And while we don't want to live there (discomfort-ville), it's when we deal
with (and don't avoid) that discomfort (situation, circumstance, challenge)
that we begin to develop the necessary skills, strength, attitude to move
forward (that's where the adaptation happens). By spending our life trying
to stay perpetually comfortable and safe we are actually depriving ourselves
of some amazing opportunities to grow, learn and do and be amazing.
To get strong.
We stress about change... but the interesting thing about stress is that,
while it is commonly associated with all the negative stuff, it also has the
potential to be a major positive if we manage it the right way. When we talk
about general stress we usually classify it into two different categories:
Distress - the bad one; results in anxiety, fear, unhappiness, depression,
physical illness.
Eustress - the good one; the one that gets us moving to create positive
outcomes. We all need a certain level of eustress to keep us moving, doing
and creating.
Keep in mind that stress on an individual level (good or bad) is largely
dependant on our interpretation of what's going on around us and how we deal
with it.
How we adapt.
So one person's distress may be another person's eustress...
depending on what it represents to them and how they deal with it.
Stress can be best described as an internal response to an external
situation, event, circumstance.
That is, we create stress.
It's not about our situation, it's about us in the situation...
and we don't adapt by avoiding certain situations or issues (are you paying
attention!!), we develop, learn, grow, improve by facing up to, and working
through those challenges.
Don't be an avoider ! When you take your head out of the sand...
it (whatever it is for you) will still be there to deal with.
So deal with it! Be an adapter. (my post, my words!)
In Exercise Science we talk about a thing called progressive overload.
In simple terms, progressive overload means that we stress our body with
exercise (all exercise is a form of physical stress) and then it adapts
(gets stronger, fitter, faster, bigger, smaller, more flexible,
healthier)... simple enough.
But the second part of the story is that if we want to see continued
improvement (adaptation), we need to keep stressing the body in new,
different and progressive ways. Typically, we see people who are new to
exercise make significant gains for a while (weeks to months) but then we
often see those improvements start to slow, if not stop completely.
One of the biggest mistakes that people make with their exercise regime
(other than giving up within the first month) is that after a period of time
they will (typically) do the same thing, the same way, for the same amount
of time at the same intensity... forever... and then wonder why their body
isn't changing.
It ain't changing 'cause it don't need to baby!
This common exercise scenario that I describe (doing the same thing the same
way) is, for many of us, a metaphor for our life.
We don't get 'stronger' (adapt) because we avoid anything that hurts. We
stop challenging ourselves, we do the same, we become creatures of
predictability and repetition. But sometimes (not all the time) that pain is
exactly what we need (not want)... a little short term pain for some
long-term gain.
Our body (and our mind) will only adapt when we give it a reason to... and
most people following most exercise programs are not adapting (progressing),
they are maintaining. Not giving their body a reason to change.
The majority of people in gyms around the world are maintaining (staying in
the same place physically) and not progressing because they continually
stimulate their body the same way.
Same creates same. Different creates different. It ain't rocket science.
And this is exactly what we do with our relationships, our careers, our
financial situations, our ambitions, our dreams...
our life; we follow a very safe, predictable, comfortable (boring,
unfulfilling, frustrating) maintenance program... and end up exactly where
we didn't wanna be.
So why don't you step out of your 'holding pattern'... and become an
adapter?
About the author:
Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is an Australian motivational speaker, qualified
exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, television host and
owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world.
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