The Importance of Flexibility and How I Incorporate it Into My Business

When are you most unhappy? Most often it is when the things around you change. We get so comfortable and used to the way our lives are running so smoothly. Then suddenly there is a change!

If you fail to adapt, or if you try to hang on to the way it “used to be” then you are going to find yourself dragging your feet and constantly thinking in circles. To avoid this spiral it is so crucial to actively incorporate flexibility into your lifestyle. The ability to adapt swiftly isn’t always an innate feature that we have. It is a daily choice that we need to make – Will I let this change throw my whole life upside down, or will I embrace it with flexibility and see how I can make this work?

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This quote says it all! Once you realize that there is always a way to figure things out, then you have placed yourself on a whole new level. This gives you the freedom to look for new avenues of opportunity and it allows you to become more focused on the solution rather than getting stuck on the problem.

[fancy_box id=2]Suggested Read: The Importance of An Entrepreneurial Mindset[/fancy_box]

The fact of the matter is, success requires flexibility. If you stay stuck on your one little idea without listening to what your customers need, then you are not doing it for them…. you are doing it for yourself. Adapting to new trends can help spark your business into a higher level, and draw more customers to your products. If you are really dedicated to helping your clients solve the problems that they are struggling with, then you need to be able to ask them exactly how you can help and then incorporate that flexibility we’ve just discussed.

FOLLOW THESE 3 CRITICAL ACTIONS TOWARDS GREATER FLEXIBILITY

So how exactly do you go about being more flexible, and how can you actively incorporate it into your daily life? Below I have created 3 critical actions, that I call The “ODA Principles”, which are designed to allow you to improve your ability to be flexible and lead you towards the freedom of an adaptive mindset.

OBSERVE

This actionable step is designed or you to really observe every facet of your business. How are customers responding to your products? What are the newest trends? What have your clients been struggling with most? Where are you being the least flexible and is this hurting your overall business?

Then you can really step up and see where exactly you can modify and apply your skill set to help solve those frustrations. Now I know that many times you spend hours and hours perfecting your products, and there is a real sense of pride in your work. So if your products are doing great, then keep on going! Your strategy is clearly very well-fitted to your target clientele, and your products have been matched to fill that need.

However, if things have not been going the way you’ve planned and there is very little response to those products (no matter how many hours you’ve put it), it is important to take a step back and observe. Perhaps there is something that you’ve missed a long the way, and maybe there was a slight “failure to launch”. This leads us into the next actionable step.

DISCERN

Now you are called to do some critical decision-making about which area of your business requires your flexibility most. Are there simply too many random demands for you to modify your products? Or are there specific details that are feasible for you to adjust and change?

This is where your discernment and business knowledge needs to be put to use. You cannot spend all of your time tweaking your product to the diverse needs of everyone out there. You have to focus on your target market. So perhaps you need to take another look at exactly what that target audience is, and if you are correctly matched to your ideal clients.

[fancy_box id=2]Suggested Reading: 13 Keys to Understanding Your Target Audience[/fancy_box]

Don’t forget to really evaluate your own response – has the sudden change in demand really “rocked your boat”, or is your freak-out response appropriately matched to the level of disrupt that the change has caused? Here your discerning abilities really need to be sharp. Take an objective stance to really evaluate just how inflexible or comfortable you’ve become with all the “smooth-sailing”. Then remind yourself of this one key truth:

[ctt tweet=”“[ctt title=”“The only constant in life is change.” – Heraclitus” tweet=”“The only constant in life, is change.” – Heraclitus via @thecarlivh” coverup=”NPbbz”]

ADAPT

After you’ve identified the need for flexibility and you’ve used your sound judgement to discern where exactly your focus is needed, then it is time to create an adaptation strategy.

Here you need to identify exactly which strategies are appropriate in your unique situation. Do you need to refocus your target market? Is there a need to adjust your products? Or perhaps you just need to change your mindset to open your business up for some brand new opportunities that have suddenly become available.

The need to adapt does not mean that you are a failure. It purely means that you are willing to do what it takes to serve your customers, you are responding to market trends, and most of all, you are able to take life head on as it comes your way.

[ctt title=”“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new.” – Socrates” tweet=”“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates via @thecarlivh” coverup=”q2P0L”]

Each and everyone of us was placed here for a unique purpose. So are you willing to step into the shoes that were placed in front of you and follow through on your decisions? I hope that you will be brave enough to try, because I know that you will be great!

Now I’d love to hear from YOU!

Did you find the ODA Principles helpful? What other techniques do you use to incorporate flexibility into your business?
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As always, desire to inspire.