Eric Hoffer said, “In times of change, learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” We are creatures of habit. In the simplest terms, we form habits as a way of keeping our brains from having to relearn the same things every day. Could you imagine having to learn how to walk or talk again every single day? Of course not, that would prevent us from advancing as a species. However, sometimes the things that help us can also become a hindrance.

Habits become a problem when we are so steeped in them that we don’t recognize that it’s time to make a change. For example: I’ve been an avid Facebook user for many years now. It has been really good for business. However, I’ve noticed that over the past year, it has become increasingly difficult for me to get in front of the fans on my page. There system now requires that I pay a fee for that audience to see what I posted. Maybe it’s still worth it, maybe it isn’t. Either way, it behooves me to pay attention so that I may make necessary adjustments if need be. Sure! I can keep posting for free, but the habit is now unproductive if I’m unwilling to pay for fans to see it.

Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with Facebook charging for it’s services that were once free. After all, that’s how capitalism works. However, that doesn’t mean that I need to continuously venture down that path. It may be more beneficial for me to find new ways to get noticed. Maybe there are other programs I could be using that are more cost effective and could produce better results. However, I won’t know these things unless I’m willing to break my current habits and spend the necessary time finding a better way.

This is just one example of learning and adapting. Change can be challenging at times, but if we want to survive and thrive in today’s turbulent business environment, it is crucial that we adjust. As Jimmy Dean said, “You can’t change the wind, but you can adjust the sails.” Keep learning. Keep Growing. I look forward to seeing you at the top.

Eric L. Lipsey
President/Co-Founder
Phoenix Business Development