Make significant changes to combat complacency

We’re great at becoming used to things.

Smartphones? A decade since they came out and how naturally we use them now. The new things stay new only moments before fading away into the background.

People, companies, even civilizations, they can stop all evolving and slowly fade away. This article is about going against that tendency.

Combating complacency

We’re wired to avoid effort if it’s not necessary. That’s an issue because complacency isn’t a trait the world would appreciate. Perhaps, the rich can afford to not be troubled by the changes on the horizon, but the rest of us have to make effort to stay up to date.

Here’s one strategy to help us not fall into our ingrained habits.

Make significant changes to your life every day

If we build a habit of doing something differently every day, we wake ourselves up from our usual and unquestioned routines that may not be serving their purpose.

Here are some examples of what changes we can make:

moving furniture around a room
tidying completely
blocking social networks
buying a bike
creating an artwork for your room

But to help us keep evolving and moving forward, just any change is not sufficient. We become used to that too easily.

To feel the sense of progress, we need to make changes significant for us.

significant

sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy.

having a particular meaning; indicative of something.

A significant change is a notable one — it’s easy to spot — and also one that is meaningful to us — one that makes sense in the bigger picture and reinforces our sense of purpose.

By making significant changes that matter to us in our everyday life, we can maintain a sense of progress, purpose, and control.

That can in turn help us venture with self-confidence into the unknown — new jobs, new areas of expertise, new places,… And that way we can stay ahead of the curve.

What noticeable, meaningful change can you make today in your life?

Is it hanging a big, motivational poster on your wall? Is it buying a new awesome tool? Creating a graph with important numbers? Writing a list of pros and cons and making a significant decision? What is it?

Make significant changes to your everyday life.

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