5 qualities of highly adaptive people.
You have most likely come to the conclusion that one of the most valuable skills one may possess in life is a high degree of adaptability.
Individuals that are highly flexible are not only more likely to achieve their objectives and be successful, but they are also more enjoyable to be around.
How can you change your personality so that you are more adaptable?
I’m going to list nine qualities that you could already possess, but if you don’t, don’t worry: you can develop them with the help of some advice that I’m going to give you as well.
Let’s get you started on the path that leads to increased flexibility as well as success.
1) Open-mindedness
You’ll find that somebody who is very adaptable is also quite open-minded in almost every situation. In point of fact, it is not feasible to be just one of these things without also being the other. I will explain why:
Being able to adjust to different situations is an essential component of adaptability. This indicates that if new problems arise, you will need to explore and test out new approaches to problem-solving, procedures, or ways of thinking.
Because the circumstances have evolved, you won’t be successful in accomplishing your objectives if you refuse to adapt your antiquated way of thinking or the strategy you previously devised to do so.
Therefore, having an open mind is what enables you to let go of ideas or views that are no longer beneficial to you in the present circumstance. You let go of your preconceived notions and prejudices, and you take in fresh information without passing judgment on it.
It’s possible that you’ll need to confront some of your deepest-held beliefs and anxieties.
For instance, when the Covid-19 lockdowns started in the year 2020, many traditional-minded companies had no choice but to transition their businesses to a work-from-home model in order to continue operating.
They may have been opposed to it at first; but, if they were open-minded enough to give it a real go without searching for confirmation of their pessimism, many of them discovered that it actually worked pretty successfully; and it was being open to this that helped them keep their company continuing.
There are, without a doubt, a great deal more instances in which having an open mind and the ways in which it may assist you in becoming adaptable. The following is a list of suggestions for developing an open mind in order to achieve success in life:
Seek out individuals who have backgrounds, opinions, and experiences in life that are distinct from your own and make an attempt to interact with them. This will help you get access to new points of view. This may mean joining a club or organization that focuses on a different interest than your own, or it could just require starting up a discussion with someone who you would not often engage with.
You should be conscious of your own prejudices and assumptions, and you should make an effort to actively confront them. confront your assumptions. It is imperative that every one of us have the humility to recognize that just holding a belief does not guarantee that it is in accordance with reality.
Experiment with new things: Maintain an open mind and don’t be afraid to try new things, whether it be new meals, new experiences, or new types of activities. You could be pleasantly surprised to find that you genuinely like the experience or that you learn something extremely helpful about yourself via the process.
Active listening is a skill that has to be developed if one is to become more open-minded and, indeed, more mature as a person in general. This piece of advice is really significant. When you are having a discussion with someone, it is important to pay attention to what the other person is saying. Make an effort to see things from their point of view and to put yourself in their shoes.
Develop your capacity for empathy: No matter what you do, if there are other people involved, make an effort to comprehend how they are feeling and what they have been through. Put yourself in their position. You’ll develop a deeper respect for the myriad of human experiences and points of view that exist in the world.
2) Being creative
When it comes to being extremely flexible, creativity helps you discover the way, as the old adage goes, “When there’s a will, there’s a way.” Creativity also helps you find a way.
Because of this, you are better able to devise original solutions that enable you to adjust to unforeseen challenges and shifting conditions. In addition to this, it enables you to go beyond your present worries in order to locate mentalities that will be of more use to you in a new setting.
An example from my own life demonstrates how creativity may assist individuals in the process of adaptation.
I am now studying Latin dance and go to courses as well as “socials,” which are gatherings of dancers who get together to practice together. Because these are dances for couples, you will need to locate at least one other person in order to participate.
Therefore, because of the lockdowns on Covid-19, it was naturally a little bit difficult to practice. However, individuals in the community adapted in a wide variety of different ways.
Some individuals began their training on their own by watching films and imagining themselves dancing with a partner, while others went so far as to construct improvised mannequins on wheels to serve in this capacity.
Those who were unable to do not give up; rather, they concentrated on refining their solo footwork and style, which can be done without a partner.
Utilize the following pointers to foster your creative potential:
Be inquisitive: No matter what you do, never stop being interested in the world around you, and always be sure to ask questions about it. If you’ve been doing something exactly the same way for a very long time, why not experiment with a different approach? Seeking out new experiences will provide you with the opportunity to practice adjusting to new things, which will, in turn, help you become more adaptable.
Exercise your creativity by engaging in brainstorming. Brainstorming is the bedrock of creativity since it is the starting point for the development of new ideas and ways of thinking. Every day, make it a habit to engage in some creative thinking. Even if the issue is something as easy as getting the dishes clean, it might be a useful exercise to attempt to think of one hundred different ways to solve it. Give yourself permission to explore creatively outside the box and generate unique ideas without passing judgment on your findings.
A failure is an option; you shouldn’t be terrified of it. Multiple failed tries and revisions are typically necessary before a creative breakthrough may occur. If you can learn from your mistakes and use them to make you a better person, you’ll find that your creative side will flourish.
Work with others: Sharing your thoughts and experiences with others might help you come up with fresh insights and viewpoints. Actively seek out chances to work with individuals who come from a variety of professional and personal experiences and skill sets.
Participate in creative pursuits: if you’re searching for a new activity, why not try your hand at anything artistic like sketching, painting, or writing? This allows you to exercise your creative muscles and access the potential you have to come up with fresh ideas.
3) Positive attitude
Any individual who is extremely adaptable will also, at the very least in the majority of cases, have a cheerful attitude.
It is normal to feel frustrated when you have a plan but things don’t turn out the way you expected them to. You may feel the need to make an effort to get things back on track, and there’s a chance that you can.
But if that is not the case, you will have to adjust. You have to be able to have faith that this new plan of action will result in a positive outcome before you can proceed with this step.
You will have the humility to acknowledge that you do not always know best, but this will not prevent you from looking for potential and opportunity. It’s possible that situations outside your control may provide you with opportunities to improve upon strategies that you had previously never even considered.
I’m prepared to put money on the fact that you can point to several instances of this in your own life right now. Consider how you acquired your present job or home, how you met your significant other or closest friend, how you discovered your hobbies, or even how you found your interests.
At least one of these things is probably the consequence of something not going according to plan, but it’s likely that all of them are. And just take a look at how wonderfully it came out!
You wouldn’t have all of these wonderful things in your life if you fought against this instead of adjusting to it and accepting it as part of your life.
If you keep this in mind when more unforeseen circumstances arise, you’ll find it much simpler to adjust to the new circumstances.
To further reinforce this style of thinking, here are some other ways you might create a good attitude:
Gratitude should be practiced by setting aside a little amount of time each day to reflect on the blessings in one’s life. You may assist change your viewpoint toward a more optimistic one by concentrating on the positive aspects of your life, such as the nice things that have happened to you.
Maintain a positive outlook and surround yourself with upbeat individuals. Some people constantly try to find the silver lining, while others spend their time griping about everything. If you surround yourself with the first sort of person, their upbeat energy and optimistic perspective will motivate you to adopt a similarly optimistic outlook on life.
Reframe negative ideas: Whenever you become aware that you are thinking badly, make an effort to transform those thoughts into ones that are more upbeat and optimistic. Try rephrasing negative thoughts such as “I’ll never be able to do this” as “This is a challenge, but I’m going to do my best to figure out a solution to it.”
Putting in the effort to take care of yourself, both physically and emotionally, may help you feel more upbeat. After all, it’s difficult to have a good frame of mind while you’re going through a difficult time in your life. Make it a top priority to obtain enough sleep, maintain a nutritious diet, and consistently engage in physical activity.
You may become more aware of your thoughts and feelings and find it easier to let go of unpleasant ideas and feelings by practicing mindfulness, which can be accomplished via mindfulness meditation or by just spending a few minutes out of your day concentrating on your breath.
4) Resilience
There are highs and lows in everyone’s life, but how we choose to respond to these fluctuations determines the quality of our experiences and the degree to which we enjoy life.
The capacity to recover quickly from adversity and adapt more readily to new circumstances are hallmarks of the trait known as resilience. People who are resilient understandably still feel the effects of stress and struggle, but they do not give up as a result of these things.
This is the secret to completing your objectives even in the face of adversity, which is something that will undoubtedly befall all of us at some point in time.
If you look at any success story, you’ll find that it contains numerous illustrations of how the protagonist overcame obstacles and adapted to new circumstances.
Recently, I listened to an episode of a French podcast in which the host conducted an interview with a young guy who was a leading triathlete in France. During one of his workouts, he was struck by a vehicle and had an incredibly unusual rupture in his leg. His odds of making a complete recovery from this injury are quite poor.
He made the decision that he would be one of the 1% of people who recovered, and he continued to push himself each and every day to be just a little bit better than the day before. Within a few short months, he was walking again, much to the shock of the medical staff who had been caring for him.
Evidently, resilience cannot stand on its own; in the case of the young guy I described earlier, he also needed a constructive mentality, self-discipline, and the ability to effectively regulate his emotions.
However, this is undeniably an essential component of having a high degree of adaptability. The following are some useful pointers that might assist you in developing this quality:
Self-care: It is necessary to practice self-care in order to develop resilience since you need to refuel and feel renewed in order to push through challenging situations. It might be anything from taking a soothing bath to meditating to just pausing your work to engage in an activity that brings you pleasure.
Seek social support: Having a support system that consists of friends, family, or coworkers may assist you in overcoming challenges that life may throw your way. It is critical to put in the necessary time and effort to cultivate and sustain these connections.
Take care of your body: The podcast I referenced before said that those who had high physical resilience also had greater emotional resilience, so it is important to maintain your physical health. Both the body and the mind may be better trained to deal with obstacles if one is able to bear (within reasonable limits) physical weariness and discomfort.
Cultivate a positive perspective. As we covered in the last section, having a good mindset may go a long way toward assisting you in overcoming obstacles.
When you are faced with challenges, you should direct your attention to how overcoming them may contribute to your overall growth and what you can acquire from the experience.
Develop your ability to solve difficulties by getting some practice in the art of breaking challenges down into more manageable parts and figuring out the particular actions you can take to overcome them. You may feel more in control of the situation and more ready to deal with obstacles as a result of this.
5) Flexibility
Someone who is excellent at quickly adjusting to new circumstances also has another trait known as flexibility.
In my view, one of the most important aspects of adaptation is flexibility since it enables us to adjust our attention and priorities according to the circumstances.
When we are too set in our ways, it may be challenging to adjust to new circumstances or make adjustments, especially if we are resistant to doing so. However, when we are flexible, we are more open to investigating new possibilities and coming up with original answers to challenges.
For instance, let’s imagine you have an idea for starting your own firm but due to shifting market circumstances, your strategy is no longer commercially feasible.
If you are a person who is able to be flexible, you will be able to reassess your choices and modify your plans appropriately. You may decide to change the direction of your company concept, search for a new target market, or investigate whole new prospects.
If, on the other hand, you have a fixed way of thinking, you run the risk of being mired in your initial strategy and finding it difficult to adapt when things don’t go according to plan.
Being flexible also requires the ability to release things from our lives that are no longer contributing to our growth.
Sometimes we cling to ideas, relationships, or routines even if they are no longer beneficial to us or conducive to a healthy lifestyle. However, if we can acquire the ability to let go of these things and remain open to new experiences and opportunities, we will have a much easier time adjusting to the shifts that occur in our lives.
You can actively build your flexibility, just as you can grow any other quality. The following are some examples of how:
Experiment with new things: Getting accustomed to going out of your comfort zone and adjusting to new and unexpected circumstances may help you become more flexible if you are willing to experiment with new things and are open to doing so. Investigate new interests, go to unfamiliar locations, and experiment with alternative approaches to doing things you do regularly in your everyday life.
When you get together with your friends, sometimes one person wants to do one thing, while another person wants to do something entirely different. If your friends want to do anything, you should say yes to what they want. To develop your ability to adapt, you should give in to what other people desire. It’s also possible that you’ll find that it’s nothing like what you were anticipating at all!
Develop a growth mentality: People who have a growth mindset think that their capabilities and talents can be improved through consistent effort and focus. This is a mindset that can be cultivated. Having a growth mindset enables you to see problems not as obstacles to be overcome but as opportunities for personal growth and expansion. This shift in perspective may help you become more adaptable by allowing you to perceive obstacles in a positive light.
Learn to let go: When things don’t go according to plan, it may be tough to adjust if you are overly committed to a certain result or goal. Learning to let go can help. Master the art of letting go and coming to terms with the fact that things may not always turn out as planned. In the grand scheme of things, the majority of the things to which we feel such a strong attachment in our life are, in reality, rather unimportant.
Accept the fact that change may be challenging, but that it is an essential component of both development and adjustment. Acquire the mindset of seeing it as a present, an opportunity to try new things and learn new things.
6) Curiosity
When it comes to finding solutions to issues, curiosity is a potent and sometimes undervalued drive.
When confronted with a challenge, whether at work or in their personal lives, the majority of individuals respond with irritation and make an effort to either resolve the issue or find a way to go around it.
However, those who are able to adapt well to change approach it with real interest.
- What was the root of the problem?
- What additional elements contribute to this situation?
- How probable is it that anything like this will occur again?
- Is there any way to stop or prevent anything like this from taking place?
- Is there a chance that this may turn out to be a positive thing?
When you do this, you get to know the situation on a much deeper level, which allows you to grasp it to the point where adjusting to it becomes much simpler. Because of this, you can adapt to it much more easily.
When you do this, you simultaneously expose yourself to fresh knowledge, new experiences, and the best opportunities for your own personal development.
The development of a curious mentality requires consistent effort, despite the fact that it may seem simple at first. Here are some possible approaches to take:
Put your preconceived notions to the test: On a daily basis, we are presented with a wide variety of ideas and points of view, some of which are congruent with our own while others are in direct opposition to it. Develop the habit of listening to other people’s viewpoints with an open mind, especially when those viewpoints conflict with your own.
In order to get a more in-depth grasp of anything, you should consider questioning it rather than taking it at face value.
If you are at a loss for what questions to ask, the “5 W’s” (what, where, when, who, why, and how) are a good place to start.
Learn via reading: Today, there are more opportunities to learn than at any other time in history, and there are also more materials available to us than ever before to read, ranging from free lectures to postings on social media. Employ them to your advantage! The world is a bottomless well of knowledge that is just waiting for you and your insatiable appetite for learning to tap into it.
Have a dialogue with individuals who come from various places, have different hobbies, and have diverse points of view. Give their tales your whole attention and refrain from formulating a response or comment as you listen to their story.
Embrace your inner kid by recalling the sensation of awe and curiosity you felt when you were in your formative years. Give yourself permission to have fun and look at the world with a childlike curiosity.
7) Resourcefulness
However, the reality is that they have access to the same resources that you have; the only difference is that they have improved their ability to locate and make use of those resources.
When I was out of town with some friends last week, I had the opportunity to see this phenomenon in action. We had booked an apartment and purchased a bottle of wine for an evening that we planned to spend together.
However, the bottle had a cork, and there was not a single corkscrew to be found anywhere in the flat.
In order to find a long metal rod, one of my pals searched through all of the drawers in the cabinet. It was a mystery to all of us what its actual function intended to be, but it turns out that in a hurry, it may be used to help open a bottle of wine that has a cork in it.
We made advantage of it to press the cork down as far as it could go before the resistance of the air prevented it from going any farther. After that, we used a knife to create a small gap between the bottle and the cork, which allowed some of the wine to escape from the bottle.
As a consequence of this, each time we attempted to press the cork down, we were successful in pushing it down a fraction of an inch farther, until we were able to push it all the way in.
People that are resourceful also tend to have a more happy experience of life, as you could expect may be the case. Instead of quitting (and missing out on the wine! ), we had a lot more fun working together to discover a solution to the problem, despite the fact that this particular example is rather straightforward and may even seem to be ridiculous.
Increasing your resourcefulness may be accomplished in the following five ways:
Take the initiative; don’t sit around and wait for the opportunity to find you. Keep an eye out for opportunities like this, and be ready to pounce on them when they present themselves.
If you find yourself in need of assistance, don’t be afraid to ask for it; just because you’re resourceful doesn’t mean you have to handle every problem on your own. It would be a tragedy to dismiss the knowledge that other people have to offer since it is a valuable resource in its own right.
Embrace the spirit of exploration and throw caution to the wind by not being afraid to try new things and to take chances. People that are resourceful are willing to try a variety of strategies and procedures in order to determine which ones are successful.
Having a robust network of connections that you’ve worked hard to cultivate may help you take advantage of fresh possibilities and resources. Make an effort to connect with other people working in your field, go to events geared at building professional connections, and sign up for professional organizations.
Problems aren’t particularly enjoyable to have, but if you acquire solid problem-solving abilities, they become considerably less irritating. If you practice problem-solving, you may make problems a lot less stressful.
You may hone your skills by challenging yourself to think of one hundred different answers to a certain issue. You may also practice problem-solving in a manner that is entertaining by downloading puzzle applications onto your mobile device.
8) Capacity for effective communication
The ability to communicate effectively is one of the essential traits of a highly adaptable person.
This is what enables you to successfully convey your wants, thoughts, and ideas, as well as listen actively and react effectively to the needs, thoughts, and ideas of others.
These abilities are essential whenever you are required to adjust to new circumstances, the majority of which will always include the involvement of other people.
You will have the ability to create connections with people, convey your requirements and objectives, and develop relationships that will assist you in navigating the uncharted region.
In addition, effective communication is an inherent component of the process of adapting. Because of differences in education, occupation, and personality, individuals do not always communicate in the same manner.
This is an essential component of my role as an English instructor to individuals from other countries. When I am working with individuals whose level of English is beginning, I slow down my speaking and simplify my language in order to provide them with a comfortable atmosphere that is tailored to their specific needs and meets them where they are.
But it’s crucial to learn how people interact in other professions as well and to change your own manner of speech to match the context of the conversation or the person you’re speaking with. It assists you in gaining trust and credibility, as well as communicating your point more effectively.
This is very important in the modern world, which is more globalized and networked. To our great fortune, there are a number of routes to take in order to cultivate this quality:
Engage in attentive listening, since this is one of the most essential components of effective communication. This indicates that you are paying attention to what the other person is saying rather than preparing in your mind what you are going to say next. This is a far more difficult task than it may seem at first.
Be conscious of your tone. It is common knowledge that words account for just a tiny amount of communication; tone, on the other hand, plays a significant role. There are a lot of individuals that believe they sound one way, but they really sound quite another. If you try recording yourself while conversing with another person, you can discover some extremely insightful things about yourself. When you’re on the phone with someone, smiling at them as you chat is an excellent method to infuse your voice with additional joy and enthusiasm.
Body language is another significant aspect of communication, therefore it’s important to be aware of how you project yourself. This includes the emotions on your face, the movements you make, and your posture. Make sure that you are being truthful and consistent in what you are saying, even when your lips may be expressing one thing and your body may be telling something completely different.
It’s simple to make assumptions about what another person is going through or thinking, but doing so might lead to misunderstandings if you don’t check your thoughts first. Instead, you should make sure that you fully comprehend the viewpoint of the other person by interrogating them with clarifying questions.
Exercise your capacity for empathy by placing yourself in the position of another person and attempting to see the world from their point of view. Your ability to communicate effectively will get a significant boost if you work on improving your empathic abilities.
9) Being conscious of oneself
Women who are self-assured always exhibit the following nine traits of highly adaptable individuals:
Self-awareness is a common trait among highly adaptable individuals, which is surely not the least important trait.
The ability to correctly reflect on one’s own actions is the foundation of self-awareness. You make the effort to be introspective and get an understanding of your own emotions and ideas without passing judgment.
At some point in time, you will realize your own personal talents and shortcomings, as well as the prejudices and limits you have. Because of this, you are able to modify your behavior in response to changing circumstances and settings, which is a crucial component of adapting to these elements.
Take, for instance, the scenario in which you are beginning a new job in an industry that is entirely unrelated to the one in which you have previously worked.
Because you are self-aware, you are able to acknowledge the possibility that you might not possess all of the abilities and experiences essential to do exceptionally well in your new work. However, since you are self-aware, you are able to identify the constraints you have and take the necessary measures to expand your skill set and acquire new information that will assist you in adjusting to the new setting.
To reap the advantages of increased self-awareness in your professional life, as well as in all other aspects of your life, nurture it in the following ways:
Self-reflection is the foundation of self-awareness, as was discussed before, thus it’s important to make time for it. Make it a habit to give yourself time on a regular basis to think about your past and how it has influenced who you are now.
The practice of mindfulness involves paying attention to one’s own thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations in the here and now. Mindfulness may be understood as the art of paying attention to the present moment.
When you make this a regular part of your routine, you give yourself the opportunity to become more familiar with your own interior sensations.
Keeping a notebook is a terrific method to reflect on your thoughts, emotions, and actions. You may already be familiar with the benefits of journaling and how it can help you. Be truthful with yourself and reflect on the events of the day with the intention of learning more about who you are.
You are always receiving feedback from other people in every engagement you have with them, whether the input is explicit or implicit. The key is to actively seek out this feedback. When someone responds to you or the discussion you are having with irritation, this might be seen as feedback regarding the interaction.
Maintain an attitude of openness to any and all forms of criticism, and carefully decide what you will choose to ignore and what you will use as a learning opportunity.
Determine your fundamental values and beliefs. Our core values help define who we are as individuals, thus it is important that you take the time to determine yours. These will serve as your compass when it comes to making choices that are congruent with your true self.
Conclusions and musings
You are now familiar with the nine basic traits of persons who are extremely adaptable.
There are definitely several in which you see yourself as being particularly strong, but there are probably also those in which you see room for improvement.
To our great fortune, the personality is rather malleable, and there is always space for improvement and development in some aspect of life. Make use of the advice shown above to develop the characteristics that will help you become extremely adaptable.
I have no doubt that it will be of tremendous use to you throughout your life.
