My journey as a Human Resources professional over the last decade has made one thing very clear to me – there is no space for mental rigidity on the path to growth, regardless of the domain or the industry.
Easier said than done.
It is human nature to resist change, to follow the same patterns of comfort and ease. In such a scenario, to transition from a state of defiance to a state where one can not only accept and welcome the change, but is hell-bent in making it work in one's favor requires some amount of habitual training. This brings a neurological loop into the picture that governs all habits.
Let me introduce you to the Habit Loop and the four components that habitualized a new behavior for me.
Stage 1: Cue
An external or internal stimulus that triggers the new behavior. In this case, if we take the example of any potential change in the external environment due to some socio-political, economic factors where we have zero control.
Stage 2: Craving
The motivational force behind defining a habit. In continuation of our example, the craving will be the stage to train our mind to understand and realize the potential in the change of the external environment and how positively we can utilize the same in our everyday work.
Stage 3: Response
The actual habit you perform, which can take the form of a thought process or an action. Planning or implementing the change in our work environment; this can potentially depend upon our ability, the conviction with which we form our response and act on it.
Stage 4: Reward
The end goal of every habit, either tangible or intangible, provides a positive reinforcement to our desired behavior.
This four-stage process is not new (it has been deeply researched and heavily documented), and is so deeply ingrained in our minds that it’s become an unconscious effort in performing most of the day-to-day activities. To utilize this loop consciously and enhance our behavior in a manner most beneficial to our state of working is where we need to put in the effort.
The cue becomes about noticing the reward, the craving is about wanting the reward and the response is all about attaining that reward.
Each and every decision to make with respect to any activity, be it managing our work, our stakeholders, or prioritizing our tasks and scheduling our day, comes down to the simple act of training our mind to make a conscious effort in analyzing the internal or external environment and responding to them.
Let’s make it easier to visualise through an example –
Problem Statement: Mismanagement of Work
- Cue: Analyzing the internal/external environment and identifying the problem area – say, lack of prioritization of work
- Craving: Recognizing the potential reward through a problem-solving mindset – enhanced productivity and better time management
- Response: Taking action against the recognized reward with a motive to form a habit – say, waking up early to plan your day in advance and prioritize the tasks
- Reward: The ultimate outcome one has been seeking all along
Through this example you will notice, the action in itself becomes second nature to first identifying the ultimate goal. Once we are able to identify and visualize the desired result, it is simply our level of motivation and our own conviction driving us towards attaining that result.
This entire process requires putting in a constant effort to train our minds at the onset and as the habit loop goes, the reward of attaining that self-control over our responses for planning, innovating, focusing on priorities and achieving the desired result, always goes a long long way.
In summation - the more complexity conscious we are, the more open and responsive we become to the outside variables, the better we cope with change and the further we progress.