As a leader constantly navigating the shifting tides of business and personal life, I recently stumbled upon a thought-provoking perspective from Jay Shetty, an influential voice recognized in Forbes 30 under 30, and a former monk turned digital strategist.
In the realm of managing change, Shetty offers a simple yet profound inquiry: "Will I regret it if I try, or will I regret it if I don't?" This question isn't just about risk assessment; it's about envisioning the outcome from the endpoint, a crucial mindset in today's unpredictable BANI and VUCA world.
"Will I regret it if I try, or will I regret it if I don't?"
We often strive to understand and analyze changes and major shifts meticulously in our professional and personal lives. We delve deep, attempting to foresee every possible scenario in the pre-project phase, seeking the perfect parameters for success. While this approach has its merits, it's also vital to balance it with action – to make the change feasible and to take those next steps. Remember, life unfolds in real time, often while we're busy planning.
I'm not advocating for discarding plans altogether. Instead, I propose a balanced approach, a middle path. It's about blending objective planning with our innate intuition and gut feeling. At the outset of any change, we should ask ourselves: "Will I regret it if I try, or will I regret it if I don't?"
In my experience, I've witnessed many change projects bogged down in their infancy by excessive "project planning" and the overreliance on predicting future scenarios. This observation has reinforced my belief in the power of this guiding question.
Change is inevitable, but how we choose to approach it can make all the difference. Let's embrace change with both foresight and courage, guided by the wisdom of our experiences and the intuition of our hearts.