âChange is hard,â we say, and it is even harder when change is thrust upon us. In todayâs tough times, we may be forced to reinvent our career or downsize our lives; at any point in life, we may lose a love or a dream. Our first reaction to change we didnât ask for may be to rail against fate. But what if we could see past todayâs turmoil and spot the opportunities that lie within unasked-for change? That is the promise of AdaptAbility, bestselling author and executive coach M. J. Ryanâs paradigm-shifting new book on not merely surviving but thriving when change is required.
Why is it so hard to accept change? Paradoxically, it is for the very reason that our brains usually work so well; we are designed to learn something and make it automatic. The problem is that when circumstances change, our âefficientâ brains keep trying to do things the same old way. In AdaptAbility, Ryan provides strategies to retrain your brain and optimize your response to change, step by step: by first accepting the new reality, then expanding your options, and finally, taking effective action. She offers cutting-edge tools for becoming calmer, less fearful, and more flexible, creative, and resourceful in your thinking. Best of all, as your âadapt-abilityâ increases, so does your confidence that you will be able to face whatever life sends your way and find new ways to