The old corporate cliche says it all: insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. And yet, it’s everywhere:
- Releasing new features, hoping they’ll magically engage users.
- Switching companies, hoping to find the “perfect” culture.
- Pouring resources into acquiring new customers, often at the cost of nurturing loyal ones.
- Working on weekends in the hope of “exceeding expectations”. Been there, done that. 🫣
- Making new year’s resolutions, hoping this time the lifestyle sticks.
This behavior isn’t just random. It’s how we’ve been taught to think.
Our education conditions us to believe that doing the same thing repeatedly – memorizing and regurgitating – is the key to success. And for a while, it worked. We aced our exams, got the grades, and felt accomplished.
But life isn’t a classroom.
Recently, I came across a beautifully articulated perspective in my son’s school magazine:
“Teaching the same topic to 65 children, using the same content, the same method, and then instead of testing how effective the teaching was, they got to just test the students on how well they had learned!” – Savitha Ravi, Co-founder and Director, Pramiti School
This isn’t just about education. It’s a metaphor for how we live.
Life isn’t about memorizing rules or obediently following our beliefs. It’s about understanding and adapting, so that we change.
“It is understanding that is creative, not memory, not remembrance.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
But understanding is hard, because we are inwardly frightened of uncertainty. It challenges our comfort zones, shakes the foundations of our beliefs, and leaves us vulnerable.
Yet, understanding is the gateway to change. And change – deep, fundamental, radical transformation – requires us to embrace uncertainty.
Liked the article?
If it sparked a thought or made you pause, consider sharing it on LinkedIn – it might do the same for someone else.
Most of us settle for small, surface-level tweaks in life. But deep down, we’re afraid of the kind of transformation that could truly change us.
Yet, we admire those who take leaps of faith, rise from the ashes, and embrace their weirdness in pursuit of something greater.
Fortunately, radical transformation does not require any heroics.
The simple practice of “Sense” and “Trace” within the Mindful Productivity Framework can help you:
- Tune in to what you’re feeling instead of avoiding it.
- Label your emotions to reduce their intensity and open the door for rational thinking.
These steps create the mental space to see uncertainty not as a threat, but as an opportunity for freedom – the fertile ground for growth, creativity, and meaningful decisions.
So, what radical changes are you shying away from in your life?
Related topics:
Nikhil Kabadi 