I get up in the morning, go to the computer to check in on something I worked on yesterday, and the page looks different. Where is that button?!? I go to show something to a client and… it’s not there. It’s been moved since the last time I looked.
This week Zoom changed the large red “Leave” button into a small hexagon frame with an x inside on mobile devices. I’ve been to a few meetings where people had trouble finding their way out.
The only constant is Change (Heraclitus)
Trying to keep up is exhausting – and honestly, impossible with the volume of changes coming at us.
There is the compounding effect of resenting the change, and whoever made it, affecting us and our day without consulting us or even giving the courtesy of an advance notice.
This is one of the weird things that are considered “normal practice” in Computerland. And yet, that doesn’t erase the experience of having change inflicted on us without our consent. It feels rude and it hurts.
The Energy Leak
The suffering we experience usually doesn’t come from the situation itself. It comes from how we respond to it.
“This shouldn’t have happened.”
The resentment of dealing with something we didn’t ask for.
The urge to fight reality and put things back the way they were, and escape the related suffering.
That reaction is understandable and also incredibly energy depleting.
What can we do about it?
Over time, I’ve learned to use that feeling of resentment as a marker. Oh. Something changed. And it’s affecting me. I’m trying to escape the pain of an event that already occurred.
Once I notice that, I can stop arguing with the change long enough to feel what’s actually there: Ugh. This hurts. I didn’t plan for this today.
I accept that this happened. That I’m hurting. That I didn’t invite it, but it’s here, and I cannot change the past. I accept the things I cannot change.
Ok, now a sliver of curiosity appears… If I cannot change that, what can I change?
Instead of trying to undo or patch the one thing that changed, I ask:
What was I using this for in the first place?
And how else might I get that benefit now?
That shift – from fixing a broken button to widening the lens to its strategic function creates space to adapt instead of grind.
But first, don’t skip accepting what can no longer be changed. Fighting that eats time and energy and creates its own grind.
I’m curious:
How have you adapted to a (unwanted, unexpected) change lately?
MEET OUR CONTRIBUTING AVITAL SPIVAK:
Avital Spivak is a computer engineer whose extraordinary gift for demystifying technology transforms solopreneurs’ tech anxiety into Tech Confidence.
Her unique blend of technical prowess, educational expertise, and cultural insight, with her passion for empowering coaches, speakers, and authors, makes her an unparalleled asset to anyone ready to elevate their tech game!