‘The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.’ Albert Einstein

‘If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.’ Jeff Bezos

Hi and welcome to my new blogs about personal flexibility (PFL). I’m excited to get this underway, as there’s lots to say and lots of ideas to help you.

PFL is a subject much bigger than just agility or stretching techniques. Personal Flexibility can help you:

• manage changes,
• manage uncertainty,
• achieve personal growth,
• become more resilient,
• cope with some of life’s set backs.

So what is personal flexibility? Essentially, it’s about developing options and extra capacity in your life. Both can be developed manually. Or you can utilise flexiscribes (things that code for flexibility). But more about that in a later blog. Closely related is having the ability to use the PFL you possess.

Why does flexibility matter generally? We focus a lot on action & goals. We aren’t so good at building a winning hand in the first place. Or buying sufficient time to develop a better solution.

Flexibility gives you more freedom on what to do. And when to act.

Having more flexibility doesn’t itself cause indecision. For example, you might delay an important decision while you wait for more information. Likewise, saying to yourself ‘I can be anything I want to be’ isn’t the same as having tangible options to open various doors.

Perhaps take a moment at this point, to reflect on a few negative experiences you’ve had in your life (job redundancy, sibling rivalry, dating?). Now imagine if you’d built up wider options and chosen amongst them instead. Of course, you can’t be certain what would have happened. But you probably have a better idea of the regrets you’d have avoided. True?

How can you practice Personal Flexibility? Thinking flexibly is part of it – see a later blog on this. Gather and manage a personal portfolio of options. Build extra capacity among the resources you do control. Benchmark and actively monitor your stocks of PFL. Use your influence by exercising your options. Or not. Feel uplifted and empowered. Then press the repeat button.

When should you practice Personal Flexibility? When you expect or encounter uncertainty. When you want to achieve personal growth. When you want to manage the existing risks in your life better. And when you want to change things for the better. Having PFL can make you happier & more successful at various points in your life, so stick with it!

I’ll try and publish regular blogs on Personal Flexibility. In time, I’ll include some product/service reviews of stuff that has flexibility at its core. And referrals to what others are saying about flexibility. My aim to keep the site positive, as well as free of politics & religion.

Simon