Adapting to Change
Change is inevitable. In physics, entropy is a good representation for what we regularly see in all systems of life: our homes, government, bodies, and the universe in general.
From Merriam-Webster, Definition of entropy
1 thermodynamics : a measure of the unavailable energy in a closed thermodynamic system that is also usually considered to be a measure of the system's disorder, that is a property of the system's state, and that varies directly with any reversible change in heat in the system and inversely with the temperature of the system broadly : the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system
2a: the degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity
This is the current state of our existence, which at first sounds fairly dim. Physics prefers to seek the state of lowest energy where forces balance uniformly.
However, we have the ability to improve the system’s state. By adding energy to the system, we can affect positive change. With effort, we can make the system better and change the way energy and forces are distributed.
For organizations, this means adjusting to market, regulatory, or team dynamics to ensure a positive environment and positive growth. A system left in the same state for years will slowly degrade and not have the ability to adapt to the surrounding change (see the current COVID situation).
Concerning our bodies, if we simply sat on the couch for a year, what do you think would happen? We would deteriorate, our muscles would atrophy, and we would start to suffer multiplying health problems from a lack of movement and time spent outdoors. Maintaining our health takes work, and it’s work that, as the word “work” implies, isn’t easy. We have to apply energy to our “system” in order to flourish and progress. Through working out and consuming better sources of energy (nutrition), we see our health steadily improve. By spending time on our relationships, we watch them deepen and thrive.
By focusing on our areas of weakness (where we let entropy persist far too long), we can improve and build a stronger foundation for our future.
Many times change looks like an obstacle, but that obstacle is an opportunity to apply effort and use it to create positive change. Ryan Holliday, in “The Obstacle is the Way,” states this quite well:
“The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.”
Starting your health and fitness journey with a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes, 50 pounds of excess weight, and a heart condition can be daunting, but the end result is literally not having a heart attack and living years longer. How much effort and work is a longer, more vibrant life worth?
The resultant “entropy obstacles” aren’t always easy to deal with. They can require massive effort to work through, but the truth is, many times the harder the effort, the better, more satisfying, and profoundly positive the result tends to be.
Obstacles are the catalyst for change and change can be, if viewed and managed correctly, the catalyst for unbelieavbly beneficial results.
What areas of your life have you let entropy control for too long? What obstacles are you avoiding taking on? How much can your focused effort and hard work on these things create positive changes for you and those around you?