Make Zooming One of Your New Year’s Resolutions

By: Alexis Kimball, Agent Relations Manager

I recently read Seth Godin’s book, “Survival is not Enough.” In it, he explains how companies that embrace evolution will triumph over their competition. 

We live in a developing and ever-changing world. Change is the new "normal," yet it’s human nature to be uncomfortable with the unknown. Seth suggests that by constantly making small, effortless changes, it helps to overcome the fear of change. Thriving companies embrace a philosophy that supports new ideas, steers clear of unhelpful criticism, and understands that "failing" is defined simply by not trying new things.

Do you zoom? Seth Godin describes zooming as,

"…stretching your limits without threatening your foundation. It's about handling new ideas, new opportunities, and new challenges without triggering the change-avoidance reflex."

Explore new ways of doing things for no particular reason without a particular goal.  These efforts may have more of an impact than what you are currently doing. 

Zooming is not done in an urgent manner with the purpose of fixing an identified problem. Zooming is simply the act of trying new things for the sake of trying new things and analyzing the outcome afterwards.

Some ways to experiment with zooming: 

 - Try a food you've never had before.

 - Go to a trade show featuring an industry that you have no interest in.

 - Read a book that you would never pick up.                    

Look towards the future. Adapt, transform and grow to create changes in what you know. It's not easy to give up control and it's difficult to gain confidence in a skill you have not yet mastered, so don't abandon current strategies that work just to try something new. New ideas are risky, unknown, and a gamble but zooming will yield you expanded knowledge of strategies and success.

Here’s to your success in 2013!