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Things That Go Bump in the Night

Being located in a beach community, Cape Cod homes often include a feature some people may find a bit odd: an outside shower. Sure, it's great to wash off the sand and the salt water, but I've found that sudsing up in the great outdoors is a pretty cool experience anytime. So when I woke up at 4:30AM to head into work the other day, I figured I'd head to the outside shower.

There was only one small problem - it was pitch black. There were no stars to light my way and no exterior lights thanks to the house painter and my own procrastination. If anyone could have seen anything at all, they'd have seen an idiot squinting and moving very slowly across the stepping stones, hoping not to step on something extra squishy.

Once I had made it inside, I let out a sigh of relief and started the warm water.

After a few minutes, I noticed something: I could actually make out shapes. Shampoo. Conditioner. Loofah. Nope - don't need those. (Except maybe the loofah.) Now, don't get me wrong - it was still dark as can be - but I was amazed that I could actually start to make out my surroundings. By the time I finished, I was able to quickly run back into the house without issue. (I could just barely make out the neighbors placing a large "For Sale" sign in their front yard.)

Later that day, I was intrigued by this "night vision" phenomenon. It turns out that molecules in the eye automatically change their shape to improve vision in low light conditions. The improvement happens quickly over about ten minutes or so and has clear limitations, but it's still way cool. From sensation to temperature regulation to chemical responses, our bodies adapt to their surroundings in numerous ways - ways which we rarely stop and think about.

I began to think about the process of adaptation as it pertains to our goal pursuits. It seems that there are adaptations that really help us to improve our performance and increase our chances of achieving our goals. Examples include:

• Increasing your enthusiasm when you're around new people
• Finding ways to increase your relaxation activities when the stress meter is pegged
• Making conscious choices about your activities and attitudes

Unfortunately, unconscious adaptation may work against you as well. Have you ever felt that you've grown accustomed to some negative condition or behavior? Examples may include:

• Joining in on the "pity party" when talking with your negative co-workers
• Convincing yourself that it's okay to delay an important project since nobody you know "has it together" anyway
• Allowing fear to keep you from achieving something really great in your life

Your body, your brain, and your personal psychology are all highly adaptive. This adaptation is a key survival characteristic, and one that helps in the area of goal pursuits as well. Still, this amazing capability does have the potential to lead you astray if you let it. Take a moment to reflect upon whether the negative mindsets or behaviors you may be exhibiting have developed without your conscious effort. They may have been a natural adaptive response to your environment or your lifestyle.

If you can identify positive adaptations that will serve you well while addressing the undesirable ones that you've developed along the way, you can increase your chances of success. Don't be afraid to look at yourself in the mirror and ask the tough questions.

Just be sure not to look out my window at 4:30 in the morning.

Coaching Quickie: Things That Go Bump in the Night

Check back next week for results!

Last Week's Results

Coaching Quickie: No Pain, No Change
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your intention to achieve your most pressing life goal?

(38%) 9-10 - I think about my goal constantly.
(50%) 7-8 - I think about my goal at least once a week.
(13%) 4-6 - I think about my goal at least once every few months.
(00%) 1-3 - I can't really think of an important life goal right now.