Happy Friday 👋 !

Your brain doesn’t like change.

It craves safety, routine, and certainty. But last weekend, I did two new things that disrupted that comfort—and in the process, gave me a jolt of energy and a practical reminder of what adaptability really looks like.

💃 Ceilidh Dancing & the Power of “Just Give It a Go”

On Saturday, I was at a fabulous party outside of Edinburgh. I had been warned/prepped/advised to get ready for the ceilidh dancing. (I didn’t even know how to spell it correctly at first!) And when I asked what it actually was, the descriptions from my Scottish friends didn’t exactly clear things up.

The music started, and I was suddenly surrounded by people hitting the dance floor and seeming to instinctively know all the steps. As a (non-Scottish) newcomer, I felt a little out of place. But I quickly realized there were plenty of others who were also figuring it out—or just giving it a go.

Everyone was so inclusive (really, you didn't have a choice to dance or not. YOU were going to dance! 😂) and eager to help (i.e. swing me from one side of the room to the other!), and before I knew it, I was having a fun and certainly energizing time.

🏊🏻‍♀️ Freezing Water, Re-energized Spirit

The next day, I took another leap and joined a group for a swim in the North Sea. I know lots of people who talk about the benefits of cold water swimming, but truth be told, I love my hot showers in the morning.

I decided to join this boisterous group of people who were converts already. Yes, it was freakin’ freezing. But being surrounded by fellow party-goers who were already laughing and having a great time made it so much easier to dive in.

🧠 What This Has to Do with Adaptability

These experiences didn’t just pull me out of my routine—they activated key adaptability muscles from the AQ (Adaptability Quotient) model I coach with.

When we deliberately try something new, especially outside our comfort zone, we train our brain to become more comfortable with uncertainty. It’s like creating micro-moments of stretch and growth that slowly rewire our mindset to thrive when we’re bombarded by change, complexity, or conflicting information.

Each small success—whether it’s learning a new dance step or braving a cold plunge—proves to your nervous system that you can handle the unknown. Over time, this builds not just confidence, but a more adaptable identity.

🧩 Strengthening Mental Flexibility

Doing something new also strengthens your mental flexibility—a critical skill in today’s fast-changing world.

When you choose novelty, you train yourself to:

• Think in new ways
• Question long-held assumptions
• Stay open to unfamiliar or even opposing perspectives

You begin to seek out diverse viewpoints, not avoid them—because you’ve built the muscle to sit with ambiguity and explore nuance.

That’s what thriving in uncertainty really looks like.

⚡ Why Energy Is the Often-Overlooked Secret

Let’s not forget the energy factor—because change, let’s be honest, is hard.

As a leader, you’re not only managing your own workload—you’re carrying the emotional weight of your team. The pressure to hit targets, keep morale high, and lead through uncertainty can feel like a lot. And just when you’ve settled into one wave of change, another hits.

Your brain’s natural response? Fight, flight, or freeze.

But we don’t have the luxury of staying in survival mode. Our industries are shifting. Our roles are evolving. And if we don’t learn how to replenish and regenerate energy, we can’t show up as the adaptable, forward-thinking leaders our teams need.

🔋 Generate Energy (Don’t Just Conserve It)

That’s why these bursts of energy from doing something new—whether ceilidh dancing or plunging into the sea—matter more than they seem.

They’re not just fun stories. They’re reminders that energy isn’t just something we conserve—it’s something we generate.

And when we feel physically and emotionally recharged, we show up with:

• More clarity
• Greater calm
• And the confidence to lead others through change

Because leading through change doesn’t just require strategy.
It requires stamina, grit and resilience.

✅ Try This: One Simple Adaptability Booster

Here’s my encouragement to you:
​Try one new thing this week.

Let it energize you.
Let it stretch your adaptability muscles.
And bring that fresh mindset back into your workplace.

Bonus tip:​
At your next team meeting, ask:
👉 “What’s something new you’ve tried recently?”

It’s a great way to get people sharing, connecting—and maybe even inspire a shared challenge or adventure together.

🤖 Even This Newsletter Was Trying Something New…

Inspired by these experiences, I decided to try something new in my own workweek too.

After stepping out of my comfort zone last weekend, I used ChatGPT’s audio feature to brainstorm and co-draft this very newsletter. It asked me great questions, helped me shape the flow—and sped up the process.

Was it perfect? Not quite.

A small example: I asked ChatGPT to do a word count on my draft because I wanted a quick check-in. It confidently told me I was already at 1,000 words (my self-imposed limit), so I held off on adding more. But when I double-checked, I found out I was actually only halfway there. Off by a factor of two!

It was a great reminder:
🛠️ These tools are powerful—but they’re just that: tools.
🧭 I’m still the one responsible for what I put into the world.

It's all part of my own AI learning curve, and it’s shown me how I can use this kind of tech to free up more time for high-value, creative work—and I must stay engaged and thoughtful in the process.

🎯 Your Call to Action This Week

• Try something new—big or small.
• Use it to build your adaptability and your energy.
• Ask your team what they’ve tried lately.

Because adaptability isn’t just a skill or a trait—it’s a practice.
And it starts with one small stretch at a time.

Here’s to embracing the new, fueling your energy for change, and maybe even letting a bit of AI—or ceilidh dancing—help you to navigate change!

Have a great weekend!

Ann
​www.adaptsuccess.com​

Gear Up for Change is your weekly dose of practical wisdom for unlocking adaptability and thriving in an AI-accelerated world. Forward this to a colleague who needs to hear this message and they can subscribe here.

Ready to kickstart your journey towards greater adaptability? Here’s how you can gear up:

📌 Get Your FREE AI Leadership Edge Scorecard. How prepared are you to lead your team and thrive through change? Find out in less than 5 minutes.

📌 Measure Your AQ Take a 25-minute assessment to discover your Adaptability Quotient (AQ). Learn how to thrive in times of change and create a strategy for your growth. Gear up for the rest of 2025 using our companion AQme Workbook. (Tip: check with your manager -- you can probably expense this!) Learn more here.

📌 Make Change Part of Your Team’s Agenda Want to empower your team to navigate change more effectively? Hit reply and tell me about your team's main challenges and disruptions, and we'll set up a call to outline a tailored workshop for your next offsite.

Issue #48, 12 September 2025