I’m undertaking a bit of an experiment. After reading Tim Ferriss’ book, The 4-Hour Body, I’m changing what I eat for breakfast. In the past, I was a dedicated toast eater. I love the simplicity of toast. Drop your 7-grain slice into the slot and about a minute later, a deliciously light brown bit of crunch awaits. Simply add a smear of butter or dash of the Australian delicacy, Vegemite, and you’re ready to roll. But under the Ferriss regime, bread is out and beans, eggs and spinach are in. Don’t get me wrong, I like beans, eggs and spinach. With the right spices, they’re tasty and filling. But I really miss eating toast.
No big deal, you might say. But I want to understand why a simple change to my morning routine is causing such dissonance. And I believe it’s because eating toast is a comfortable habit. It’s more than sustenance. When everything else is unpredictable, one thing I could rely on was the satisfaction of toast.
It got me thinking about habits. We form habits to make our lives easier. Habits allow our brain to go on autopilot leaving space for other activities. But habits also close us off from doing new things and gaining new perspectives. We fall into the comfort zone. This zone is bad for business.
Modern business requires innovation and change. Yes, I can go back to eating toast but it means staying the same. And staying the same in business is a recipe for disaster. If your company isn’t embracing Internet marketing and social media, you’re going to be left behind.
The solution can taste bitter at first because it involves feeling unsettled. Even if certain strategies have worked for your company in the past, it’s important to try new ways of working. Yes, you need evidence that new strategies will have some payoff – I’m not suggesting blind faith in just anything. I’m just saying Internet marketing involves a willingness to try new things for breakfast. Who knows what culinary sensation you might discover?
Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/504688