The Power of Adaptability

One of my pet peeves is people who are unwilling to change their mind or opinion, no matter what. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and it reminded me of a quote by Yuval Noah Harari. He said the most important skill going forward is the ability to change. According to him, the most crucial skill of the 21st century won’t be something specific like learning to code but the ability to master new skills and switch professions throughout our lives.

“The most important skills for surviving and flourishing in the 21st century are not specific skills. Instead, the really important skill is how to master new skills again and again throughout your life.”
- Yuval Noah Harari

This will require mental flexibility and resilience.

For years, I’ve been saying that “New Tools Don’t Always Equal Productivity”. But recently, I found myself re-evaluating this statement. While I still believe that new tools don’t automatically increase productivity or other outcomes, I now think that having the right tools is essential.

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of garden work. With autumn upon us, there are trees to prune, bushes to trim, and general preparations for colder temperatures and a season of hibernation. While you could perform these tasks without any tools, having the right ones makes the work much more efficient and effortless. Well, not quite effortless—it’s still a good workout, and my body is still aching. But having a saw that can reach up to 3 meters is safer than standing on a ladder. An electric hedge trimmer is more efficient and quicker than doing it manually.

Because my partner works as a chef, I have a first-hand view of how to make great food. While it’s not necessarily about the tools, it is about the ingredients. Having fresh, organic produce (ideally from our garden!) makes for a much richer and tastier salad compared to store-bought vegetables that often have traveled across the globe. Buying organic, free-range eggs or meat results in a much tastier dish. It might not be the tools, but it is what we use to achieve our goals that affects the outcome.

When I first started designing websites, I used a pirated copy of Photoshop. Over the years, I became very good at Photoshop, and moving to another tool sounded ridiculous at the time. But then Sketch came along, which was so much snappier and intuitive than Photoshop. Years went by, and most of us transitioned from Sketch to Figma (probably because of collaborative editing). If I were to move back to Photoshop today, I’d be held back. Why? Because I’ve adapted to change the way I work.

We should embrace a mindset of exploration and trying out new things.