I've Always Done it that Way

"If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong."
- Charles Kettering

Many of us are creatures of habit. We will find ourselves following the same routine in many different aspects of our lives; diet and exercise, finances, schedules, etc. In many ways, this can be a good thing, but unless your 100% satisfied with the results of your routine, then it would certainly seem that there's room for improvement. The quote above may seem a little harsh, but I think if we soften it up a little bit, it makes a lot of sense! Maybe what you've been doing all your life isn't necessarily wrong, but the world continues to evolve, and you're not evolving yourself if you're still doing the same thing you've always done.

If you take a look at your professional life and don't find yourself where you wanted to be at this point in your career, then maybe what you've been doing all along isn't conducive to achieving your goals. I'm fortunate to say that running a successful company at 32 years old is a good place for me, but there's always a chance to look back and see how you may have done things a little bit differently. This is a regular occurrence for me that helps my company continue to evolve. While interacting with other professionals on a regular basis, I still see the effects of people that keep doing what they've always done, and they just don't seem happy with the results. It simply may be that what they've always been doing is wrong.

Often times our professional lives are dictated by company policy and upper management, but what about in our personal lives? Other than legal boundaries and the influence society puts on us, how can we know we're making the right decisions? It's easy to get comfortable with the same routine, but not so easy to reflect on where that routine is taking you. If you ever find yourself saying "I don't know, I've just always done it that way," then it's likely what you're doing isn't what's best in the long run. Take a moment to reflect on the things you're doing on a regular basis and assess whether or not what you're doing is leading you to where you want to go in life.

We're not all fortunate enough to make the right decisions the first time around. We may make a decision we're comfortable with and stick with it, but was it the right decision? The only way to know is to shake it up a little bit and try something new, then measure the results and proceed accordingly.