Flexibility: a measure of the ability to
respond to changes in demand

It is a sound NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) principle
that to become successful, we need to notice what is working and what is not;
and be prepared to change our approach in order to get what we want – that is
the essence of flexibility.

A wise person once said, “If you always do what you’ve
always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got”. That is a
wonderfully true statement – in other words, if you continue doing exactly what
you are now doing, then don’t be surprised when you don’t see any increase or
change in your results.

It is the law of cause and effect in operation. The results
you are now getting (effects) are the product of the causes (efforts) you have
made in the past. To get greater benefits in the future, you need to change
what you are doing in the present in order to produce them. 

Whilst persistence is an important quality, persistence
without flexibility can indeed be futile because, without some flexibility in
your approach, you could end up trying to move an immovable object for the rest
of your life. The willingness to constantly change what we are now doing and to
also demonstrate persistence is what gets us around seemingly insurmountable
obstacles.

So notice exactly what is working for you; and notice what
is not. Change your approach in some way – you will need to brainstorm various
approaches – then continue to observe. By continually changing your approach
and finding what works and what doesn’t, you will literally become unstoppable.

As an example, consider the story of Kevin Keegan, famous
English footballer (soccer) and eventually manager of England. Kevin was told
that he would never become a footballer because he was not talented enough, he
was not strong enough and he was too small. 

It would have been easy enough for him to just give up;
after all these people telling him he would never make it were all
professionals – surely they should know what they were talking about! What did
Kevin actually do? Well there was nothing he could do about his height, so he
worked on what he could do: he worked on his physique until he built a strong,
powerful frame; and he worked on his basic ball skills.

After several tryouts, he was eventually signed as an
apprentice for Scunthorpe United in 1967. He became a full professional 12
months later; and in 1971 moved to Liverpool where he played on the winning
team in the FA Cup 1974, the European Cup 1977, the UEFA Cup 1973 and 1976 and
the Football League 1973, 1976-7. 

Kevin eventually became the captain of England winning 63
caps between 1972 and 1982; and he became European Footballer of the Year 1978
and 1979. He did it all by being flexible in his approach and persistent in the
face of unfavourable odds. 

Sometimes, I tell Kevin’s story at my Workshop events; and
sometimes people will say something like: 

‘What about all the people who tried and tried but still
never made it?’

My answer is that Kevin would also have just been another
statistic along with the rest of them if he had not demonstrated these
qualities. Kevin was a winner; and you too can become a winner. To become a
winner, you simply need to internalise these qualities.

If you really want success, in whatever field of endeavour
you are pursuing, you can have it – yes you can!
But you need to be prepared to work for it – to do whatever it takes. Finding
out and then doing whatever it takes
is the quality of flexibility. 

By Will Edwards From The 7 keys To Success