What's New?
A question that we often ask each other to catch up is “What’s new?”. The question is well-intended but the response is usually underwhelming - "Work is good, family is good, all’s good!"
But if you actually think about the question it’s an opportunity to share what you’re most excited about, to reflect on how things are changing in your life, and to embrace your personal evolution.
Zooming out for a second and to add perspective, if you’re pursuing the best version of yourself there should always be something new going on. Something new you’re trying, something new you’re experiencing, something new you’re thinking more about.
There are only two options - Either things are changing or they’re not. So when things are stagnant and stuck, and nothing is changing, then you’re not allowing yourself to grow.
So I’m going to ask you this question - What’s new?
And I want you to find a real answer to it. Not just the superficial greeting we’re too accustomed to giving but a real example of how things have changed in your life.
Evolutionarily, if something is new it’s considered to be a threat. That’s because this novel thing is unpredictable and might be dangerous to us. But that predisposition is contrary to our growth, and if you want to reach new levels you need to do new things.
Marshall Goldsmith wrote a book whose title summarizes this perfectly - “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There”.
You keep doing the same things that don’t feel new, you'll keep getting the same results you’re tired of getting. Or if you’re doing something that’s really good for you, it’ll eventually lose its shine unless you make a cognizant effort to keep it fresh.
So the next time someone asks you the question - “What’s new?”, tell them the new things you’re trying, the little experiments you’re running, the subtle changes you’re making.
The more you can identify these small novelties the more your identity will be built around being someone constantly pursuing positive change and growth. And the benefits of that are immense.
