Commandment #3: If It Ain't Broke; Don't Fix It

Unfortunately I cannot take credit for coming up with this cliche. This is an age old adage that I am sure you have probably heard a few times in your life. However, this is a necessity for anyone who is trying to get nice. Motivational speakers, entrepreneurs, and professional coaches around the world always talk about what you need to change in order to reach your goals. I agree that change is necessary, without a doubt. The issue I have with these influencers is that they don't focus enough on what is already working: what doesn't beed to be fixed. If you have a special routine, ritual, or way of thinking and it is working, why change it? People try to get too fancy, cute, whatever the word you may use and they get completely upended. The best example of this is a great sports analogy that I love: maybe an ice hockey player is having a great game and he gets too extravagant with his style of play. He wants to change even though he is on a great path to have a hat trick and two assists. What he does is tries a fancy move with the puck and instead of passing when another defender comes to hit him, as he has been doing all game, he gets clobbered, turns the puck over, and the other team scores the game winning goal.

Again, there is a fine line as to being complacent and playing things safe in life. We all know that rarely breeds success. On the other hand, too much of constant change, especially when things are working out in your favor is just as dangerous. If it ain't broke; don't fix it has been around for a long time for good reason.