As we wrap up this series on the “Laws of the Farm”, I’m reminded of an enduring principle when it comes to your thoughts.

• Change your paradigm in order to change the outcome.

Paradigms Over Best Practices

The core of this principle is changing how you see the world, other people, and yourself. Changing your frame of reference is behind every great breakthrough because it opens up a whole new area of insight, knowledge, and understanding.

Remember what it was like to be single? After you got married, you started thinking and acting differently than you did when you were single. Your views on the world and politics probably changed. The value you placed on going to church or working out at the gym probably even changed.

Now, think about when you got a promotion at work and your job title changed. Or when you received a different responsibility at church. Or when you bought a new car…

You also began to see things differently! Your view of the world, other people, and especially yourself changed in a way it wasn’t previously.

Responsibilities alter the paradigms in which you see the world.

Job to Be Done

In the early 2010’s, Harvard research professors developed a new theory they called The Jobs Theory. The idea was that customers don’t buy products or services because they fall under a certain age, gender, or geographic demographic. Instead, they “hire” a product and bring it into their lives in order to solve a job that arises.

The classic example used in describing this theory is when these professors suggested to McDonald’s that they needed to change their paradigm of selling milkshakes. The data suggested that half of McDonald’s milkshakes were being sold to busy professionals in the morning. The job? Something to keep morning commuters full during the mornings before lunch.

Understanding this “job” led McDonald’s to making smaller straws and putting chunks of fruit and candy in the milkshakes; these busy professionals needed a drink that would last 20-minutes during their commute to work. The result of their paradigm shift, and subsequent innovation, tripled McDonald’s milkshake sales.

Nowadays, McDonalds believes they aren’t competing against other fast-food chains for the sale of milkshakes. Instead, their milkshakes compete against doughnuts, bagels, and bananas–-other breakfast “to-go” options morning commuters eat in their car.

A true paradigm shift.

Takeaway

If you focus your attention on techniques, specific practices, “to-do” lists, or even present pressures, you might make some small improvements. But if you want to move ahead in a major way, you need to shift the paradigms in which you see the world.

Understand what “job” you need to solve in your life, then begin thinking of all of the options that can lead you to solving that problem most effectively.

If you want to lose weight this upcoming year, there are a lot of “competitors” to choose from: SlimFast shakes, meal-replacement pills, working with an RxFIT nutritionist, breaking bad habits, going to the gym, or even liposuction…

But make no mistake: In order to change the outcome, you need to first change the paradigm in which you see that problem.

Tyler