There is an economic concept called creative destruction. This refers to the continuous changes that occur within an economy as old systems are eliminated and new systems arise. I’ve also heard this applied to specifically to industries or even individual businesses. It’s important for those in business to find out what products and services people want to buy and satisfy those wants, and that includes changing their offerings as the demands of their customers change over time. In other words, it’s about knowing when to stop trying to making better VHS tapes and start making DVDs. Companies that adapt and provide what their customers want stand a much better chance of surviving than companies that don’t adapt.
I’ve mostly seen creative destruction mentioned in economic and business discussions, but it also works for self-improvement. By regularly evaluating my routines, interactions with other people, thought processes, and uses of time, I’ve been able to find out what works, what could be improved, and what needs to be abandoned. Getting rid of the dead weight allows me to try new things and develop better habits; doing this for a long time has resulted in a lot of major positive changes in my life. I wouldn’t be in a great place right now if I had only focused on improving the good stuff without getting rid of the bad stuff.
Creative destruction is one of many things that I’ve found useful in an area where it isn’t usually applied. I find a lot of useful things without even meaning to since I’m always learning more and trying out different things, often subconsciously. At some point, I’ll notice that things are going smoothly for me and realize that I’ve adopted something beneficial or stopped doing something harmful. A lot has changed in my life and there’ll be even more changes in the future, but I’ll always keep accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative wherever I can.