This weekend, I decided to comb through my business account and see how many SAAS applications I have subscribed to. I counted 27. Over half of them, I am not using and have not used in months. I asked myself the question, why did I not adopt these into my life? As I started to deactivate a few of them, I felt like I was playing that old Atari game, Space Invaders. Shooting down SAAS subscriptions invading my bank account. That is when I realized that I really did not understand the difference between adoption, adaptation, and acquisition.
The two words adaptation and adoption are unique, with distinct meanings and understanding the difference can help in consideration of new tools that you may be incorporating into your life or business. There is a third word, Acquisition – which also has a unique meaning, and I want to discuss that one first. You see, it is easy to acquire a new tool, software, utility, or piece of equipment. Acquisition requires enough budget, but the acquisition of software does nothing to help you, although you may trick your mind into thinking so.
The Pitfall of Acquisition Without Action
For example, I acquired some financial software around the first of the year. I researched the best software to help me organize some investments, and I wanted to use this software to keep me on track and more disciplined. So, after doing the research, I made my acquisition. I went even so far as to install the software. However, it is still here, appearing as a shortcut, untouched since the day that I made the acquisition several months ago. Acquisition is absolutely not adaptation or adoption.
The Necessity of Adoption
So we should never confuse the simple matter of acquiring a tool with the process of actually using the tool. For that, we need new words. The word adoption might be a suitable choice. This might be the ideal word and choice of process when choosing to use a new software tool in your life. Adoption refers to the act of taking something and making it one’s own. It involves the acceptance, use, or implementation of something new. Adoption is about choosing and integrating something into a pre-existing system or routine.
Adopting Into Existing Processes
The important distinction to focus on here is that adoption assumes as a necessity an existing process that is already in place. You cannot adopt a new tool, and at the same time create a new process. That is not adoption at all. This is why many people will acquire a tool, but never actually use it, because you can never adopt anything that does not have a process in place to be adopted into. Usually, the software or tool becomes helpful because as you adopt it into your existing process, you are making dramatic improvements with time and/or cost savings.
The Best Way to Introduce a New Tool
The best way to introduce a new tool into your life is through adoption. This means that you have a process for incorporating the software into an existing workflow. This should not be confused with adaptation. Adaptation refers to the process of change or adjustment to better suit a particular environment or set of circumstances. It involves modifying something to improve its suitability or functionality in a new situation. This is more what happens when you have a change of circumstances that necessitate a change, and a new tool can assist or aid you in that process. There is an importnat thing to realize here. Adaptation is what you do while learning something new, and it usually happens slowly and over a length of time.
Adapting Through Learning
When you adapt using a new tool, you are creating a new process. You will start small and slowly add new features as you go along, learning only the elements and functionality that you need to perform today’s active functions. Adaptation is never learning how to use a tool and incorporating a feature set just because it is available rather than born out of necessity. True adaptation occurs as you integrate through features while you are exploring and developing a new process.
The Importance of Differentiating Between Terms
Understanding the differences between acquisition, adoption, and adaptation is crucial when integrating new tools into your life or business. Acquisition is simply the act of obtaining a new tool, software, or piece of equipment. Without further action, acquisition alone does not yield benefits, as evidenced by the financial software that remains unused on my computer.
Adoption as an Essential Step
Adoption is the next essential step, involving the acceptance and integration of the new tool into your existing processes. It requires that you already have a system in place into which the new tool can be incorporated. Adoption is about making something your own and ensuring it complements and enhances your current workflow.
The Role of Adaptation
Adaptation, on the other hand, is the process of modifying and adjusting to fit new conditions. It is what happens when circumstances change, necessitating the use of new tools or methods. Adaptation involves a gradual learning and integration process, where you start with basic functionalities and expand usage as you become more comfortable and proficient.
Making the Most of Resources
By recognizing and differentiating between these terms, you can more effectively incorporate new tools into your routine. Whether you are adopting new software to streamline an existing process or adapting to new circumstances that require innovative solutions, understanding these concepts will help you make the most out of the resources at your disposal.
