What’s New in This Version of You

Each time a new update to a software program is released, it comes with an explanation of what changes and improvements have been made to the software since the last version was released. The improvements are often additions, new functionalities, that allow the user to perform something unavailable in prior versions. Those improvements might also clean things up, improving the appearance and the overall functionality of the software. Sometimes, the changes are so revolutionary, the software is referred to with a different number or a different name because the changes are so radical.

Over time, you experience upgrades of your own. You go from version 1.0 to version 2.0 to version 3.0, and so on and so forth.

This week I had a conversation with a friend of mine, who described to me how much he’s changed in the last 10 years. He’s gained a better understanding of who he is, why he is who he is, what he wants, and how to be more effective at everything he does. He’s excited by where he is now, and I had the opportunity to remind him that 10 years from now he’ll realize how little he resembles the person that he is today in many ways.

Some of us are growth oriented. We focus on upgrading our hardware in our software consistently. If you’re growth-oriented you’re continually working on improving areas of your life, mind and body alike. You will have projects around your physical health and fitness, your mental and spiritual health, your relational health with the people you care about, your financial health, and all of the areas of your life, personally and professionally.

It’s not an easy set of questions to answer, but it’s worth asking yourself, “What’s new?”

A more difficult question might be, “What do I believe now that’s different than what I believed five years ago?”

You might also ask yourself the question, “If I ran a video of my actions and behaviors from five years ago and compared them with the video of what I’m doing now, what would I notice as being the primary differences and what new results would I be producing?”

Software provides an excellent metaphor for thinking about what version you are now, and what improvements are going to be incremental, and what is necessary for a radical transformation. So, what’s new in this version of you?