“If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It” — Why That Mindset Is Broken

We’ve all heard it. Maybe we’ve even said it. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It sounds wise, frugal, even practical. But in today’s world — where innovation is the lifeblood of progress — this mindset is not just outdated, it’s dangerous.

The Real-World Cost of Clinging to the Familiar

Recently, I was part of a team where I encountered this mindset head-on. During onboarding, my team leader walked me through her process: print out client emails, sort them into physical trays and manually shuffle them around between trays if they applied to different tasks. Notes were scribbled on paper, emails were printed multiple times, and confusion was frequent.

I stopped counting after the fifth time she said, “Oh, I forgot to print that email…” or “Why is that in the wrong tray?” While most issues were caught, I couldn’t help but wonder: What wasn’t being caught? What if a printed email went missing?

So, I asked, “Do you mind if I do this a different way? Because I don’t work like this.” That simple question kicked off a transformation. My senior manager supported the shift, and soon we were rolling out Monday.com across the business as a complete task management solution.

But not everyone was on board. My team leader refused to adopt it, insisting her system “worked for her.” Did it really though?

When Change Feels Like a Threat

Some team members were so threatened by change, they actively worked against it. It was baffling to see the energy spent trying to discredit new ideas — not because they were bad, but because they were unfamiliar.

Instead of saying, “I don’t understand this, can someone help me?” the default response was resistance. I saw this across process changes, new software platforms, and even something as simple as being asked to save files in a shared location.

This wasn’t about capability. It was about mindset.

Comfort ≠ Efficiency: Why Familiar Doesn’t Mean Functional

Just because something works doesn’t mean it’s working well. Comfort with a process doesn’t make it optimal. In fact, comfort can be the enemy of progress.

Comfort breeds complacency. It convinces us that “good enough” is good enough. But in a world where client expectations are rising, competition is fierce, and technology is evolving at lightning speed. Good enough is a risky place to be.

Efficiency isn’t just about speed. It’s about clarity, consistency, and scalability. A process that relies on memory, paper trails, and manual sorting might feel familiar, but it’s fragile. And fragility is not a business strategy.

Technology Is Scaling Fast — Are You?

We’re living in an era of exponential technological growth. AI, automation, cloud platforms, and digital collaboration tools are reshaping how we work, not in the future, but right now.

Refusing to adapt isn’t just stubborn, it’s self-sabotage. The businesses that thrive are the ones that ask, “How can we do this better?” not “Is this good enough?”

Processes should evolve, not just to keep up, but to lead. The tools are here. The question is: are we willing to learn them?

A Better Mindset: If It Can Be Improved, Improve It

Let’s retire the old saying. Instead, let’s embrace a new one:

“If it can be improved, improve it.”

Because in a world that’s constantly evolving, standing still is the fastest way to fall behind.

Change Can Be A Fun Adventure

The resistance to change often comes from fear — fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of looking like we don’t know what we’re doing. But here’s the truth: change isn’t a threat, it’s an invitation.

An invitation to grow, to learn, to explore new ways of working that might just make our lives easier, more creative, and more fulfilling.

When we shift our mindset from “change is scary” to “change is exciting”, everything opens up. We stop defending outdated processes and start designing better ones. We stop resisting tools like AI and start using them to amplify our impact.

And yes, it can even be fun.

Learning something new, solving problems in smarter ways, collaborating more effectively, these are the things that make work feel alive. That’s why I’ve become so enamoured with prompt engineering. It’s not just a skill, it’s a doorway into a whole new way of thinking and creating.

So, if you’re ready to embrace change, challenge the status quo, and maybe even enjoy the ride check out my Prompt Engineering Guide. It’s built for curious minds, not technical experts. And, it might just be the most fun you’ve had learning something new in a while.

Because the future isn’t waiting. And neither should you.