But maybe there’s a problem with this way of thinking. By reserving change for one moment in the year, we subtly let ourselves off the hook for the rest of it. The New Year’s resolution suggests that change is an event, not a behaviour. Something we announce once, rather than practise continuously. In doing so, it can become less of a catalyst and more of a distraction - an excuse to delay action until the “right time”.
If remaining relevant, maintaining credibility, and finding success depend on our ability to adapt, is it time to question whether the New Year resolution - a quaint albeit noble custom - is actually holding us back?
Change doesn’t give a monkey’s about calendars. It doesn’t wait for January, for perfect psychological, economic or meteorological conditions, or for us to feel ready. In fact, the moments when change is most necessary are often the moments we feel least prepared to embrace it. We are, as a species, somewhat risk-averse. It’s in our nature to stick with the status quo, to keep doing that thing the way we’ve always been doing that thing. And that’s only natural. Because change is hard. And it can be scary too. It disrupts routines, challenges assumptions, and exposes gaps in our knowledge or confidence. Our instinct is to deny it, ignore it, or hope it passes. Comfort - change’s nemesis - is easy and seductive, especially when things appear to be working. But in fast-moving industries, standing still is rarely neutral - it’s often a slow step backwards.
In advertising, this is particularly true. The sector is shaped by constant internal and external shifts: evolving client expectations, new and fragmenting platforms and technologies, changing cultural norms, economic pressure, and increasingly sophisticated audiences. What delivered results yesterday may be a nail in your coffin tomorrow. Agencies that treat change as an occasional exercise risk becoming rigid, bloated, or irrelevant. Beware the soft bosom of complacency.
And this is where agility matters. Agility isn’t about reacting chaotically to every trend; it’s about being structurally and culturally set up to pivot when it counts. That means building teams that can adapt, processes that can flex, and leadership that is comfortable reassessing direction. The most resilient agencies are those that assume change is continuous, and plan accordingly. Yes, it means you’re more likely to make mistakes - something that carries an unhealthy level of trauma and stigma here in the UK. But from every setback and disappointment, there are learnings. The feedback loop is constant.
This mindset isn’t exclusive to startups, youthful disruptors or nimble operators. Some of the most successful organisations in the world are those that have reinvented themselves repeatedly over decades.
IBM has pivoted through multiple identities - from mechanical machines to hardware, to software, to cloud computing, AI, and consulting. Its longevity is rooted not in preserving a single model, but in continually redefining where it creates value.
Fujifilm faced what should have been an existential crisis when digital photography rendered film obsolete. Instead of clinging to its legacy business, it leveraged its deep expertise in chemistry and materials science to move into healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Reinvention didn’t erase its past - it built on it.
Netflix began as a DVD-by-mail rental service, a model that was itself innovative at the time. But Netflix recognised early that physical media was temporary. Rather than protecting its existing business, it pivoted into streaming, and later into original content and global production. That willingness to disrupt its own success transformed Netflix into one of the most influential entertainment companies in the world. The changes ushered in by Netflix have had a huge strategic influence on how competitors like the BBC think about audiences, distribution, and relevance - hence the Beeb’s recent decision to treat YouTube as a serious streaming platform rather than just a marketing channel.
What these examples share is a philosophy: success is temporary, and relevance must be earned repeatedly. They didn’t wait for decline to force their hand. They treated adaptation as a core discipline, not a crisis response.
The appetite for change does not belong to the rosy-cheeked and wrinkle-free. While youth may bring speed and fearlessness, experience brings perspective, pattern recognition, and clarity. The desire to evolve does not fade with time. Quite the contrary. Organisations that have been around longest frequently understand this best. They know that survival is not about defending the past, but about continuously reinterpreting it for the future.
At The Union, this belief has guided us for almost 30 years. We have pivoted repeatedly - across disciplines, technologies, structures, and working methods - not because change was fashionable, but because it was necessary (and paying our mortgages depended on it). That willingness to reassess, adapt, and move forward has kept our business relevant, resilient, and credible in an industry that rarely stops for breath. It’s a philosophy that has sustained us since 1996, informed our conversion to an Employee Ownership Trust, and one that will continue to shape our future.
Perhaps the real resolution, then, isn’t to change once a year, but to stop waiting for permission altogether. To accept that change is not a single bold decision, but a series of small, ongoing choices. To trade the comfort of January promises for a mindset that welcomes progress whenever it presents itself.
Because in life, as in work, the ability to pivot isn’t a phase. It’s a practice.
I’m off to the gym.
