Seven Steps to Your Personal Pivot
On Sunday, after having a long day filled with the things we do to move through life, I finally had the time to sit and write. I promised myself that in 2024, I would write like my life depended on it. I would write like it was going out of style. I would write like a person possessed. Of course, I haven’t been able to do that, but still I am working towards that promise. So, after everything was sorta done- it’s sorta because I still have a load of laundry in the washer waiting for the load of laundry in the dryer to be folded.
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| A pivot is change in strategy without change in vision - Eric Rise |
Nevertheless, I looked at the time and marked out a couple of hours to write, to breathe a breath of fresh air because that’s what writing is to me sometimes. I sat at my computer to write but then, I got distracted by something that I felt needed to be done. Something that if not done would impede my writing from reaching more people. So obviously, in my mind, it made sense to address what I thought was going to be a quick thing. Turns out it wasn’t so quick. Turns out, I spent the whole two hours and then some trying to figure it out, and I was rewarded with success after several Google searches and confusing instructions and finally a clear, concise, and beneficial YouTube video. As frustrating as the exercise was and no writing was done, I felt satisfied! I did not accomplish what I wanted but I accomplished something, and that something is part of the bigger plan. That accomplishment was enough for the day. Well, that and I at least got the clothes into the dryer.
I do not always pivot so well. Pivot is a good word. Pivot is a good thing. To pivot is to change course a bit. To shift focus towards a different direction or aspect without losing complete sight of the big picture. To pivot is to allow yourself the grace to switch gears while staying on the same track.
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| When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. -Viktor Frankl |
There are many times when a situation is outside of our control. The best way to handle it is to pivot ourselves whether it be our mindset or the course of action we were planning to take. I think the former is harder but sometimes our course of action is dependent on changing our mindset. Pivoting is used a great deal in the business world to signify efforts that an enterprise may take to stay fresh and ahead of the competition. However, I find it can also be used in our personal lives to stay ahead of stressful situations. It is about being flexible and adaptable. There are times in life when we are so bent on doing things one way or, better yet, our way that we tend to lose sight of what is important. In those cases, people seem unwilling to change course.
Pivoting is embracing change instead of fighting it. Forbes has an article that discusses pivoting in your career which is a great read but you can also apply many of the principles to life in general. The ideas and suggestions are common when seeking success but we commonly do not apply them or stay consistent. The seven things you should do to successfully pivot are:
Understand yourself. I have on previous posts written about the importance of knowing your values and what you stand for. This is part of understanding yourself. You may not need to go that deep but understanding yourself and where you are in relation to your goals, existing relationships, and how you deal with basic life situations is key.
Define your goals. It is important to not only know where you are but where are you trying to go. What are your goals? Do you have a plan to reach them?
Build your support system. We are creatures of community. Assess your support system and nurture it. Build upon it and increase your connections by linking with the type of people that will help motivate you and have you in the right mindset to succeed.
Develop your skill set. Developing a skill set that matches your goals will help you evolve as well as help you get closer to accomplishing your goals. It is even better for your well-being if it is a new skill set or something that challenges you.
Seek guidance. Sometimes we close ourselves off to constructive criticism or even help from someone who cares. Being closed off does not help us in our cause to be more engaged and flexible and able to learn. Even more so seeking assistance from professionals can help us improve and possibly gain perspectives that were hidden from us. Be open to receiving help, love, and support.
Stay resilient. I could have easily written stay consistent. This is the part where we enter a loop. This is the part that lacks glamour. Resilience is tough. It is when we can keep pushing while maintaining a positive outlook. Resilience is learning and growing. Resilience is not giving up.
Lastly, rinse and repeat. Once again, this is the part that isn’t very exciting. All of these together will allow us to be able to first be aware of when we may need to pivot and take the step to do just that. It can be as boring as my day not going as it should or having to change my whole life because a national pandemic hit. No matter the situation being mindful and staying vigilant to who we are and what we need will help us pivot and not only survive but thrive.
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Fluid
I’ll be malleable pliable flexible nimble forever able to adapt Wanda Toby |
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