How to Prepare to Make a Pivot

Writing has always been a core component of my resilience. I have relied upon it to get myself out of some sticky situations, and as I’ve stated in one of my earliest posts, it has saved my life.

Other key parts of my resilience have been self-awareness and introspection. As a highly sensitive person and a trauma survivor, I have developed a keen sense of knowing what is right and wrong for me. It’s been a matter of safety, really. Being hypervigilant about my environment has kept me safe for the most part. I am still honing this ability even after all these years, but it has worked for me more often than not.  

Using this ability to tune into myself, I’ve been able to readily implement and adapt to change. I consider it one of my superpowers, an ability I know not a lot of people to possess. I’ve learned that while change can be difficult to maneuver, it doesn’t always have to be that way. Successfully making changes is part of building a resilient life. 

I’d like to share with you some ways I’ve been able to easily prepare for pivots. The first step is asking yourself if it is time to make a change. Self-honesty is key here.  

Maybe you’re not sure it is the right time. How do you know you need to pivot? Simply put, there is no clear-cut answer, because we are individuals with unique life situations. However, I have discovered a few consistent signs in my own life:

1.    You are bored and feel stagnant. Sometimes being too comfortable can be a bad place to be.

2.    Your level of discomfort exceeds your level of comfort. When the pain becomes beyond intolerable, you know it’s time to do something. When what has served you no longer does, then it’s time to move.

3.    Something unexpected happens – positive or negative – that causes you to rethink your priorities and life goals.  

The second step in this process is gauging your level of readiness. You may know you need to do something but you’re not quite ready to do it. That can be for myriad reasons – fear, finances, relational dynamics, etc. – the list goes on. You may want to wait until the conditions are perfect before leaping. But…and this is a big but…what if the conditions are never perfect? After all, we live in an imperfect world. Do we keep on waiting until the conditions are right or do we make the jump?

The only way to answer the question of whether you’re ready is to tackle it head on. Ask yourself if you truly are ready and be completely honest. Ask yourself if you’re realistically able to do what’s necessary to make a change.

I use a motivational scale for myself and my clients. It goes like this – you rate yourself on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 meaning you’re not ready to make any changes right now, and 10 meaning you’re ready to take action. Say you rate yourself a 5. Ask yourself what it would take to move up that number to a 6 or 7. There is no shame in whatever number you have. We all have to start somewhere.  

Then, once you have your number, create an action plan to make the change. If it feels overwhelming, break down the main goal into parts. When I do this, I jot down the main goal and then no more than three bullet points underneath it representing the steps I need to take.  

I reevaluate my goals every quarter and toss out anything that isn’t working or isn’t bringing me fulfillment, fun and freedom. Life is too short to keep pushing on something that just doesn’t serve me, so out it goes! The tossing out may not be permanent. Perhaps it’s just a no for me for right now.  

During my latest reevaluation, I discovered I was not living in alignment with my energy levels, talents and abilities. So, I’ve decided to pull away from some of the social media activities I’ve been doing to promote my writing and my book and focus energy on starting a podcast on Spotify and Anchor. It’s called “Be Like a Starfish: Living a Resilient Life” and on this platform, I will be freer to express my point of view on topics related to resilience and writing. I’ll be diving into all sorts of subjects like grief, trauma, mental health, and more. I’m aligning more with what feels right to me currently. I’m also returning to my broadcasting roots, which is something I’ve missed.  

Other pivots I’m making are revamping my website and focusing more on the number one thing that builds my resilience, and that is writing. Right now, I’m getting ready to edit my next book and I’m prepping for future projects.  

What is your life calling you to do right now? Is it time to make a change? I hope what I’ve shared will help you in your pivot.  

Write & Rise, my friends.