The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, pronounced, “The only constant in Life is change.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if that is one of the most quoted quotes of the past 2500 years!
Goodness knows we’ve had our fair share of change in the past year (and longer!)
I would venture to say that if we weren’t already experts at “pivoting” before 2020, we’ve certainly had the opportunity to practice it lately. But then, this is what LIFE brings.
For example, a couple of weeks ago I hit a wall with my business-building.
I’d been diligently chugging along, grappling with the typical ebbs and flows in solopreneur confidence (and competence)—from assessing the value/relevance of my offerings, to writing ad copy and marketing funnels, webinars and leadership workshops, to coaching clients, to trying to figure out the whole online marketing/ IT phenomenon—right down to getting those darn Facebook pixels right!
When I discovered that, yet again, I missed a critical integration in another ad campaign (integrations make sure important prospect data gets where it needs to go), the best word I can use to describe how I felt is “collapsed.”
I just had to take a break, step back, and give myself a chance to regroup.
Sometimes we need to take our foot off the pedal! Stop to breathe. Go for a walk. Meditate or pray. Have a cry on a friend’s shoulder. Take time away. Just LET IT GO.
And then, when the time is right, open up a space for reflection…to acknowledge what’s working, what’s not, what needs forgiveness, what needs a more honest look, what needs a new frame of reference, a new approach, a new conversation.
Most importantly, to ask what’s the truth now? What needs new courage?
And then, we can pivot, Regroup. Start again.
Needing to pivot can be hard, but if done right, I believe its greatest gift can be returning us to ourselves.
That’s what happened for me. I needed to reflect and realize some things. Change course a bit.
Give myself permission to seek help with some aspects of business building that will be better in more capable hands.
If you are facing situations or changes that are calling on you to pivot, I hope you heed those calls with grace!
Give yourself permission to stop, reflect, find the truth, and begin again…hopefully from a stronger place.
And realize you don’t have to do it all alone!
With the rapid changes we are facing on so many fronts these days, I would say mastering the art of the pivot is essential. And reaching out for help, too.