A Time to Pivot

There comes a time in our lives when we have to pivot and reinvent ourselves and boy, do we get all bent out of shape when that happens. When we are pushed to pivot, like many of us now during the pandemic, our anxiety can become overwhelming.

We begin a narrative about how this was not part of the plan, therefore, we do not have a plan, therefore, it cannot happen. That is the narrative that is so dangerous.

Fear of the unknown is not uncommon to most of us, but it is the one thing that holds most of us back from taking forward steps. We become paralyzed, scared, anxious and sometimes depressed.

Fear is a common emotion during any change in our lives. It doesn’t have to be a catastrophic event that presents the need to change. How many people do you know who have gotten “cold feet” before their wedding? Anxiety over the birth of a child? Each of those occasions result in us reinventing ourselves.

Congratulations!

You just got engaged, found out you are pregnant, received a promotion at work, lost 50 lbs, gained 10 pounds, bought a new house, and the list goes on. Just think about the emotions you may have faced just as you realized the new world you were diving into.

Just like that, we go from spending all the money we want to understanding that there will be another mouth to feed. We transition from being part of the team to managing the team, and so on and so on and so on. The internal conversations that we have can, at times, cause us to have self-doubt and performance anxiety. The point is that each of these glorious moments are times of life’s reinvention.

What in the world happened?

One day, all the stars are aligned. Our plans are working, and we have the world at our fingertips. The next day, just like that…everything changes. We have all learned the lesson that nothing is forever. Talk about fear of the unknown! Thanks 2020!

If this time isn’t a lesson in endurance, I don’t know what is. For many of us, it is a time to pivot out of necessity, with no time to spare. We have been touched economically, emotionally, mentally, and some of us physically. Now more than ever is not the time for self-doubt and negative internal narratives. What is there to do?

I believe first we need to reflect on times in our lives when we needed to build strength. How did we do it? What conversations did we have with ourselves? Who helped us through those times? What resources did we have? You are reading this now, so hopefully, you made it through! Congratulations!

Pivoting in our lives isn’t easy, but it can be so exciting and that is how you should think of it. During one of my reinvention times, I was really scared. I had health issues and was running out of money. My daughter reminded me that I will never be homeless, and I will never be hungry. That became my internal conversation and pulled me through that time.

You are never too much of anything to reinvent and pivot in your life. Never too old, too young, too inexperienced.