So, you may have noticed… The world changed quite a bit this year. I had big plans for this blog (and many other projects) at the start of 2020, and then those plans very quickly got derailed. So I’m pivoting. This is pivoting. The key to survival is the ability to pivot half-decently (however, do not confuse a pivot with a pirouette – luckily for me, a pivot definitely does not need to be as graceful as a pirouette – though if you want to add some panache, sprinkle on whatever extra jam you got going on).
Historically, I am not known for my aptitude to welcome change. (It seems not only can I not pirouette, I cannot pivot either.) I really struggle with alterations to any kind of plan, even if those plans are really simple loose ones to go for brunch. And there are times, especially lately, when I’ve noticed how much time has ticked by and how all my plans fell off the 2020 wagon back in March, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed or upset by how ‘far behind’ you are or off track things are or whatever you’ve missed.
Sometimes (for me, anyway), it can feel like you’re looking around and you realise you’re in a hole, which you don’t even remember falling into, and you have no idea how – or even if – you can climb back out. And that can bring on a sense of panic; or, quite often for me, a debilitating ‘freeze’ response, where any kind of move feels like too much because you know there needs to be so many more moves after it.
I didn’t quite intend for this post to get this deep (hole-deep, get it?!), but I think it helps to know, if you’re also feeling this way, or have done before, you’re not alone. And what do you do about it?
You pivot!
And I’m gonna get literal here for a moment – get up and attempt a spin. If anything, it snaps you out of your headspace. With luck, it may even bring a smile.
Was it hard? Probably easier than you thought. Was it messy? Unless you’re a dancer or some graceful human-flamingo, I expect so. But I bet it brought a rush. Or some fun. Or made you or whoever was watching laugh.
And this is the point. When things go off the track, it’s easy to panic. But stop. Breathe. Know all you have to do is one quick spin – and it could bring with it such a sense of joy and freedom. You might not want to pivot. You might not know where or how you’re going to land. But trust in your ability to work it out. To make this new change – even take it as an advantage.
Quite often, I’ll feel overwhelmed because I feel stuck – there’s a long way to go to climb out of that hole, and I can’t even get the first foothold, so I guess I’ll be stuck at the bottom of that hole forever. But the constant thing about change, is that it changes. All the time. Things can one-eighty with whiplash, and you need to hold onto that. Your hole could quite easily flip upside down and you’d find yourself skydiving.
So don’t look behind you, or above you, or think about climbing out of that hole. Just focus on getting that first solid grip. Work on pushing off that floor for that one messy spin. Just do something – proactive. And then tomorrow, do something else proactive. You won’t be able to tell when the big changes are going to come, so don’t try to – just focus on that one next move.
And check back here every Monday for a new short dose of hope. When I’m stuck I usually end up getting out of those holes by writing myself a pep talk – so I thought why not share? My pivot for this site (for now) is to post a pep talk, to myself, to you, to anyone who stumbles upon them. There’s so much going on, I’m seeing this new pivot as a happy change. Feel free to let me know if there’s any particular issue or area you’d like some kick-up-the-backside help with. Otherwise, I’m just gonna riff with what I’ve got – and that’s all any of us can do.
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