Pivoting isn’t a setback, it’s a privilege.
Go ahead, get it out of your system. PIVOT! PIVOT! PIVOT! If you’re always connecting this word with Ross Gellar, you and me friend, we are on the same team (unless we disagree about if they were REALLY on a break).
OK, back to being serious (kind of).
Life is all about pivots. I have done my fair share, that’s for sure. I went to college for Communications and Media. I thought I would take that and run with it into a lifelong career of media writing and commercial direction. Dreamy, right? Then I got my first job out of college doing data analytics. Not so dreamy, in my own opinion.
I then pivoted. Out of data, away from Comms. Into Sign Language Interpretation. I studied for four years and got my degree in American Sign Language to English Interpretation. After two years practicing and working to get certified, I learned it wasn’t the right path for me. So I pivoted again… to graphic design.
Since then, I’ve pivoted at least a handful more times. From graphic design in to writing, then into solely building strategy, then into virtual assistant work, and back into marketing communications. Industries shifted too, from healthcare to nonprofit to publications to healthcare again. My parents sometimes ask me if I will ever stick to one career path…
And in all honesty, probably not. In each season and through every pivot, I’ve found another skill and interest that I didn’t know existed before. Something that makes me feel confident and creative and powerful in my own skin. And EVERYTHING I’ve learned through each pivot has come back to propel me forward in the next venture.
Pivoting has given me a diverse outlook on my career (and life). Outside of work, I’ve pivoted as well. From a short distance runner and heptathlete to a marathoner to a weightlifter to a pilates goer. Every season that life throws at me has allowed me to pivot in a way that allows for greater growth and experience than had I stayed put on one linear path.
Pivoting is positive, in my opinion. If you find yourself pivoting as well, more often than not, join the club – the door is wide open and we welcome everyone. Learning more about what life has to offer by going off the common path or the expected one is one of life’s greatest joys. Finding happiness in always working towards something new and exciting, that’s what pivoting means to me. It’s not a setback, but instead, it’s a privilege. To be able to change your mind and be who you want to be when the time arrives.
Pivoting takes courage and ambition. And if you’re crazy enough to think there are always new passions and adventures on the horizon, I dare you to pivot as often as you need to reach them!
