The Magic of Pivoting

The most important lesson I learned this year was how to pivot effectively in most areas of my life. We often think that to make things better, we need to find the next best diet, planner, or new system that will change our lives. Don’t get me wrong. I love systems that help me achieve my goals. But as a busy moms, we all know that life with kids can change on a dime. Even the best system in the world will not hold up if we can’t pivot when life throws us obstacles. Here are three ways I used pivoting this year to achieve my goals and make my life easier.

The Food Pivot

Most of you know that I recommend meal planning to achieve a healthy body and weight. It makes my life SO much easier when I plan what I eat for the day. It eliminates all that back-and-forth mental chatter of whether I should eat this “healthy” option or this “less healthy” option. Once I write it down in the morning, I don’t need to spend any more time on this. This works 90% of the time. On those 10% days when all sh*t hits the fan, the best way to stay on track is to pivot to the next best thing. If I cannot eat what I have planned, what is the next best thing or closest to what I have planned? The key to this pivot is not to make yourself feel bad that you didn’t “stick” to your original plan. Instead, celebrate that you could change on the go and keep to the general intention of your food plan.

The Schedule Pivot

Creating a simple, sustainable, and kind schedule is one skill that has improved my life significantly.  I went from an overpacked and unrealistic plan for my days to a manageable schedule that I enjoy, mostly;) How do I pivot with my schedule? When I create my schedule, I identify the top three things that are a priority to complete. Sometimes those are tasks. On days when my day is jam-packed with meetings, one of my top three is to attend all my meetings. So when the unexpected happens, I know I don’t need to complete everything on my list, just those three high-priority tasks. The other way I incorporate pivots is I have an hour a day in the afternoon that I block for a walk. Most days, I have that entire hour to get outside, get my body moving, and get a break. On those crazy days, I use a half hour of this time to get things done. The key here is that I don’t use it for anything other than my top three items. And on those extra crazy days when you can’t even get your top three done, the pivot becomes moving the item to the next day. Like the Food Pivot, the key is not to beat yourself up for deviating from your plan. Pivot, readjust, and move on. 

The Relationship Pivot

I like to use the relationship pivot for those challenging interactions where I am making assumptions about the other person’s intentions or meanings. The situation usually goes something like this. Someone says or does something. I interpret it to mean something negative about them or me. Then I go over the story repeatedly in my mind. I start to gather all the evidence for why I am right and how the other person has wronged me. I may even try to talk with them and explain why they should think or feel differently about the situation. When I find myself in this loop, I use the relationship pivot. I ask myself, “what if I am wrong?” Or “how is the other person right?” This doesn’t mean I always change my mind or even stop being upset. But it creates enough of a pause that I can stop this thought loop. From this space, it is easier to find solutions or let things go. And I have to say this one more time. I don’t use this to beat myself up or tell myself that I shouldn’t get mad or have any negative emotions. The goal of the relationship pivot is not to avoid feeling angry, bad, or upset. It is to feel those emotions but then move on and not ruminate over them. 

How are you going to pivot this holiday season?