How to Pivot in Life the Right Way

Some people knew exactly who they wanted to be in life from birth.

They knew they wanted to be doctors, scientists, business owners and CEOs, and they did everything in their power to make their dream happen.

You see, these people are special. They are the exception, because for the rest of us, we need to pivot, make mistakes, and grow from our previous experiences to figure out our purpose in life.

Unfortunately, we as humans don’t like to pivot. For some, pivoting means failure. This is likely because of the “Sunk Cost” fallacy, the thought that they cannot quit something because they have invested way too much time, effort, or money into.

You see this a lot in marriages, businesses, and investments. You pour out so much effort into it that you become blinded to the fact that the endeavor will never bear fruit.

In fact, all it will lead to is added frustration, pain, and wasted time.

On the other hand, you may realize that there is a need to pivot in life, or in a particular circumstance. Things cannot continue on its current course or your life will end up in disaster.

You may feel afraid, as so many things can go wrong during this pivot, and may feel the sunk cost fallacy settling in. But you know what you must do.

So how do you avoid the sunk cost fallacy and ensure our pivots are successful?

1. Tell yourself it’s OK! This will take a mental transformation. You will need to change mindset from a mindset of failure to a mindset of success, which is not easy. This will also require you to get rid of the sunk cost fallacy you might have. Understand that every moment, dollar, or ounce of effort you spent before will never be recovered, and that you must draw a line in the sand. Otherwise, you’ll be holding onto a rock as you plummet further and further down into the hole you are in.

2. Create relationships with people in the area you are pivoting to. This is a great way to create a safety net in the area you are pivoting to. Do your research on those who have made the switch, and learn what they have done to get there. Also ensure you understand the time and effort required to be successful in your pivot in life, or else you may end up in a similar situation you are in now.

Additionally, make lasting connections with these newfound pivoters and ask lots of questions. If something goes wrong, at least you will have a strong base of people rooting for you to succeed and they may identify opportunities to get past your obstacles.

3. To pivot in life, you must create a plan. This includes setting S.M.A.R.T and stretch goals for yourself, and investing in training and development to hone in the right skills to complete your pivot. Give yourself an end date to complete the transition; otherwise you could end up spinning your wheels too long and going back to where you started.

4. Implement! Now that you have your plan in place, it is time to take action! Continue to work hard on the transition and don’t look back. By planning in the earlier step, you should have reduced a lot of the uncertainty in your new journey, but there will always be additional factors you never considered. Push through them full steam ahead.

5. Don’t burn bridges. Some people feel that in order to move forward, you must completely forget about the past. However, don’t take that to heart, because it could come back to haunt you, particularly if something goes wrong during your pivot. I always recommend maintaining positive, healthy relationships as long as those involved will not become a barrier to your future success. You never know if you will need those you spurn.

What kind of pivots have you completed lately? What were the struggles and the results?