Have you ever had a season where it feels like you need to make one pivot after another until you feel all twisted around?
Yep, me too.
My current change of plans is taking care of Mr. Oliver, who just can’t do morning walks anymore, at least not the mid to longer walks we are used to taking. Plus, rain, rain, more rain, and the windy rainstorms that scare little Miss Mochi.
Poor Mochi, she’s a California girl, originally from the streets of San Jose. Our often wild Oregon Coast winters do not sit well with her. She’s often on edge and on high alert at the noise and bangs that happen outside during the “Winnie The Pooh and the Blustery Day” type of days we’ve had recently.
(Raise your hand if you just sang, “Winnie The Pooh, Winnie The Pooh Chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff.” I did!)
Sometimes You Have to Pivot
I’ve been in a season of pivoting that often leaves me feeling rather breathless.
- Oliver: I’ve had to figure out how to get the exercise I need and Mochi desperately needs while taking care of Mr. O. To complicate matters, he can’t be alone right now, so this morning I carried him for part of our walk, but soon he was shivering from head to tail. So, I need to adjust and tweak our plans a wee bit more.
- Web Design Projects: For most of my 15 years in business, I’ve worked as a web design sub-contractor for multiple agencies. In the past couple of years, this has dramatically shifted to working directly with clients. It’s great, and I am enjoying the change, but it has required a major shift in how I work and do business. In fact, these shifts were the catalyst for a total rebrand of my business.
- Rebrand: At the end of 2021, I had a BIG realization that I had outgrown my business and changes needed to be made. This was a big pivot of a new business name, a new website, and a new way of thinking about my business.
- Health: I have health issues to deal with that can easily derail me, as does my Mom, both physically and mentally. The season of life we are currently in has required a pivot of my work schedule, my approach to work, and the type of work I can do.
- Services: I love my Selah Mastermind, it is my favorite “work” and soon I’ll be launching a new program that I can’t wait to share with you. But these programs have required pivots. Some are big and small.
Act. Assess. Adjust. (And Sometimes Pivot)
I heard this in a podcast that was quoting someone else… sorry, at the moment I can’t remember all the who, what, and where’s on this one. But the words have stuck around, rattling around in the ole noggin.
For a lot of the women business owners I talk with, getting started is where they get stuck. There is fear of changing their business, launching a new product, or trying a new strategy or tactic. The fear of the unknown or not seeing the next step can be hard to get past. Been there. Done that. Still do that often, but thankfully I’m getting better.
Once we do finally take that first step, in faith, trusting that the next step will appear, and then the next and the next… what do we do?
We need to assess. And this is a step so many of us forget. We gain momentum and feel like we are getting somewhere, but forget to assess and evaluate what is working, what isn’t, and what may need to change in order to get to our desired result.
Once we assess and identify what is and isn’t working, we need to adjust and sometimes pivot into a new direction.
A New Adjustment / Pivot
You will see a few things change around here as my business moves into more of a business and website consulting service for women. I am enjoying this new focus and direction as I help women become intentional and confident business owners.
As I’ve considered my plans and objectives for the year, what I write about and what I share here weekly needs to change and grow with me.
You are still going to hear and learn about gratitude, ways to manage stress and anxiety, getting outside, creativity, and more. But over time, you will see the conversation shift more towards women in business.
As my business grows and changes I need to make room for that change and adapt to the season I am currently in, which feels drastically different from just a year ago.
And guess what? It’s okay. (you may have heard me say this a time or two before…)
It’s okay to grow. It’s okay to change. And it’s okay to adjust and pivot and dream about what opportunities may come as a result. It’s not always easy, and it’s often scary, but it is okay and needed.
Too often we get stuck in a rut, afraid to make changes, afraid to answer the call placed on our hearts, and ignore the leading direction we so often pray for.
I hope you will stick around and learn along with me. I look forward to sharing more about what I am learning about acting, assessing, adjusting, and pivoting.
What about you?
Is there an area of your life or business that needs to adjust or pivot?
Marta Goertzen is an entrepreneur, writer, WordPress Website developer, and nature photographer. She daily explores the trails and beaches of the South Central Oregon Coast with her dogs Oliver & Mochi. You can follow along on their adventures on Instagram. Marta also fully believes that change starts with gratitude and that gratitude can change everything. Find out how with the “Grateful Friday 7-Days of Gratitude Starter Kit”