“Stepping onto a brand new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation which is not nurturing to the whole woman ” – Maya Angelou
6yrs ago I had a major pivot point! I remember it well. And I’d like to share how a pivot point changed my life.
I had just started my holidays — a few days prior to Christmas in 2014.
You know what it’s like!
You’re shopping for the last few gifts in the hustle and bustle of the busyness that accompanies the festive season.
I was in the car with my niece driving home, when I opened an email which triggered a thought.
It was an exciting email informing me as CEO that we had received a grant for three years.
Wow!!! Ordinarily I would have been overjoyed at how I could make a difference with the money that it promised.
Instead, I had one fleeting thought.
Is it time!
What Was Next?
Needless to say, I spent most of the holiday contemplating what that thought meant to me and how this pivot point could change my life.
Very quickly I realised that this thought was at the epicenter of a new but very different journey. My first choice was to resign after 15 years at the helm and set a new course.
For me the sticking point was… where to next? What did I want to do? And more importantly, how did I want my life to look moving forward? How could a pivot point change my life?
Head vs Heart
Can you imagine how that one simple email set off a change of thinking that flung me into unchartered territory — into the unknown and in fact see me jumping off the proverbial cliff without a parachute.
Yet it did.
So, I took the challenge one step at a time. I did not have a plan. All I knew was the first step…. that was it. To resign.
Constructing my resignation letter, I then sat down with the Chair of the Board, negotiated my date of departure and then proceeded to work my exit strategy.
I had 6 months to contemplate my next move. I thought I was going to have it well and truly sorted by then. However, having this time did not provide the impetus to make the choices as to ‘where to’ from here. In fact, it prompted only further questions and less ‘knowing’ than that pivotal day of making the very first choice.
Tossing and turning between head and heart, I found I felt less ‘knowing’ than ever before.
Not surprisingly, the urge was strong to run very quickly to my comfort zone — another job. Yet something deep inside kept stopping me from even looking. It’s like a deep wisdom knew this pivot point could change my life.
I Jumped!
I took a leap and did jump off the cliff 6 months later. Departing with no job, no sense of my direction and no idea of what my life was going to look like. However, I just knew that it was going to be a journey; one that would traverse a path I had not explored before.
On the very first day after my new journey began I remember feeling that I had made the right choice. I found a sense of calm washed over me bringing with it the desire to thrive — not just survive.
Well, here I am 6 years later……… and I’m living the reality of how a pivot point can change your life. That simple email that was my trigger has taken me on a challenging, exciting, exhilarating, unchartered, inspiring (at times, scary), encouraging, amazing, satisfying, (at times, unnerving, unraveling, bewildering), uplifting, reflective journey in the search of my best life — one that provides me with a sense of wellbeing, joy and balance.
As you can imagine, the path is still unfolding but I thank myself for igniting the pivot point and my inner guidance for making enough noise that I chose to listen.
Have you sensed a pivot point?
How did you stop, listen, contemplate and discover?
Do you have a roadmap to explore your pivot point?
If you find yourself with a trigger, or a nagging sense that you have a pivot point emerging then here are my three tips.
1. Trust you gut
2. Listen to that soft, inner, wise voice
3. Amplify that voice, connect, contemplate and take one step at a time
Are you facing a pivot point?
Anne Wicking is a highly respected and gifted coach bringing 16yrs experience as a CEO. If you are facing a challenging time and not sure whether to lean into a new direction, Anne would love to help guide you through.
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