The Art of Pivoting: Adjusting to an Unpredictable World
BY MATTHEW D. BARKDULL, MS, MBA, LMFT, MEDFT
Is it just me or are world circumstances becoming more uncertain, unpredictable, and unstable? Don’t get me wrong, I consider myself to be a naturally optimistic person. However, when I read or watch the news constantly highlighting pandemic variants, bomb cyclones, civil unrest, political infighting, and any other number of problems, I want to throw my arms up in dismay and tune out of reality.
At times I feel like Wile E. Coyote, the Looney Tunes character always in pursuit of the elusive roadrunner, pulling down the shades while knowing that a train is about to pummel him. That which is out of sight does not change the trajectory of emerging threats. In such circumstances, we often employ one of three survival instincts: fight against it, run away from it, or freeze in fear or denial. As much as we hope these tactics will prove successful, they rarely amount to much, especially when we’re up against a speeding locomotive. In the end, trains always win!
So denial is not only a river in Africa but also doesn’t work well when it comes to coping and adjusting to an unpredictable world. So, what’s to be done? More and more social scientists continue to research and report on what is becoming known as “Pivoting.” A pivot is known in engineering but has been adopted several other places including the social and behavioral sciences. In business, pivot means to change some aspect of services or strategy due to changing client, financial, or societal circumstances that are outside of its control. In other words, a business doesn’t wait for outside circumstances to change; the business adjusts or “pivots” itself in order to thrive and meet changing demands. If not, the business can quickly die. The same principle is seen in sailing and oceanic navigation.
An American religious leader stated the following, “A very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves. Let us, therefore, cheerfully do all things that lie in our power.” Winds and waves regularly shift in storms; therefore, the navigator is constantly “pivoting” and adjusting to these variations so as not to capsize the ship.
So, let’s talk turkey and have a blunt conversation about our future. Frankly, I’m getting tired of the naysayers and those continuing to promote the status quo. The world seems bent on marginalizing and downplaying the merits, accomplishments, and capabilities of individuals, especially those that face the specter of chronic or even acute health conditions. This leads me to emphasize the first of three suggestions on the fine art of pivoting despite the storms that may be raging around us.
PIVOT PRINCIPLE #1: Pay Attention
caught unawares, could capsize, or put the business at a serious disadvantage. We’re no different. All too often, changes and shifting patterns are more subtle than obvious. This subtlety requires that we’re vigilant and paying attention. Like a riptide, it’s not altogether apparent that there’s danger until the current traps the unaware and pulls them steadily out to sea. Part of paying attention is listening to trusted sources. In the bleeding disorder community, people trained to see the riptides give us important information about what may be coming so we feel more prepared and act early before we find ourselves in harm’s way. The art of pivoting is dulled when we are caught off guard. If possible, the more we pay attention and act upon information given to us, the more effective our pivoting will be. As stated in a scriptural passage, “But if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” Any good business is going to have professionals whose sole purpose is paying attention to, tracking, and reporting trends to senior management. Like the sailing analogy, these skilled employees are analyzing the shifting patterns of the winds and waves that, if
PIVOT PRINCIPLE #2: Remember Our Value
Remembering our value is often sidestepped as a relatively unimportant, even misunderstood idea. Most find it too “Mr. Rogersy” or simplistic but I’m here to tell you, as a licensed mental health counseling professional, that seeing value in self is one of the most important components of health living including healthy brain function and mental health. When one discredits the value of self, a part of our brain (within the limbic system) takes this belief and often unconsciously forms a warped identity that is parading around as you while burying the real you in a shroud of misaligned beliefs and thinking errors. What’s the consequence? To name a few: depression, hopelessness, anxiety, fear, unwillingness to advocate for self, ruined relationships, living defensively not offensively, and surviving without thriving.
Professional counselors or coaches are often highly skilled at helping you challenge these beliefs and working with you to realign your life to true principles that constitute your authentic and wonderful identity. In order to properly pivot during the storm means that you have energy and “umph” to have the gumption to call out the lies and embrace who you really are. And I guarantee, you’ll like who you find!
PIVOT PRINCIPLE #3: React Objectively, Not Emotionally…Eventually!
Here’s a little something to think about. Reflect upon a time that you were absolutely blown away by some new piece of information that took you completely by surprise….in a strongly negative way. Do you have something in mind? If you’re struggling here are a few ideas: the 9/11 attacks, a COVID-19 variant being discovered, reaction to any election, a loved one passing away suddenly, the loss of a job, being the victim of a crime, being betrayed, diagnosed with a health issue, and so forth. Choose one of these difficult moments. Now that you have identified something, consider how you immediately felt. Fear? Anger? Disbelief? Shock? Disgust? Bewilderment? Sadness? Denial? Choose one or more emotions. As you remember this hard moment with its accompanying emotions, recall what you actually did as a result. How did you behave? Identify your behavior.
Now, let’s make a few things clear. “Feeling is not bleeding.”. It’s okay to feel, express emotion, and go through a process of healing, mourning, and adjusting to what happened. I have worked with many that feel bad about how they reacted to an emotionally power-packed punch to the gut and normalize the reaction. That being said, could you imagine yourself feeling like this all the time—constantly in a state of emotional upheaval? You may be surprised how many people live in this constant state of emotional shackling. All the sadder is that the more they struggle, like quicksand, the faster they sink deeper into their problems.
How do we go about reacting objectively (or thoughtfully) to challenges and new information? There is a buzz word that is common in today’s vernacular— mindfulness. Take the information that you’ve received, react emotionally as needed given the circumstances (sometimes this takes a great deal of support given the difficulty), but allow yourself time and space to consider what the change means. Mindfulness can be done multiple different ways: yoga, meditation, journaling, prayer, counseling, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, really anything that brings a greater sense of grounding, objectivity, and clarity of thought. As we grow accustomed to coping in this type of fashion, the result often increases our ability to see things as they really are and act upon well thought out strategies to help us pivot based upon these discoveries.
These are just the core basics of what professionals have found helpful in pivoting and adjusting to the unpredictable circumstances that we may find ourselves. As stated above, extra support may be needed to fully comprehend and work through these challenges. The true key to mastering the pivot involves not burying our heads in the sand but to be aware, informed, and proactive to gain the information needed to make clear decisions. By doing so, although difficult and often emotional, we’ll greatly increase our capacity to adjust and act upon solutions faster than fighting, fleeing, or freezing.