Staying Consistent When You Are Forced to Pivot
Routine and Consistency are Key
As an entrepreneur you find yourself balancing between staying on course and knowing when it’s time to pivot. When things are not going great and you cannot see your progress it may be time to evaluate what the next best move for you would be.
You may have a set of consistent routines and habits that keep you chugging along, but what happens when those practices are no longer effective?
The balance struggle in the mind begins.
- Do I stick with it?
- Do I shift it into something better?
- Do I drop it?
It’s important when making these decisions to not drop a plan to chase a trend. Getting wrapped up in what everyone else is doing is a trap. Staying consistent is the best course of action.
Consistent Routine
Routine is so important! It helps us build healthy habits that lead to long-term success. The art of the pivot comes into play when you take time to analyze which routines are working and which are not. There is always room for improvement and success leaves clues that can help direct you to make a change or carry on.
As entrepreneurs, we are constantly watching other successful people. Seeing what moves they make and what is working and what kinds of habits they live by. From the 5am club to cold exposure, everyone has an antidote that they swear by.
The best habits will always be the ones that you can commit to and do consistently.
Habits and routines are about showing up consistently and performing something whether or not you are in the mood. It’s about discipline.
Creating a solid morning routine is a great way of starting your day off in a productive manner before all the demands of the day divide your attention.
If you are looking to move forward in any area of your life you need a consistent routine.
Routines that help you…
- Build discipline
- Have meaning to you
- Move you closer to your goals
- Live more fully
- Provide some control over your life
It doesn’t matter how successful certain habits and routines have been for other people if that habit or routine doesn’t work for you. You must find the ones that work for you and stick to it.
Persist or Pivot?
At some point in any consistent routine, there will come a time when it’s hard to commit — when you just don’t feel like moving forward and you no longer see the point. After the excitement is gone it’s a good opportunity to feel the energy you have built around it.
What does that feel like? And does it make sense to persist through the plateau or pivot in a new direction?
If you find yourself at a crossroads here are some great questions to ask…
- Is this working?
- Is this the best use of my time?
- Am I enjoying this process?
- Is this routine moving me closer to my goals?
When a routine becomes stagnant it’s time to re-evaluate. Time to reflect on your why. Why did you implement this routine in the first place and is it still of value?
Take a look back on where you are now from when the routine began and decide if it’s been of value, is still of value, or time to pivot to provide more value.
Take the Empowered Approach
By constantly asking yourself this question you are holding yourself accountable. You are ahead of the curve in knowing when it’s time to pivot. If the answer to this question is uncertain you can follow up with… What is a better way? Helping direct our minds to make a fair assessment of when to pivot and when to stay the course.
Shiny Object Syndrome
Trends are changing all the time. It seems whenever I get used to one social media platform everyone has jumped on to the next. I totally get it. New is exciting and we all suffer from a little bit of FOMO.
When you are faced with staying the course or pivoting you might want to check your shiny object syndrome radar. The idea that switching from Instagram to TikTok will create a sudden abundance in your career sounds tempting. But at what cost? Essentially you would be starting over again. Building from scratch. Jumping ship to catch another. Moving from one platform to another. And then what happens when TikTok becomes passe and the kids are onto something new? Do you keep moving with the fads? Or do you stay consistent with your current platform and work it out?
The eagerness you feel about implementing something new can be fueled into your consistent routine. Where can you place these ideas on the platform you already use?
Pivoting is Growth
Pivoting and starting from scratch is challenging. Pivoting a decent routine into a solid routine is better. Pivoting in this way helps ignite some of that excitement you originally had.
Asking yourself the questions that determine if you pivot or march on is essential for growth. Pivoting a routine shows that you are paying attention and not stuck to old habits and ideas, but are willing to adapt and grow.
Pivoting from good to great routines will help you stay committed. Give yourself time to play with the new idea and work out the kinks. You can always resort back to the original routine with new insights and motivation.
Staying excited helps us stay committed. Routines do become just that, routine, and it’s often hard to find the will to show up consistently, but if you understand why you are showing up by asking the questions above you will be better armed with the correct information to keep you excited and moving forward. Pivoting when necessary and shifting gears to better pursue your goals.
The most important thing is to not give up or give in. This is the point of habits, routines, and committing to showing up. Whether or not a pivot is necessary is small compared to the larger goal at hand. Keep showing up. Keep believing. Keep committed to your outcome and the rest will fall into place.
Originally published at http://heart-lightstudios.com on February 7, 2023.
