How many of you have moments of, “what am I doing?”, “what should I do next?” or “should I just wait?” Well, I have an answer: PIVOT! There have been many times in my life when I have been in the same position, just wondering what to do next but not making any moves. Yes, it is scary, the unknown typically is. But how do we overcome these thoughts and turn them into actions? Here are a few paths I’ve taken to overcome the stagnant stages in my life.

Follow your gut and educate. I believe that our body and the universe send us signs to get up and move, but we decide to ignore them sometimes. That pain or butterflies in our stomach is there for a reason (besides indigestion). I’m not saying just jump into every opportunity that comes your way, but I think looking and analyzing these options is a good idea. Once you develop a knowledge base around it, you will have a good sense of what works and what doesn’t; this will make it easier to move forward. Find outlets that give you the skills you need to move forward.  If you love to read, I can recommend The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel, and if you enjoy podcasts, Nerdwallet’s Smart Money is a casual listen that gives good tips. Listen to your gut and brain, they are telling you something.

Anticipate objections and push others’ judgments to the side. It will help drastically. I like to feel prepared in most situations, so I take a quick minute to run through any objection I can think of and prepare a few thoughts on each. The moment we allow another to tell us about ourselves, we surrender our power to them. Working towards fully leaning into our strengths and skills leads to a fuller sense of self pride and confidence.

Create a network you trust. There will always be those around us who might not have the best intentions, so we need to surround ourselves who those who we know truly care for us. I am lucky enough to have a group of individuals that I know have my best interest in mind, and I can count on them to give me more opinions and solutions instead of judgment or objections; that’s why they are a part of my life. There are communities that have been built for people that have similar goals and positive energy. This is one of the reasons why my sister and I created Em-Powered Network. Our community helps women achieve holistic success through  self-growth and financial wellness. There are many positive and supportive people who want to see you grow: pick them. Those that cheer you on, challenge you, and keep you moving forward!

Progress over perfection. I used to LOVE perfection (maybe I still do but just a little — everything had to be clean, aligned, straight and checked three times before I did anything). That was my problem: before I did anything, I had to have everything perfect, which meant I didn’t do much. As I watched others progress, I learned that I needed to get moving. Now, before you jump straight into something, remember that a part of progress means learning phases.  

While pivoting won’t always bring the outcome you are expecting, it will bring opportunities. Some opportunities will be those we learn from, and others will be life-changing. If you are ready to experience what life has to offer, grow into what you can totally become, or even just continue being awesome, remember the couch moving scene from Friends and PIVOT when needed!