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You stand with weepy eyes, your head bowed, looking like defeat. It wasn’t supposed to be this way or this hard. When God gave you your purpose, you knew that He would give you a clear vision of how to get there. You took the road that you believed you were supposed to travel. You were confident that this was what He wanted you to do.
Then things went wild. Relationships started going haywire. Money became as thin as a tightrope. Life became so heavy it was hard for you to breathe. You began to doubt what you thought was your life’s purpose. You wondered, “Is this really what I’m supposed to do in life?”
Wave the White Flag on Your Purpose?
Does this mean it’s time to throw in the towel and return to the drawing board to find your purpose? No, not necessarily.
When you’re pursuing your purpose, life will present you with challenges that sometimes make you want to quit, roll up in a ball, and cry.
If you begin to feel like what you’re doing has stopped working or you’re met with challenge after challenge on your path, it may be time to pivot.
When you pivot, you change the way you do something. It is not admitting defeat or saying that your purpose is wrong. It is an awareness of the reality that there may be a better way to reach your goals than you initially thought.
Here are four ways to gracefully pivot while you work on fulfilling your purpose.
You’re married to the goal, but are dating the method.
Your goal doesn’t have to change just because your method does. I used to beat myself up when my plans didn’t come together as I thought they should. The truth is that things rarely go as initially planned for most people, and it’s essential to be flexible with your plans. There are many possible routes you can take to get to a destination. The problem is people become paralyzed when their route turns into a detour. They keep trying to go down a dead-end route when a pivot is necessary, and time, resources, and confidence start to diminish.
Ask yourself: Am I wasting time, energy, and resources doing something I know is not working? What are some other options that I can try instead?
Sometimes, letting go of a failing plan can be a relief, freeing up your energy and resources for a more promising path.
Seek solution focused yet empathetic friends.
In your circle of friends, it is imperative to have friends that can empathize with your situation and share potential solutions to help you switch directions and move forward. Make sure you have friends that won’t just sit in your pity party with you. Misery loves company, and if you don’t use good judgment on the people you put around you, you’ll find yourself missing out on fulfilling your purpose because you will be too busy complaining and making excuses.
Ask yourself: Are my friends the type of people that will contribute to my growth, or will they hinder it? Do they help me stay grounded by brainstorming solutions?
Focus on gratitude.
When things are not going the way you want them to in your life, it can be difficult to “look at the bright side,” Having to switch from “I’m confident this is how it’s supposed to be!” to “Plan B…” can be harsh, and it’s hard to maintain a positive attitude.
However, the one thing that I’ve learned is that what you go looking for, you will find. If you look for beauty, the things that are going right, and the things that make you happy, you will find them. The opposite is also true. Look for misery, and you will find that too. Therefore, it’s beneficial to find joy even in the most minuscule of wins, and to be grateful for them.
Ask yourself: What can I be grateful for? What are my small wins?
Delayed doesn’t mean denied.
Patience has fallen by the wayside in our “right now” culture. It is so hard to wait for the things we want. When things are not moving as we think they should, we talk ourselves out of pursuing our purpose. Instead, this is when we need to focus more on what we’re supposed to be doing. Ask yourself: Have I let impatience distract me from making moves that could further my goals?
You can pivot gracefully toward success.
The first step to creating an environment that will encourage fulfilling your purpose is acknowledging when it is time to pivot. Switching from one way of doing something to another can feel like a loss. Especially if you firmly believe your first way was the correct way.
However, when you find reasons to be grateful, focus on solutions, have patience, and remain flexible to change, you’ll be able to transform your life and positively impact the lives of those around you. Your transformation can inspire and guide others on their journey of change.
