Beauties, it’s an uncertain time right now. So we thought we’d reach out to life coach Sonia Greyson Newman for some advice on how to ‘pivot’, both in your business and personal life during this time. 

We are living in unprecedented and very uncertain times and along with this uncertainty can come fear, panic, anxiety, stress, depression, guilt, discomfort and grief.

But for some, this time is showing up as much needed rest, time, faith, hope and optimism. We can be on one side of this spectrum or swing between a combination of both at different times.

There is a lot happening around us right now that we do not have control over.  And as well as individually, we are all dealing with the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic in many different ways.

Pivot 

When I hear of the term pivot, I immediately think of my school days on the netball pitch.

If you have ever played or watched a netball match, I am sure you can picture this.  When the ball is passed to you, you stop and pivot on one leg as you spin and observe.  You think and observe, all the while you are assessing who is blocking you, meaning your threats.  You are also assessing where your team members are positioned. Your team members are your opportunities. The goal remains the same but the direction you take to get to the goal may change due to the threats and opportunities presented to you.

You can see that this is an analogy that can be used in business and life. Right now, we have to observe what is happening around us. We have to observe to assess what are the opportunities in front of you as well as what are the potential blocks and challenges.

If you are an entrepreneur, consider the following:

  • Have you assessed the current needs of your customers?
  • How are they feeling?
  • What is keeping them up at night and how are their needs changing?
  • What can you provide to support them at this time?
  • How can you serve them?

Pivoting isn’t actually new to us and we have probably had to pivot many times in our lives.

Pivoting is being able to adapt and respond to change, being agile and not stagnant. There is no shame in pivoting and pivoting is not failure.

Huge companies have been born or have pivoted in times of recession. Those who have seen the opportunity in a difficult time, have assessed what their customer needs were and were able to adapt and serve those needs. It may take thinking out of the box and being creative.

Life Audit

Self-reflection is important and right now is an opportune time to carry out a life audit. Ask yourself the following:

  • What skills and qualities do I already have to manoeuvre within this situation?
  • Who will I be after this?
  • What do I need to learn to enable me to adapt to the current circumstances?
  • How am I taking care of my own needs right now?
  • How I am I feeling or have been feeling?
  • What can I control right now that can be of benefit to me? For some this maybe simply establishing new routines or habits or tightening up on old ones.

Your current situation is maybe highlighting to you an area of your life that needs to change, Your finances, your health, your relationships.

Self-care, rest, nutrition and exercise is very important and looking after your mental health is paramount right now. Be honest with yourself and seek support through therapy, coaching  etc, if needed. If you don’t have one already, consider starting a gratitude practice, despite the current crisis, there are still many things to be grateful for.

Review your goals because it is a good time to see where you are in terms of hitting those goals, and also a good time to consider if those goals are still important to you. When a crisis hits, it makes you consider what is important to you, your purpose in life and what you are striving for. You don’t have to give up on your goals, you just may have to change the route you were taking to reach them.

With all this being said, we are dealing with the unknown and it is possible that the road ahead will be rocky for many of us. Who knows what life will look like in the months and years to come.

Mindset is everything, fix your attention on solutions rather than dwelling on problems and things you cannot control. And even though there are many things currently out of your control, plan the best you can as this will not last forever.

Sonia is an Award-winning Life Coach, Author, Blogger, Speaker

Sonia supports women to get unstuck, jumpstart their lives and get their sassy back so that they can live the life of their desires. Passionate about supporting women to live their best lives, Sonia is often invited to speak and contribute on a number of radio shows, speaking platforms and articles. She offers life coaching tools, wellbeing tips and inspiration on her lifestyle blog and social media channels.