I know everyone doesn’t love the show “Friends” like I do, but stay with me as I bring up a classic episode that I swear does relate to the topic I’m about to get into. Some of you are already chuckling, it’s the “pivot” couch episode.
Instead of paying to have his couch delivered by the professionals, Ross decides he will deliver the couch himself—up several flights of stairs in a Manhattan apartment building.
He convinces Rachel and Chandler to help him and they hate him every minute of carrying that 300-pound couch together. As the trio attempts to squeeze the couch through the narrow stairwell, Ross’ iconic “pivot” screaming moment happens. The couch eventually makes it to the apartment…only after being sawed in half.
You have been warned: A pivot comes in many forms and it’s best not to wing it.
Many of you reading this are bloggers and authors. Perhaps you want to change your blog focus entirely because you aren’t really passionate about the subject matter you initially chose, or you’re a fiction author who wants to transition into non-fiction because fiction isn’t as fulfilling and/or fruitful as it once was.
For others, you might be looking for ways to create or diversify revenue streams.
And yet another group has been forced to pivot because of the times we live in. Whatever you were doing before took a direct hit from COVID, your livelihood was jeopardized, and you need to figure some shit out to survive.
I’ve pivoted a time or two and I know many others who have done so successfully. Here are some things I’ve learned from myself and others about how to pivot on purpose—even if you had absolutely no intention of making a pivot at all.
Britt Skrabanek 