Should We Make A Career Pivot During A Crisis?
When we are facing a crisis having time to heal is vital before embarking on the more proactive phases of a pivot.
First, we need to clarify the difference between a crisis and a pivot point in life.
Well, in life stuff happens that knocks the wind out of us and can break us down. The death of a loved one, illness, losing our jobs, all these events are traumatic. Calling them pivot points would be an would be an understatement.
A pivot point is something we make of our own choice. It is within our control. It is when we reach a point in our lives or career when we are ready to take on a challenge and create more impact. The other events mentioned above are out of our control.
When specific events happen in our lives, we need to create the space to heal and be patient. Sometimes we need extra help and guidance in the process. Some days sometimes waking up is our definition of success for that week. I have had a few of them in the past following traumatic events in my life.
A crisis will need more processing than planning. But not all will have the luxury to do those two things in sequence. When we are facing a crisis having time to heal is vital before embarking on the more proactive phases of a pivot.
In a lot of cases, painful life events serve as a huge wake-up call. They can encourage us to change direction and realign our values and purpose. They challenge us to focus on what matters most. When I healed from past trauma I was ready to process it in more detail. Then I could plan the way forward and what pivots to make in my life for the better.
One book I can recommend to read if you are ready is "When Things Fall Apart" by Perma Chodron. You can read a summary of the book here.
When you are in crisis mode, it is often one of the worst times to make big life and career decisions. Career decisions and mid life pivots should be well thought out. It is very easy to suffer from what I call a false sense of reality when in crisis. Sometimes it can be a distraction from the healing process to avoid more conflict in addressing a situation in our lives.
When we look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs below, to fulfil the higher requirements, you need to have the lower level needs met. You will need to have enough food to eat, a dry, safe, place to sleep and a sense of belonging. It is only when you have the bottom 2 or 3 levels fulfilled before you want to take on a career pivot.
Here is an example of a situation where someone wanted to pivot mid-life and mid-crisis.
John was a 50+ and experiencing uncertainty in his career. He had spent 20 years in a now defunct industry in IT, and had been working on pivoting his way out of it for a while.
He had transitioned his sales and marketing skills into a completely different industry. He had held a variety of full-time and contract positions. All these positions came to an end due to that business failing, and he was made redundant.
Then there was the "other stuff" in life that he could not ignore:
His marriage had recently broke down, and he was getting divorced.
The family home was being sold.
With all this going on, he was in crisis mode. He was sick of what he was doing and had no idea what direction to go in next.
Is this a wise time to make a big, bold and brave move? No!
What are the steps he should consider to avoid further stress and chaos in life?
1. Work On Getting Out of Crisis Mode.
Sometimes we need to make compromises and return to jobs or careers that we want to leave to create the foundations to assist us to move on.
2. Start A Side Hustle First.
Keep the day job but start a side project that you can grow. When the side hustle grows large enough to provide you with an income, you can then step out of your day job.
3. Find Someone To Hold You Accountable.
Try to find an accountability partner that you can check in with on a regular basis. This will help keep your next move in focus and not let it pass you by.
This is no different than a work out partner. Find someone who is willing to hold you accountable.
4. Get a Job Similar To Your Former Role.
What is the best way to assist in getting out of crisis mode first?
Find a job, a steady income and safe place to live. The key is to think of this as temporary, for 1 or 2 years.
You can still do a good job and learn more transferable skills even if it is not exactly what you want to do in the future. You can do this without getting too invested into it. Many people are fearful that if they take a job like their former role, they will get absorbed into it. Then they will never make time to find their purpose in a pivot. In other words, they think they might work themselves into crisis again.
You won't if you put proper boundaries in place to pursue your purpose.
For more details on consulting packages see here . To book a ten minute complimentary call email me at pauline@paulineharley.com
Why It's Important to Create Purposeful Pivot Relationships.
Whenever I’ve gone through a significant life or career pivot, having these types of people by my side has been pure gold.
How do you craft purposeful pivot relationships that keep you motivated and moving forward?
It's so important to have the right people around you in life and business. But even more so when you decide to make a significant transition. Whenever I’ve gone through a major life or career pivot, having these types of people by my side has been pure gold.
1. Someone who’s doing what you want to do.
I always try to surround myself with people whom I admire. Professionals who gain satisfaction from their work, and people who achieve their vision. To do so, I have had to be brave enough to reach out and ask for their help and advice. These powerful conversations provide me with a clearer picture of what I am getting into. But they also help me draw a more realistic road map of what it takes to break into my chosen industry.
I am still pursuing my career in coaching and consulting building my practice day by day. One successful career coach suggested I invest in getting more business mentoring and skills. I was ready to spend more time and money into gaining more coaching credentials. But I don't need these at present. However, I did need business mentoring. I missed that piece for a while! It's okay I am only human.
I completed a digital marketing qualification to further my branding and message. This has been of great benefit to me and the business. It has informed my work and also reinforced my credibility. It has been valuable advice. I have gained more knowledge thanks to their advice and perspective.
2. Someone you admire who has followed an alternative and different career path.
Everyone’s career path is individual to them. There’s no right or wrong way to go about your career. You have to trust your gut. Reality is employers and recruiters can favor candidates who have clear-cut career stories. Ones that don't take a lot of explaining.
But who wants to be boring? I teach people how to tell their career stories with a good narrative to grab the right kind of attention!
So have you’ve decided to step off a traditional career path? Then connect with people who have taken courageous steps in their careers. It will help remind you that what you’re seeking is possible. They can remind you that the difficulties you’re running into are normal.
3. A good friend who doesn’t work in your chosen industry.
When I decided to walk away from my insurance career in 2015, there were people in the industry who didn’t understand why I made this choice. They wondered why I would not return to the profession in another role.
Working in any environment for a significant period of time can mold you to think a certain way. Often in ways, you don’t realize at the time. We can all fall into the trap of focusing on a job title or having a certain salary defined as a measure of success.
That’s why reconnecting with a good friend outside your industry is key. A friend who plays by a different set of rules and can help you gain a fresh perspective. And one that can help you determine whether what you’re focused on matters to you.
I have had many conversations with good friends that help ground me in my true aspirations. A good friend can remind you of who you used to be when you were happier and more energised. They can help you reality-check whether the move you’re considering is in line with the person you want to become.
Navigating any transition is a very personal journey. I am someone who’s not always great at asking for help. I sometimes feel like I have to figure it all out on my own. During these confusing times when I’ve made a point to reach out to the people above, I gained more clarity and focus.
As Jim Collins advocates in Good to Great, first, if you begin with “who,” rather than “what,” you can more easily adapt to a changing world. Remember having the right people in your circle can speed up your change.
For more details on consulting packages see here . To book a ten minute complimentary call email me at pauline@paulineharley.com
The Life-Changing Magic of Losing Your Shit and Getting It Back Again.
Have you lost your magic? Do you believe you can get in back in your life and career?
Have you lost your magic? Do you believe you can get it back?
Despite all the courage I can muster, the fact is that losing your health and happiness for over 12 years sucked. I work with people on life and career pivots and transitioning because of my experience. I always say don't let my past become your future.
The irony is though without that past I would not be here sharing this blog post with the world.
Truth is, however, something of this magnitude is traumatic. Years on from it all and having regained it all back I still feel the panic. Even when I write about my experiences there is a tightness in my body.
It is still there the reality that I could lose it all again. You take nothing for granted but you grant yourself space and grace to keep it this way.
But that takes hard work. It takes showing up even when you don't want to. It takes being vulnerable. It takes being able to adapt to change. I am always evolving for the better on a physical and emotional level.
I compare myself to shapeshifter! A bit magical and mystical in my ability to transform my physical and mental shape or form.
It comes with my nutrition and training knowledge! Every time I train to build or cut similar to my former bodybuilding background I reveal or add on layers.
In each of these layers, I discover something more valuable about myself. Being able to manipulate my training and nutrition to achieve a certain physical shape is probably more science than magic! But in my world that magic is my medicine.
I am privileged to be able to do that. I have the backup of people who believe in me to sustain and maintain this state of well being. An important point to note here is to stick with the people who pull the magic out of you and not the madness!
I take full responsibility for losing my shit. The truth is, losing things that matter most is a harsh reminder that circumstances can change in an instant.
For me, it’s left a long adrenaline hangover that makes my thoughts frantic at times and my focus a bit distracted.
It makes life uncertain. But, isn't that the way it is supposed to be? Without uncertainty, there is no risk. Without risk, there are no answers. I ask myself these questions a lot about my life, health and my business. The fear is real.
What if I lose it?
Will I get it back?
I replay how it might happen in a thousand different ways. But somewhere amidst the fear and frustration and guilt is the adrenaline fix of having to start all over again.
And I know I can. So can you.
As I grow older, my transitions from one stage of my life to the next have become less hurried. Rather than full-on restarts, change now looks like layers. The layers I spoke of before. Ones that I add on in a slow and controlled manner and then peel away.
This grounds me in the reality that anything worth having takes time but is possible.
It is also a reminder of what’s fragile, and what’s robust. We as humans are resilient if we reinforce our belief in ourselves. I remind myself that losing my shit even though it sucked is the ultimate version of reinvention.
Life can be brutal at times. It takes things away at random. Then it makes you fight to get them back so that you remember and reaffirm the value of each one. So each new week and month, I start over and over again, and I peel away more layers to reveal something new and more magic as I write this.
What magic have you lost that you want to work on getting back?
For more details on consulting packages see here .