Pivoting to a New View and Perspective

Pivoting to a New View and Perspective"
Darrel L. Hammon
July 2022

The word pivot can be both a noun and a verb. When I was growing up in Idaho, home to probably the best potatoes on the planet, many potato farmers began to expand their farms and convert large chunks of land into huge potato fields as well as a host of other crops. They needed a way to control water irrigation of these large tracts. Thus, the “pivot” was invented to create a mechanized way to manage a consistent irrigation pattern that could irrigate hundreds of acres at a time, thus increasing their production to feed the growing number of people in the world.

This “pivot” monumentally changed the way farmers irrigated potatoes and other crops in their ever-growing production chain. Now, instead of scratching their heads and fretting about consistent irrigation methods, they could irrigate thousands of acres of crops by installing massive pivots throughout their farms and grow enormous amounts of hay, grain, potatoes, beans, corn, and a host of other crops that feed the world. They did all this by planting pivots and learning to pivot in a variety of ways.

In my younger days, I loved to play basketball. I learned the hard way that you cannot hold the ball and move both feet around. It’s called “traveling,” and you have to give up the ball to the other team, thus losing possession of the ball. To be able to move around while holding the ball, you must keep one foot—the pivot foot—planted on the floor while you moved the other foot, which can pivot around in any direction.

In our lives, we experience some of these same challenges, perhaps more similar than we can imagine. We, too, stare out into our fields of dreams and wonder how we are going to make our dreams grow and come to great and life-changing fruition. Repeatedly, then, we need to plant a pivot in our lives so we can pivot to make the changes, hopefully in a direction that we need to so we can improve and enhance our lives.

So, how do we pivot in life? Let’s discuss six principles of pivoting.

Pivoting is merely learning how to make changes in our life.

Often, we suffer from the paralysis of doing something different. We feel comfortable in what we are doing, but we don’t like what we are doing. We feel stagnant in our jobs and/or our lives. But the thought of change frightens us. What we must understand is that pivoting simply means that we make incremental changes. Changes don’t have to be giant steps to one side or the other. Rather, they just need to be big enough to move us in a different direction. Thus, we pivot to a new direction, a new view.

Pivoting does not mean you are quitting.

Frequently, when we find ourselves in a situation that we need to change, we believe we have to quit our job, whatever we are doing at the moment, or the direction we are going. Sometimes we do have to stop what we are doing and contemplate our next move. More often than not, it is merely pivoting in a different direction. We don’t necessarily have to quit, just pivot.

Pivoting requires foresight mixed with hindsight.

One of the equations in strategic planning is F +P = PR (Future + Past = Present). We need to know where we have been, know where we want to go, and that decision becomes our present. Once we know where we are going, pivoting comes into play, so, we pivot to where we want to go. The amazing part of pivoting is that even a slight pivot can change our direction and give us a new perspective and view because we see things differently, thus helping us see the future more clearly.

Pivoting is a natural way of changing directions.

Throughout our lives, we have always had to pivot in some way. I started first grade in the same house and lived there until I was 19 years old. For the first three grades, I went to one school. For 4th through 6th, I went to another school and a brand-new school for the later part of 6th grade; for 7th-8th grade, I traveled seven miles to another school; for 9th grade, I attended a different school; and then for 10th through my senior year, I traveled seven miles in a different direction—all the time living in the same house. I had to pivot every school year. Granted, many of the same students did the same thing. Sometimes, we went to a different city, and students from other communities joined us. Environments changed; some friends changed. Pivoting happened almost daily. Then, when I was 19, I served a mission for my Church in southern Chile, thousands of miles from my home in Menan, Idaho. Population 596. Talk about a major pivot for two years—a new language, new culture, new country, new friends, new food, and big black boots for the rain. Pivoting is what we all have done throughout our lives. It’s just what we do.

Pivoting allows you to see life in 360-degree mode.

The best part of pivoting is that we can ultimately see ourselves and the world in 360-degree mode if we choose. Seeing our lives in 360-degree mode may be highly influencing, enlightening, and refreshing. Seeing the 360-degree mode allows us to become more holistic so we can see and feel the whole view, not the narrow focus that disallows us to be in tune with everything around us. We must see all to be able to see ourselves in the true light, our own best selves.

Pivoting can be pivotal in your life.

Pivoting periodically in our lives can produce the results we have always desired. It is essential that we pivot. If we are not progressing and growing, we are retrogressing. There really isn’t such a thing as stagnation. Each pivot can be a pivotal step in our lives. Even members of our team can pivot and help us see differently and gain a new perspective. Together, we can learn to change. We can change to become what we desire to become. Pivoting will change our lives and our organizations for the best if we choose well and positively change our future.

Sometimes you have to pivot to capture a better view and position yourself for the success you want and deserve. Don’t hesitate. Begin pivoting now!