I don’t have to tell you that life is full of unexpected twists and turns. No matter who you are, what phase of life you’re in, what your background is, or any number of a zillion other variables – as a human, you’re constantly navigating both big and small hurdles and changes. These pivots can be triggered by events or circumstances that happen to you; or they can be self-induced pivots caused by your own actions or choices. Some of us, it seems, are wired to simply roll with these bobs and weaves, barely even noticing them. The rest of us (me included!) are very aware of these life shifts, the subsequent adjustments we must navigate, and the choices we must make.
It all boils down to one important fact of life: Life is a series of pivots. No matter how much we plan, how much we live with intention, or how disciplined we are – none of us are immune to the pivots. And as with all aspects of our lives, these pivots can have major impacts on our wellness. They can give us a big, healthy boost – or they can send us plunging down into a dark, murky ditch.
Let’s consider examples on both sides of the wellness coin. Getting the murky ditch scenario out of the way first, perhaps you’ve been staying pretty committed to your exercise routine, and then you suffer an injury that requires surgery and a lengthy healing process. Oh no! Or you’ve been doing a great job keeping your stress to a minimum until you receive news that a close, beloved family member has been diagnosed with cancer and you’re the designated caretaker. So much for less stress! Or you’ve been enjoying the time your schedule allows you to cook daily nutritious meals for yourself until your new job leaves you with little flexibility or time for self-care. Take-out dinners, here we come!
Life is a series of pivots.
On the other, more cheerful side of the wellness coin, life’s pivots can also provide opportunities for a healthy boost! Perhaps you move to a new town that’s full of outdoor walking paths, fresh air, and beautiful weather, which breathes a whole new life into your previously sluggish exercise motivation. Or your baby finally starts sleeping through the night, and your newfound quality sleep has you feeling like a whole new person both physically and mentally. Or you’re passed up for a promotion at work, giving you the freedom to enjoy a much healthier work-life balance and be more present with your family.
Life is a series of pivots.
So how can you focus on leaning into the healthy boost outcome more often than the murky ditch outcome?
My favorite helpful solutions include:
- living with intention,
- maintaining a positive outlook,
- practicing self-discipline,
- and being open to changes and new concepts outside your “box.”
Each of these behaviors or mindsets better enable you to guide the direction and outcome of each pivot life throws your way. The key is to remind yourself that because you can’t control every aspect of life and the world around you, your efforts are better spent focusing on your own attitude, outlook, and response to each life change, event, or challenge that arises. Let’s explore each of these solutions a bit further:
Living with intention
Live your best life.
Make today a great day.
Don’t let life just pass you by.
Stop and smell the roses.
Making daily efforts to guide your own life rather than simply “letting life happen” to you can go a long way toward equipping you to navigate the twists and turns of life. As we start “adulting,” it’s easy to get caught up in the routines, chores, and obligations that come along with being a grown human. You can get so focused on all the things you have to do or that people in your life or society expect you to do, that you can lose sight of what you truly want out of life, what truly brings you joy and fulfillment, what will ultimately support your well-being.
Your wellness gets chipped away every time you (consciously or subconsciously) let your decisions or behaviors be guided by outside forces, others’ expectations, tradition, societal norms, or anything other than your true inner desires and gut intuition.
How much do you focus on living intentionally? Are there big or small decisions and behaviors you could be more intentional about that would improve your wellness?
You can’t go back in time and undo major life decisions or experiences, but you certainly can learn from them. And you surely can make adjustments moving forward to be more intentional in the way you live your life. Start with your daily decisions around things like nutrition, exercise, work, hobbies, and social interactions. Are you making intentional choices in these areas, or would you benefit from taking a step back to examine where you might do some more planning or shake up your routine a bit? You might be surprised by how much even tiny adjustments help you feel more empowered and equipped to make those pivots as they come along.
Maintaining a positive outlook
It’s easy to slide down that very slippery slope of focusing on the negatives when you’re struggling with all the curveballs or challenges that life keeps throwing your way. It looks different in each of us. Maybe you find yourself complaining about stuff more often than not. Maybe you snap at your loved ones or coworkers for no good reason because you’re caught up in your tunnel of gloom and doom. Maybe you stop partaking in your hobbies or other activities that bring you joy or a mental release.
Pulling yourself up out of the grumpy ditch and making the difficult climb up “positive mountain” can feel insurmountable at times. Rather than woefully staring up at the top of the mountain, find tiny little ways to adopt a more positive outlook. While you may not get to choose everything that happens in your life, you can choose your outlook. Regularly practicing gratitude, hope, expressions of love and friendship, and looking forward to future goals and activities will help you maintain resilience through life’s twists and turns.
Research shows it can be very beneficial and empowering to get clear on your vision for yourself and your life. Maybe this looks like setting short-term and long-term goals, embracing daily routines that keep you organized and focused, creating a vision board, journaling about your dreams and plans for your life, meditating, or any number of activities that enable you to thoughtfully consider the direction and purpose of your existence.
Practicing self-discipline
Being a fully grown adult brings you the flexibility and freedom to make your own choices, along with the responsibility to take care of yourself, get stuff done, and move forward without someone else doing it all for you. Self-discipline is a daily task that can feel very daunting at times. It often ebbs and flows with the phases of your life or changing circumstances. Perfection isn’t the goal here. Simply focus on making efforts each day to practice discipline in areas that matter to you.
If your current priority is to improve your nutrition, for example, focus on being disciplined in your snacking habits or your home cooking or your increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. If exercise is your main focus, schedule time each day for healthy movement, join your friend for fitness classes, or grab a neighbor for nightly walks. Each time you find yourself sticking to your healthy goals, celebrate your discipline and the wellness boost you get from it. When that next curveball comes along in life, you’ll be better prepared to handle it because your “discipline muscles” will be that much stronger.
Being open to changes and new concepts outside your “box”
Flexibility can be the key to navigating challenges both big and small. When something comes along to disrupt your routines, goals, or perspectives, resistance and rigidity will likely lead you down a path of frustration, sadness, anger, or many other negative feelings. And the more you resist, the less chance you have of overcoming the challenge or adjusting to your new reality. Thinking outside the box can be difficult on its own. Being open to living outside the box can be even scarier.
Reminding yourself that you can only control what’s within your control will help you become more open to new possibilities. Broadening your perspectives and considering alternative outcomes will empower you to embrace changes as you ease into them. Sometimes, you may even find yourself jumping into big changes proactively. As I discuss in a past article about leaping into the wellness career of my dreams, this can be the scariest course of action that ultimately leads to the greatest rewards. You never know until you give it a try!
Life is a series of pivots. Be brave, be open, be optimistic, be flexible, and be well!
