Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One

by Jenny Blake

Given that the activities you enjoyed at six years old were probably different than at sixteen, even if they are related, list your favorite recreational and creative interests across the four age brackets below for a more fine-grained examination.

proactive and innovative.

our work activities fall into one of four buckets: a zone of incompetence, competence, excellence, or genius.

Talent, as Laura defines it, is the unique way you solve problems.

Purpose, the second ingredient, relates to the motivation behind what you do.

Purpose is your personal mission statement.

thinking about a core challenge you have faced in your life.

What is working best in terms of your day-to-day activities, job roles, daily routines, and social interactions? When are you working in your Zone of Excellence versus your Zone of Genius? What activities from your past were in your Zone of Genius that may be latent now?

marketable skills that lead to results,

What were the key activities associated with each role? List between five and ten unifying themes among these jobs and projects. Now get more specific: What are the related skills, results, and industries on your list? Themes might include: departments (such as marketing), job responsibilities (such as people management or teaching), key projects (such as creating systems or brand strategy), or key activities (like financial modeling or coding).

marketable skill is a specific service you provide at the intersection of talents, strengths, and education that a customer or company will pay you for.

What do people currently seek you out for?

Results are the meaningful impact that you have had on people or projects.

what areas have you developed a strong reputation, personally or professionally?

What skills are you best known for among friends and acquaintances?

What types of assistance or advice do people ask yo...

What awards, accolades, and public praise have you received?

What do you want to become a known expert in?

BUILD A SOLID FINANCIAL FOUNDATION

How much do you need to earn each month to cover your basic expenses?

Minimum needed: to cover rent, utilities, groceries, and basic expenses. Nice to have: to maintain something close to your current or desired lifestyle; might include shopping, meals out, hobbies, weekend trips, and the ability to fund long-term savings. Jump out of bed with glee: this number lets you do anything on your lifestyle wish list without hesitation, such as long-distance or long-term travel, large or luxury purchases, or having an abundance of resources for charitable donations or to support extended family.

3.4 times their monthly rent or mortgage.

For parents, or for people living in expensive cities, the multiplier is 5.

multiplier can be 2.5 t...

multiply your monthly rent by 41.

emergency funds used to be three to six months until recent years, when the average unemployment duration hit thirty-one weeks, or nearly eight months.

How much do you currently have in cash savings? How much do you have in other assets? How many months will your cash savings last if you are not earning any income (total savings divided by monthly nut)?

The higher your burn rate, the faster your runway will disappear.

we are going for consistent cash flow, not a Hail Mary,

My most stable, reliable source of income comes from one-on-one coaching,

“You should always know how to support yourself.” As a result, I always make a point to know where my money is going, how to bring in a steady income, how to invest wisely, how to pay my bills, and what my backup plans are.

My version of freedom is being able to make choices in my best interest.

To take a side hustle full time, you need to identify the bridge income within it—the marketable skill, product, or service that will pay the bills most consistently.

There are four criteria to developing a strong side hustle: 1. Cash (flow) cow:

Market reach:

Enjoyment:

Skill building:

plan your worst-case scenario from the outset. In what order are you going to cash out your assets? What is your make-or-break marker to change strategy if things are not going as planned?

scarcity is not just a physical constraint, it is also a mindset—one

When this starts happening, put the bigger experiments of your pivot on hold while you buckle down and get your income figured out.

structured exploration, which involves research, plugging knowledge and skill gaps, having conversations, and clarifying what types of opportunities interest you most.

expanding your network and exposure, while being mindful not to scan so much that you fall into analysis paralysis or compare and despair.

you look at both—new opportunities anchored in your existing strengths and ways you might expand beyond your comfort zone, revealing blind spots or hidden pockets of potential.

collect ideas and become “discoverable” to interesting new opportunities,

What can I give? Who can I serve? What problems need solving?

authentically connecting with others is a far superior opportunity-building strategy than “spray-and-pray” outreach or résumé blasting across online marketplaces.

Their existing network,

Reputation-building activities,

develop a robust support system for connecting with people in a way that excites, not drains, you.

Expanding your sphere of influence by mastering your current role; establishing yourself as an expert; developing a name as someone with a unique skill set at the top of your field.