Babafemi Jay Aderounmu: Exploring the Pivot Mindset as a Concept for Sustainable Success

Faith, family, and values are the three essential pillars that ground us in our life journey. While these three dimensions offer balance, only a maximised pivot can provide the rotational momentum we need to move forward from a grounded perspective. As I assess life through the lenses of community, career, and decision-making, I am learning to pivot more, test the waters purposefully, anchor around my strengths and beliefs, and constantly self-evaluate. A non-rotational pivot, no matter how grounded, provides no motion, and therefore no growth.

Many of us are creatures of habit, but in a world where variables and relevance are subject to rapid changes, shouldn’t our disposition also evolve? When we are presented with well-articulated facts, assumptions, pros and cons, shouldn’t we see change as a more viable option to explore and maximise? This does not mean we should definitively condemn staying rooted in our convictions, but rather we should quickly adapt to change or try out new ideas, and objectively evaluate career paths, feedback received, connections, hobbies, etc. We should ask ourselves key questions to keep it simple: Are the current methods still fit for future and current purposes? Are the current skill sets, networks, and habits still relevant for true and sustainable growth? Are our convictions bounded by agility, holistic and objective evaluations, or have we simply become permanent creatures of habits passed down or cultivated over time?

I do not see this as a rewiring of our beliefs, and these reflections are not intended to cast doubts on the validation of our journey. Our dreams, purpose, yearnings, and aspirations are always valid and driven by hard work, faith and fortune. However, as we embark on our journey today, make decisions, or reflect on setbacks and negative feedback, we need to adopt a pivot mindset to make necessary adjustments, where objectively required, for a sustainable and impactful outcome. We should avoid becoming overwired to a point of no return or reasonable concession.

A pivot mindset is fuelled by curiosity, active listening, constant objective reflection, and self-evaluation. It requires conviction, but also a healthy dose of objectivity, which is even more empowered through self-awareness, courage to try, and all the relevant information attainable at any given time. Lastly, yesterday was successful, but what is it going to take to make tomorrow better than today? The pivot mindset is an open-ended journey, not a destination, just like our happiness and fulfilment. We stay evolving, acknowledging our evolution (highs and lows), and staying ready for when the right one comes.

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