Pivoting

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

It’s been an interesting last month, hasn’t it? 

I read an article in the local paper about the difference between restaurants in Charlotte (the area I live in) that survive and the ones that are closing down. The article said that restaurant success in the past had to do with things like the quality of the menu items, the ambience of the dining room, and the location of the business. But now, the article went on to state, the success has to do with the restaurant’s ability to pivot. Some have moved to a model where they prepare meals and customers take them and bake them. Some have easily switched to online ordering and curbside fulfillment. Some are even temporarily turning into small grocery stores that provide fresh produce and other items to customers.

It made me think. The ability to pivot is probably good for everyone right now. I have a lot of good traits as a writer. I’m stubborn. I’m routine-driven. I’m organized. And it’s incredibly difficult to hurt my feelings (a helpful quality, I’ve found, when combing through one’s reviews). 

But I’ve always been awful at pivoting. When my day goes awry, I freeze up. I had a plan. When the plan is no longer in play, I’m at loose ends. 

I think that, like a lot of things, the more you practice something, the better you get at it. 

I’ve been sick with a virus (The Virus? It seems likely although folks with mild symptoms can’t get tested here) for just over 10 days. It’s been mercifully mild, but really persistent. I’m guessing I’m in the final stretch, from what I read online. 

Over the last month, I’ve noticed and celebrated when I’ve been able to adapt to all the changes around the house. Here are my tips as a novice pivoter on what’s helped and what I’ve gleaned so far: 

General tips: 

Give yourself some grace: I often say things to myself that I would never consider saying to a friend, so I’ve tried to think of myself as a friend that needs someone to be a bit kinder to them. 

Give others a little grace:  Most of us are quarantining with others who are doing their best in a tough situation. 

Remember that refilling the well should go on your to-do list: Stress (and illness!) can be bad for creativity. Spend a few minutes to make a list of ways you want to spend your free time…pick some books to put on your to-be-read list. Compile a watch-list of TV shows and movies that may inspire your own creative process. Create playlists of music to enjoy when things get a little hairy. 

On pivoting:

Remember there can be too much time to write: We’re all dealing with different circumstances. Some of us may be put into a spot where there’s much less time to write because we’re caring for our kids or working a demanding job from home. Some of us might be in a spot where we think there’s a lot of time to write, but the words don’t want to come.  If you have too much time to write, try setting a very specific point in the day (limiting your time) and use a timer.  Or just mull the story over in your head. It may not be realistic to knock out as many words in a day as you’re used to. 

Re-evaluate what works as often as you need to:  One day what worked was to get ahead on my current book. One day what worked was to learn more about Facebook ads. Another day what worked was to read and watch British television shows. Sometimes what worked at 6 a.m. wasn’t working at 2 p.m. Try to be responsive to your own needs. 

Do a brain dump of all the different things you can think of that need to be done:  This works for me in a couple of different ways. First off, it keeps me from waking up in the middle of the night remembering tasks. But it also helps when you’re not in the right frame of mind to write, but are in the right mindset for coming up with a promo image for an ad or to announce an upcoming release. 

Do what you can: And know that might change from day to day.

How are you doing with the new status quo? Any tips to share for what’s working for you? 

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