As an introvert, I run fast to the nearest corner and sulk in my pity when told the dreaded NO. Even with the various YES’s I have received over the years, I still find myself stuck and defeated when rejected. This then leads to a sense of shame that prevents one to grow both personally and professionally. What is awesome about this situation is that with every challenge comes opportunity. Here is how I have taken those challenges and pivoted them from the NO’s and turning them into GO’s!
- Visualize Victory – For me, different ideas come to mind either when I am running on a path or doing various mundane tasks. What is challenging to me is the mental appearance of victory. Not having this visual is like driving a beautiful car but it has no fuel. I realized I needed some form of fuel that would help me visualize victory, especially when the ideas are rejected. Where I would get my fuel was from a small, trusted group of people that would inspire me to put my ideas into perspective. This then led to an incredible mental picture where I could pivot my efforts, get past the rejection, and continue my hustle.
- Surround Sound – I am blessed to have my wife, Yorka Velasco-Caballero by my side who is an advocate of positive psychology and always has an “glass half-full” mentality. She approaches me with an inspirational push and provides agile insight on what future steps could look like in her empowering way. For those that do not have a Yorka, identify those within your network that approach challenges positively, engage with an agile mindset to pivot when necessary and have your best interest in mind regardless of the situation. In essence, surround yourself with voices that drown out the negative external and internal chatter by encouraging you to pivot by giving it to you straight.
- Action Attitude – Dr. Viktor Frankl, famous Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor said this. “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” This quote has and continues to inspire and empower me. If a man who saw so much despair and death could continue his drive to live and, survive the Holocaust then I can get through my own challenges and pivot to my success. The key is to know yourself to include what motivates you, your likes & dislikes, and your passions in how they connect to your purpose. Knowing more about myself has helped me in pivoting to a positive attitude so that I can rise to the occasion in getting to the GO. Keep in mind that your pivot to a positive attitude is a personal choice that must be intrinsic from within you. So, find out more about what drives you and utilize that to pivot to an action attitude.
- Care Commitment – The Urban Dictionary defines squirrel moment as, “distracted by random nothingness.” To prevent those crazy squirrels from preventing your pivot from NO to GO take care of your commitments. A care commitment is a testament to yourself where you intentionally choose to identify a way to remind yourself of what you said you were going to accomplish. You can do this by placing “complementary reminders” such as strategically placing post it notes on the refrigerator door or having an accountability partner can help keep you on track. So, pivot your NO to a GO by caring for your commitment to ensure your pathway to success and of course, keeping that crazy squirrel at bay.
I am so excited for the future as I feel empowered to take these NO’s and pivot them to GO’s. I am committing my introverted self to growth by connecting my passion of supporting others and connecting it to my purpose of helping people help themselves. This includes being a part of the creation and launching of an organization called Pivotn. Its goal is to provide intentional, purposeful, and deliberate whole life leadership learning through insightful workshops, one-on-one or group coaching, and providing engaging content on a variety of pivotal topics. So more to come as I take my own personal pivot so I can support others take their NO’s and turn them to GO’s!
