Pivot! Ya know that friends episode where Ross, Chandler, and Rachel try to get a couch up the stairs?
That is how I have felt my January went. The motherhood journey can really do that to us – can’t it?! We get going with one direction and get stuck. No matter how hard we try we just can’t move it. Therefore, soemtimes we just need to pivot.
As January comes to a close, I am left reflecting on what this month has brought.
I needed a month to get my feet back on the ground, slowly make goals that mattered so that I can cultivate what matters. It’s been a slow month in many ways but at the same time, this month has been anything but slow.
It’s been a month of change – a month of pivoting my focus. Getting clear on what matters and why. It hasn’t been an easy month. I was challenged to step outside of what I am comfortable with and live in the tension. I had to step into the unknown and just be awkwardly here. Just trust.
The unknown usually gives me anxiety and I end up living in a lot of overwhelm paralysis but this month has been different. This month has been refreshing in many ways and I have seen God clearly speak to me and reassure me that this is where He wants me. He has me in the tension, unsure of the next steps, blindly following Him, simplifying and scaling back.
What pivots have I made this month?
First Pivot – I changed the way we were eating. So cliche, right? January is the peak of when everyone decides to be healthy again. But this went farther than “being healthy”. January was about finding a new rhythm for our family, taking better care of my people and getting refocused on what matters. I took on the Whole30 challenge with some friends and switched to a mostly paleo “diet” (I hate that word btw) for my family. It has been some of the hardest, most rewarding few weeks I’ve had in a long time. But it has definitely been necessary and definitely refocused me on how I am nourishing my body and my family.
Second Pivot – because of the huge amounts of time I am spending cooking, meal planning, prepping and cleaning up the kitchen I have had little time for much extra in my life. Which means I have had to be super intentional about my time and specific in the tasks I am doing. Instead of writing one big to-do list at the beginning of the week and trying to fit it all in randomly, I’ve had to be super intentional about scheduling out my week. I’ve also had to really check what activities were actually on my to-do list and if they were important enough to make the cut. It’s been a really eye-opening process.
Third Pivot – although this was out of my control, my family has been sick most of the month. Thankfully nothing too serious. I would get a packed week planned out, and sure enough, someone would sick. It’s like clockwork. But I am pretty sure it’s God telling me to SLOW DOWN and focus on what matters. This task-oriented mama has had to rethink her tasks and really prioritize what actually gets done. But slowing down has been key. Giving my soul a chance to rest has been paramount in refocusing and being able to really nail down my goals for the year.
What does it look like when your motherhood is pivoting? Do you have any clear changes in your focus this month? Or even this year? What has been something you’ve been struggling with lately? I’d love for you to drop a comment below and share something you have been focusing on this month.
