The Productivity Panic

Hello Fellow Pivot-er,

Welcome to what I hope becomes your favorite kind of refuge: a place where admitting you don't have it all figured out is not just okay, it's the whole point.

I'm so glad you're here, because chances are, you're exactly where I was not too long ago. Maybe you're feeling that familiar itch of restlessness despite outward success. Maybe you've achieved everything you thought you wanted, only to discover it doesn't quite fit anymore. Or perhaps life handed you an unexpected intermission (thanks, universe), and now you're wondering what comes next.

I created Pivot With Purpose because it's the community I desperately searched for as I have been making my own transitions. After two decades in live entertainment, where adrenaline was my daily fuel and fixed deadlines meant thousands of fans had already paid for a world-class production we needed to deliver, I suddenly found myself grounded. No more jet-setting to Supercross races, Disney on Ice productions, or talent scouting around the world for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. No more being the cool parent at school pickup who organized a kindergarten class field trip to Sesame Street Live! (even though I was never actually at pickup). I found myself in stillness, say for the voices in my head, pushing me in all the wrong directions.

When the pandemic hit and live entertainment screeched to a halt, I thought I'd finally have time to breathe. Instead, I launched into what I now call my "Type A Crusade for Productivity." I trained for a half marathon, cooked elaborate multi-course meals for my family, devoured books, and even briefly convinced myself I was going to master piano.

Sound familiar?

We high-achievers don't know how to just be. We're bodies in motion, addicted to measurables, allergic to what looks like standing still. The idea of slowing down feels dangerously close to giving up.

Someone probably told me this when I wasn’t listening - running burns off the crazy, but walking gets you thinking about what's making you crazy in the first place.

From your biggest champion,
Nicole