Feeling stuck in Life or Career? Here’s what happens when you Don’t Pivot with Purpose

What happens when we don’t pivot with purpose?

Recently someone asked me this question and it brought me back to a time when I stayed in a role far longer than I should have.

On paper, everything looked right:

• The title was impressive

• The pay was stable

• The path was predictable

But internally, I was unsettled.

I felt disconnected.
Unfulfilled.
And slowly, I was shrinking.

I remember justifying it to myself:
“It’s not that bad.”
“Maybe I’m overthinking it.”
“This isn’t the right time to make a change.”

But here’s what I’ve learned—through personal experience and in my work coaching hundreds of professionals:

When we don’t pivot with purpose, we often pivot by default.

Not into something better, but into:

• Burnout

• Autopilot

• Someone else’s version of success

Without conscious reflection, change still happens—but not always in service of our growth or alignment. And by the time we realize it, we’ve often lost touch with what truly matters to us.

The Turning Point

Things began to shift when I finally gave myself permission to pause.

I asked myself three important questions:

• What do I want to feel more of in my everyday life?

• What kind of impact do I want to create?

• What values am I no longer willing to compromise?

Those questions became the foundation for what would eventually evolve into the P.I.V.O.T. with Purpose™ framework.

It wasn’t designed as a theoretical model, but as a practical and deeply personal tool—a structure for navigating change with clarity and intention.

From Managing to Leading

There’s a significant difference between managing life and leading it.

When we manage, we maintain.
When we lead, we align. We choose. We grow.

Purposeful pivots are not about chasing novelty or abandoning responsibility. They are about listening closely—to what energizes us, what we value, and what we are here to contribute.

And when we pivot with purpose, we don’t just change direction. We change our relationship with uncertainty. We begin to trust our voice and lead from within.

A Personal Invitation

If you find yourself in a space of transition—whether it’s personal, professional, or somewhere in between—I encourage you to ask:

• Where am I feeling called to shift?

• What would it mean to choose my next step with clarity, rather than by default?

• What part of my story needs to evolve in order for me to fully show up?

Purposeful pivots rarely happen overnight. But the decision to begin—intentionally—is always within reach.

Let this be your starting point.

With purpose, possibility, and a whole lot of pivots,

Richa