I’m in the middle of pre-launching activities for my new book. After spending several months writing, editing, rewriting, grammar checking, formatting, etc., I feel it’s finally ready for release. As I said before, it’s much more complicated than just putting it out there and hoping people find it.

While I’ve been working on that, I kept coming back to the theme of “renewal,” which is a big part of the book. I had planned to write about renewal this week, but then, as I was falling asleep the other night, it hit me: S#!% is getting REAL out here!

Last week, we talked about pivoting our mindset; this week, it’s about pivoting our ACTIONS.

So, a few things happened this week. First, as I mentioned, is the book. I felt ready to pull the trigger for a May 6th release after my 100th (maybe hyperbole, maybe not) time going over it. I already hired an editor to check my work and wanted to check theirs. While editing was happening, I worked on formatting, designing covers, etc. I’m not a graphic designer, so I knew it was better to outsource that type of work.

I met with one of my coaches this week (even coaches use coaches), and we agreed that I was ready to go. S#!% is getting real! I won’t bore you with all the minutiae involved, but I had to pivot hard from my comfy path into an action path. I’ve been waking up 90 minutes earlier than usual and working later into the evening. It’s temporary, I know that, and I’m also doing what I can to prevent burnout during these next few weeks.

I also need to avoid burnout because I learned we will start shooting my second feature role in July. My character isn’t a very nice guy, and I need to be able to realistically show some fighting skills. Now, s#!% is getting real, and I need to train. Another pivot from not making it to kickboxing class to scheduling multiple sessions in the next few months. And another pivot on dialing in my diet and meal planning versus what I’ve been doing.

Over the next few weeks, I have to learn to pivot quickly to get things done because s#!% is getting real. I’ve manifested and put into action these things, so I embrace the pivot.

But what happens when s#!% gets real that you didn’t manifest or don’t want? Like illness or death? When that s#!% gets real, you don’t have a choice but to pivot. When my first husband was diagnosed with cancer, I pivoted to being a caretaker; s#!% was real, and he needed me. When my second husband died, I pivoted to single-parenting and working from home 99% of time; s#!% was real, and my kids needed me.

When your world shifts on its axis, you can’t help but pivot in response. That’s when you might start feeling negative emotions like anger and resentment. Oh, I’ve expressed a lot of anger over the years for “having to be” a single parent of pre-teens, then teens, and now young adults. But what choice did I have? It was necessary to pivot my actions from traveling project manager.

In hindsight, and with a shift in mindset, I am glad I “got to” see my kids grow up, having missed a lot in the early years. Oh, it was (and is) frustrating as all get out, but I “got to” see it.

Here’s the thing about pivoting and what seems to be a theme over the last month or so: To get what you want and live happier, you have to learn to embrace the pivot. I’m not looking forward to the next few weeks of working extra hard on the next book release, but I know what comes out the other side. I’m not looking forward to killing myself in a gym, but I see what comes out from the other side. I wasn’t looking forward to being a caretaker, but I learned to be more compassionate. And I definitely never expected to be a single parent, but I have some pretty great kids.

When s#!% gets real, you pivot and do what it takes, and when you marry the actions and the mindset, it gets easier. The trick is to align the mindset to your new actions. And if you haven’t read (or watched) last week’s entry, you might want to.