We often find ourselves running into the same wall over and over. For early stage businesses, it is easy to get stuck in this cycle, allowing ourselves to continue running into the wall, for fear of adjusting away from the goal and losing momentum.
For me, I don't love the feeling of a bruise of repeated failures or missteps. I would rather find the joy in growth and therefore I am willing to constantly pivot and evolve until I find what works to accelerate.
The Topic of Systematic Change
Many folks I follow on LinkedIn, from Sahil Bloom to Matt Gray swear by a similar approach to incremental changes to meet growth goals.
It's critical to remember that we control changing our course. We have the POWER. The power of what?! The power to shift direction. This power truly rests in our hands.
"MicroPivot empowers you to be the architect of your life, designing each day with intention and purpose, ensuring every step aligns with your deepest aspirations." – Rache Brand
This MicroPivot exercise embodies a simple yet powerful method:Â Start > Stop > Continue. This technique encourages us to take a moment to reflect daily on three critical questions:
What should I stop doing? These are activities or habits that create negative feedback loops or simply do not serve our broader objectives.
What should I start doing? These are new behaviors or projects that we believe will benefit us but haven't yet initiated.
What should I continue doing? These are the actions that bring positive results and align with our goals.
The beauty of MicroPivot lies in its simplicity and the discipline it introduces to our business and lives. By dedicating just five minutes at the end of each day to answer these questions, we can make minor adjustments to our behavior that significantly influence our personal and professional growth.
This exercise isn't limited to any aspect of life but can be applied across various areas, whether parenting, community involvement, or personal projects.Â
The key is intentionality—being deliberate with our choices and the time we spend on different activities.
Listen to your gut and react accordingly.
The transformative power of this approach endlessly shows its face. By stopping activities that hinder us, we create space for what truly matters—creating our ability to find the quickest way to success. Aligning our actions with our aspirational goals makes the MicroPivot the best form of direction imaginable.
The lesson is: If you feel uncomfortable, lean into it. Take 5-minutes a day and just map out your Stop > Start > Continue elements and it will lead to incremental change and ultimately success.
Intuition vs. Intentionality
My journey has primarily been navigated by intuition. That doesn't mean that you can't have a clear vision and direction and still do the MicroPivot to keep improving.
Intuition led me to this conclusion: Each decision I make is guided by a gut feeling. This has led me to unique experiences and taught me valuable lessons. However, spontaneity, while exciting, often lacks the structure needed for sustained growth and achievement of long-term goals. That's where a strategic approach like the MicroPivot comes in handy. It's how I concluded I needed this to build my life. If I am not going to chart a rigid course for myself, I knew I needed a way to evaluate the direction.
Now on Intentional Planning: Interestingly, my intuition experience contrasts significantly with a high school friend of mine who has always been highly intentional with her life choices—from education to career and family. And yet, the MicroPivot is still something I see her doing as she evolves her choices. I love this person deeply and am honored to know that she will be wildly successful on her path. While I admire her precision and I know it's not for me, I also see the value in precision planning to architect your life, as long as you leave room for incremental growth and change.
The disciplined application of MicroPivot principles has taught me introducing structured reflection can enhance our ability to shape our lives proactively.
"Life is a series of iterations, and disciplined reflection allows us to refine each cycle, gradually creating a path that aligns seamlessly with our ultimate vision." – Rache Brand
If you thrive on careful planning or prefer to go where the wind takes you, incorporating MicroPivot into your routine can provide the structure needed to ensure that your actions always align with your aspirations in business and life.
It's about taking control, one small pivot at a time, to ensure disciplined growth and a fulfilling life trajectory. Also, check out our Systemic Business Design workshop with our partners Marcel Donges and Uwe Dockhorn.
Read a similar path to mine with our Head of Community, Alex Verville.Â
Ready to get started?Â
Change your life, starting now. Learn How to MicroPivot in 5-minutes a day.
Concept: MicroPivot
Developed by: Superstruct
Core Exercise: Start > Stop > Continue
Purpose: To make disciplined, incremental adjustments to personal and professional behaviors for sustained growth.
Method:
Stop: Identify and discontinue actions or habits that are counterproductive or create negative feedback loops.
Continue: Recognize and maintain behaviors that are yielding positive results and align with overall goals.
Start: Pinpoint and initiate new behaviors or projects that are believed to be beneficial but have not yet been started.
Application Frequency: Daily reflection, ideally at the end of the day.
Time Commitment: About five minutes per day to reflect and jot down thoughts.
Areas of Application: Can be applied to various aspects of life including personal development, parenting, community involvement, and professional projects.
Goal: To enhance intentional living and ensure that daily actions align with broader life goals and aspirations.
Outcome: Improved control over life direction, increased alignment with personal desires and goals, and disciplined, strategic growth.
Pairs Nicely With: The Sprint Calendar.