The Pivot Year

Drafted August 5, 2025

I turn thirty later on this summer, and I am full of feelings about it. Like most twenty somethings, I had a concrete idea of who I wanted to be by thirty, what I wanted to do for work, the life I wanted to be living by this time. Some of my wildest dreams have come true, while I am just beginning to pursue others. My life is different than what I imagined it would be at twenty-one, but I am fulfilled all the same.

As I enter my thirties, I feel as though the extremes in which I lived my twenties are mellowing. I still have my five year plan as a guiding presence, however, I know if the goals for 2026 happen in 2028, I will still live a full life. Twenty-four year old me could not say the same, much less believe it.

Annually, on my birthday I set a word of the year as well as a few goals to guide my year. It usually takes me until the actual day of to decide on my guising word, but this year it kind of jumped out at me. The word is, “pivot.” I want to approach all opportunities with a clear goal in mind, rather than get bogged down in the how. As a person that has lived with a fairly rigid world view, I want to experience life with a bit more flexibility. For my thirties, particularly this first year, I want to get proficient with the pivot. I know the goals I have, and the life I want to live, but there is not only one way to achieve this life and these goals. Historically, a deviation from my plans have resulted in an almost paralyzing sense of failure. As I have matured, I have observed that a change in the how does not necessarily change the end game. This tends to be a retroactive realization rather than a proactive worldview. As I enter this third decade, I endeavor to make the pivot a part of my daily life.