What does pivot mean in reference to your career or to your ikigai?
Here’s the definition of the verb “to pivot,” taken from the Oxford English Dictionary:
Intransitive. To turn on, or as if on, a pivot; (Military) to swing round a central point during a manoeuvre. Also figurative: to depend on, to hinge on.
O.E.D.
Not bad, but I prefer a different definition—the basketball definition:
A player that has the ball is limited in how they can move. They can only run if they are dribbling the ball (bouncing it with one hand) and once they finish dribbling they cannot start dribbling again. When they have the ball and are standing still a player may step with one foot, which enables them to change direction (e.g. to move away from a defender). Pivoting is when a player stands still and steps with one foot . The foot that stays on the ground is called the pivot foot.
World Association of Basketball Coaches
And why do I prefer the basketball definition in reference to an individual trying to make a career change?
Well, it’s not because I played varsity basketball in high school, although I must say, pivoting was a strong part of my repertoire.
Rather, it’s because a pivot in basketball—if you have one foot firmly planted on the ground—allows you to change directions 90, 180, 270, and even 360 degrees!
Pivoting your ikigai isn’t simply a random changing of direction; it’s a change of direction from a firm, fixed spot, usually a spot based on a foundation you have already built.