Knowing if it’s time to make a change really comes back to one big question: What’s your goal for this work?
Take this blog. I’ve been writing here, pretty much weekly, for more than a dozen years. I don’t have analytics on the website, which means I have no idea how many people read danoshinsky.com. I started it to give myself a place to write. I don’t try to monetize this site or use it for any other purpose — it’s just a place to write.
If I found out that lots people were reading it every month, would I pivot to a new strategy? To be honest: Probably not. I like it as an outlet for writing, and I’m not looking for it to be more than that.
But what if I’d built it as a vehicle to drive success for a larger business? What if this was the thing I was using to sell products or a paid subscription, and it wasn’t driving those results?
Well, yeah: I’d be looking to pivot to the next idea.
What I like to tell clients is: Everyone has too many ideas. Your job is to recognize when things are working and double down — or recognize when things aren’t and be willing to move on. But that starts by thinking clearly about what you want to achieve from the work in the first place.
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That photo of a sign with the words “Turning Point” comes via Unsplash and Roger Bradshaw.