The art of the pivot
Often times we make plans, say yes when we really want to scream no, and busy ourselves, because busy= success right? WRONG! I have fallen victim to overcommitting for years, I have made plans with expectations, though I swore up and down I have zero expectations of the outcome. This is the year that all of that changes for me.
Being in a new space these last few weeks, my comfort was to plan every moment, simply take the life I have in Chicago and find the London version of that. I have quickly learned that is actually not possible, and to be honest, not what life is about. Introducing the art of the Pivot, the many pivots of London Town.
Pivot 1: I started this trip wanting to travel solo, you know have my Eat, Pray, Love moment. But in true Libra fashion or as my friends call me, Katy “Invite More” Hilbert, I quickly had many friends joining me on my journey and I was ecstatic. What better way to explore than with my people? Well the UNIVERSE had other plans! My 3rd guest had to make a last-minute change to their flight due to work and my 4th had to cancel due to a skiing accident (FYI she is a boss, healing and ok!) With that, the Solo Katy trip has entered the chat! My plans with friends quickly became my plans, and that prime solo seat at the bar had my name all over it. Along the way, I have been meeting some cool strangers, trading my AirPods in for the sounds of the street, began walking everywhere I can, and grounded down. Sure I have taken solo work trips but this one is different and full of intention. I can tell you after my first weekend doing this, I love it- check back in with me next week ha!
Pivot 2: If after 8 days in your Airbnb, you are no longer feeling it, check out early and get the dream hotel- I promise the expense will be worth it. A big SHOUT to Cate, who co-signed this move and literally changed the energy of the day. It felt hard for me to decide to leave because we had already paid for the space, but we both had a weird allergy pop-up and we were no longer having fun. With Cate days away from leaving, we decided luxury is what we needed, so we took our talents to the Hoxton. It was an A++ decision with a side of Italian and espresso martinis! This required quick thinking and a trust fall, which I am so grateful we did!
Pivot 3: Working out is a big part of my life, before coming on the trip, I joined Class Pass because I had big plans to try every gym I could in the city. Day after day I would schedule a class and day after day, I would cancel the class before I could even get there. Adjusting to GMT has been a challenge for me, so yes, that has played a role in the cancels, but also I have not felt a burning desire to spend my mornings as I typically do, running over to a workout, maybe grabbing a quick coffee before a fast shower before work. Instead, I felt more pulled to walk the streets with a coffee and a flow. So with that, we welcome canceled classes and a change to what “working out” looks like because again doing everything the same, does not make life more enjoyable!
Pivot 4: You can still say no in a new city when you feel like YOU SHOULD be exploring every mile of the city. I have been opting for homemade meals these last few days, I have turned down plans, watched Netflix even with the loud laughs outside, planned and unplanned day trips to cute UK Villages and museums, and opted for doing what feels great and enjoyable moment by moment because being busy does not = successful.
I still have a few more weeks left of this beautiful adventure and I’m really excited to keep sharing, keep pivoting and keep the flow going. It’s a refreshing and new feeling for me and I am really liking the way it lights me up!
I included a few flicks from over the last week or so below!
I love you BIG time!
XO,
Katy
