Episode 18
Keep Changing Your Mind? It's Okay If You Pivot Again
There’s a lot of pressure to stick to one path, to commit and never waver. But what if changing your mind isn’t a sign of weakness – what if it’s a sign you’re listening to yourself?
This short reflection explores what it means to pivot, start over, circle back, and shift directions without shame.
You’re not flaky.
You’re not failing.
You’re evolving.
You don’t need to have one perfect path. You’re allowed to change your mind – more than once – and still trust that you’re becoming who you need to be.
Transcript
00:05
Hey, this is It's Okay If, bite-sized permission slips. I'm Matt Gilhooly, and today's permission, it's okay if you keep changing your mind. I used to think changing your mind was a weakness, like it made you look flaky or indecisive or like you couldn't commit. But then I started noticing a pattern in my own life. There have been moments where I've made big moves, literally. I moved away to start fresh, new cities, new jobs, new everything.
00:35
And then when things got hard or when it blew up in my face, when I felt overwhelmed and lost, I ran back to what was safe, to what I knew, to what felt familiar. And for a while I used to beat myself up for that. Why couldn't I stick it out? Why did I go running back? Why can't I just make a decision and stay with it? But here's what I learned. Changing your mind doesn't make you weak. It just makes you someone who listens to yourself.
01:03
Sometimes we make decisions to protect ourselves, to get back to solid ground, and to feel safe enough to try again. And maybe that's okay. So if you're someone who changed your mind more than once, who's circled back, who's pivoted, who's tried to start over, and then change course again, you're not failing, you're learning. You are becoming.
01:30
So if you're up for it, tell yourself, I give myself permission to change my mind, to change it again, and to let that be okay. That's your permission slip, friend. Tuck it in your pocket, and I'll see you next time.
