Knowing When It’s Time to Pivot

Why Banging Your Head Against the Wall Isn’t Strength

I have a confession to make.

By most standards, I’ve lived a blessed life.

I worked for 35 years in a career that challenged me, frustrated me, and—yes—fulfilled me.

I’ve been with my wife for 24 years, training in martial arts for over 20, and I retired at 56 with a seven-figure nest egg, while rarely working more than 40 hours per week and traveling the world on annual 3-week holidays.

Now I train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seven days a week at a world-class gym, rubbing shoulders with world champions and professors who’ve forgotten more than most of us will ever know.

It’s the dream, right?

But recently, I had a hard truth hit me in the ribs—literally and metaphorically.

What worked for me in the past… isn’t working anymore.

And that’s a painful thing to admit.

I was talking to one of my favorite BJJ professors.

He’s a few years younger, stockier, and one of those humble killers you love learning from.

I told him that my body wasn’t holding up.

I used to be on job sites every day, moving, climbing, walking over 25,000 steps by lunch.

Now?

I sit a lot. I write.

I build digital products.

And my body is rebelling.

I’ve been constantly sore.

My stamina’s shot.

I’m picking up little injuries like they're souvenirs from every roll.

So I did something I don’t always do easily:

I admitted I needed to change.

I needed to pivot.

Not quit, not cry, not complain.

Pivot.

Strategically.

And the moment I did, everything shifted.

I realized this wasn’t just about training.

It was about life.

Most people think persistence is strength—but persistence without feedback is just stupidity in a black belt.

Let me explain.

When Perseverance Is Preposterous

1. The Myth of Relentless Perseverance

We’ve all heard it:

Nice slogans.

But terrible strategy.

In war, in business, in training, and in life—there comes a moment when pushing harder becomes counterproductive.

When effort becomes ego.

When banging your head against the wall just gives you a concussion.

Real warriors, real leaders—they know when to pivot.

Pivoting is not weakness.

It’s adaptation.

It’s intelligence.

It’s what keeps you alive and progressing when the stubborn fall behind.

Too many men confuse stubbornness with strength.

They dig in when they should redirect.

They double down when they should reevaluate.

The result?

• Burnout.
• Broken bodies.
• Broken dreams.

Persistence is not about doing the same thing forever.

It’s about doing what works for as long as it works—then evolving.

2. How to Recognize It’s Time to Pivot

Here are some signs it’s time to pivot:

• Your results have plateaued or worsened despite consistent effort: If your strategy worked before but isn’t anymore, you’re not broken—but your approach might be.
• Your body or mind is sending danger signals: Constant fatigue, recurring injuries, burnout, and apathy are not badges of honor—they're red flags.
• You feel stuck but don't know why: Often, it's because you're trying to win the wrong game or playing with the wrong tools.
• You’ve outgrown the plan: The strategy that got you here won’t get you there. What served your 20s might sabotage your 30s. And what worked in your career won’t necessarily work for your next mission.

3. Pivoting Is Not Quitting—Here’s the Difference

Quitting is driven by fear. Pivoting is driven by insight.

Quitting means abandoning the mission. Pivoting means changing the method.

One is rooted in hopelessness. The other is rooted in intelligence and growth.

Here’s an example:

• Quitting says: “I’m too old for BJJ. I guess I’ll stop training.”
• Pivoting says: “I can’t train like a 25-year-old anymore. Time to adapt my strength, cardio, and recovery to stay in the game longer.”

Quitting is reactive.

Pivoting is proactive.

If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this:

4. How to Make a Smart Pivot

Once you realize it’s time to pivot, here’s how to do it with clarity and confidence:

a. Zoom Out: Step back and ask: What’s the mission?​
Too often we mistake tactics for goals. If your mission is lifelong health, then adapt your training to preserve—not destroy—your body. If your mission is to build a business, then stop doing what’s burning you out and try what energizes and scales.

b. Get Feedback: Go to someone smarter, stronger, or more experienced than you. That’s what I did. Pride kills progress. Real leaders seek wisdom, not just grind.

c. Make Small Changes First: Don’t overhaul your whole life. Test. Iterate. Pivot in small moves that steer you toward your vision without risking it all.

d. Monitor Results: Measure what matters. Whether it’s stamina, income, relationships, or mental clarity—track how your pivot is affecting your core mission.

e. Commit Fully to the New Path—For a Season: Once you pivot, don’t straddle the fence. Give it your all for a trial period, then reassess. Sometimes the pivot pays off right away. Other times, you need to give it time.

5. How This Applies to Every Area of Life

• In Fitness: Don’t lift like a meathead in your 30s just because you did in your 20s. Switch to strength and mobility, not just volume and ego.
• In Business: If your product isn’t selling, stop tweaking the colors on your website. Pivot your offer. Pivot your audience. Pivot your message.
• In Relationships: If you keep dating the same type of person and it never works out… maybe it’s time to pivot your standards, not just swipe harder.
• In Personal Growth: If your old habits no longer serve you, stop clinging to them out of nostalgia. Pivot to routines that match the man you're becoming.

Putting It On the Mat When I'm Off the Mat

A week after that conversation with my BJJ professor, I started making changes.

Simple ones.

Every morning I now begin with 15 minutes of exercise.

• Planks.
• Stretching.
• Leg Raises (easier on my back than sit-ups)

Three times a week, I rotate between push, pull, and leg days with functional compound exercises.

I treat my strength and stamina like a garden, not a battlefield.

And something started to happen:

The soreness decreased.

The injuries slowed down.

The fire came back.

One day after training, I sat at a café—sweaty, smiling, sipping my tea.

I looked around at the people around me, most glued to their screens or slouching through their day.

And I thought to myself:

But I wasn’t done.

I just needed to pivot.

And you do too.

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, I want you to hear this loud and clear:

You don’t have to keep doing what’s not working.

• You’re allowed to grow.
• You’re allowed to pivot.
• You’re allowed to change.

In fact, it’s required if you want to become the man you’re meant to be.

Too many young men get stuck playing someone else’s game, with someone else’s rules, chasing someone else’s goals.

And they never stop to ask:

This is your invitation to stop banging your head against the wall.

Pivot instead.

Pivot toward strength.

Toward clarity.

Toward purpose.

You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to try something different.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to take the next wise step.

Now…

What’s your pivot?

Write it down.

Speak it out loud.

Tell a mentor.

Take one action—today.

And if you need help figuring out your next move, reach out.

That’s why we built the Leader’s Dojo.​

To help warriors like you find your path, pivot with power, and lead with clarity.

Because real badasses don’t blindly persist.
They adapt.
They evolve.
They lead.

And so can you.

P.S. If you found this content helpful, I have a favor to ask.

Actually two of them, a selfish one and a not-so-selfish one.

First the selfish one, if this was helpful to you, forward it to someone you think it might help. That helps me to grow my reach.

Now the not-selfish one, the one thing I learned on the mat and on the job was that the most successful leaders were not the ones who knew the most but were the ones who applied and taught the most.

So, if you want to be a better leader, do two things, take immediate action on what you learned today AND share it with someone else. You'll look badass, I promise you.

Also, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, hit me up, reply to this email and let me know what's going on and how I can help you to be a better warrior, leader, and badass.

Thank you, I appreciate you being here in The Daily Dojo, you can learn more at CharlesDoublet.com​