How can you possibly find the time to navigate change and transition?
Change and transition are both disorienting.
When you embrace them, though, they provide you with enriching and expansive experiences. Transitions stretch us and introduce new elements into our lives.
Navigate by suppporting yourself.
We often talk and think about how best to support friends and family when they are going through changes … but how about finding time to support yourself as you go through your life transitions?
Isn’t finding time to support yourself just as important as finding time to support your friends?
Think about it: your schedule is already busy with relationships, work, and the logistics of daily life. What do you do … how do you feel … when along with all of that, you are faced with a major life transition? Your transition might include things like starting or ending primary relationships, having a child, moving to new surroundings, dealing with a health issue, or changing jobs.
Navigate by choosing your response.
These are life transitions for anyone who undergoes them. It’s important to respect their impact. Transitions can have a profound effect, and at the same time, you may not be able to predict or have much control over the form they take or when they present themselves. Sometimes you can, but not always. However, what is unique … and what you can have control over … is how you experience these events and find the time to meet your personal needs.
One excellent way to get to know yourself better, relative to transitions, is to use your imagination! Practice thinking about a transition before-the-fact. Take any example of an event that is a life transition. Set aside 15 minutes once a day to think about it. During your 15 minutes of reflection, write down the changes you will need to make to find the time to successfully navigate these transitions. Do this for a few days, trying on different kinds of transitions. Notice the ideas that bubble up. Pay attention to how your feelings evolve.
Keep others in the loop.
Another thing to keep in mind is that, quite often, your transitions involve other people and may require a team approach to finding time. When you are navigating a real transition in your life, we recommend that you keep the people close to you involved in your finding time process.
- Ask them what they see as important about the event. Be sure to encourage each person in your circle to state what he or she thinks will be important during this life transition.
- Allow each person making this life journey with you to be clear about what he or she needs.
- Include, in your plan for finding time, each person’s feelings, needs, and the unavoidable changes each will need to make.
- For those of you who live alone, it is equally important to include your support system in your planning. Problem solving together creates a sense of teamwork and coordinates efforts. Each of you can select methods of finding time that ease the transition for everyone concerned.
Remember that this is a dynamic process over time. Keep in touch with each other to ensure that original decisions are working and that everyone remains open to adjusting the plan as the transition evolves.
And above all, as a base, remember to keep in touch with yourself as you successfully navigate your life transitions!
And here’s more help:
Are you inspired to explore time management tips and tools to increase your effectiveness, efficiency and enjoyment? Then, I invite you to visit my Expert Page and explore the resources available at SelfGrowth.com – all 254,600 of them! There you’ll find time management articles by experts in the field, along with a vibrant and welcoming on-line community.
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Let’s explore time together …
I love this posting – thanks! And I think something else I’ll do is ask myself at the end of each day of transition, “What one new thing have I learned today?” Good for the morale in trying times.
What a wonderful question, Alison! You might even try asking yourself that question every day – perhaps before bed, as you look back and reflect. I love the positive frame, and would be curious to hear what kinds of answers you see, as you do this over time.