Transition times – 5 tips to move through them skillfully.
Transition times are nothing if not unsettling. In my last post, I explored the nature of transitions and how they impact you. I included a 10-minute exercise to help you explore how you frame transitions.
Today, I’d like to look at 5 specific tips that will help you navigate through transition times and the uncertainty that they present. So let’s get started, shall we?
5 Transition Tips
1. Transitions are everywhere in your life.
Some transitions are life-changing, such as birth and death. Others are woven into the fabric of life, like waking from sleep or moving from one season to the next. Regardless of the magnitude of the transition, what matters is how you choose to move through it.
2. Transitions involve losses and gains.
Loss is inherent in transition or change. You will necessarily need to give something up in order to move forward. But with every loss, there’s a gain, and vice versa. If the gain is not immediately apparent, trust that it will appear, even if months or years later. Remember that the more you welcome change and cultivate flexibility, the sooner you can discover the gains that accompany the losses.
3. Transitions are not necessarily linear.
Be prepared for the twists and turns that life presents. Expect large transitions to be more stressful than you might anticipate. To develop your resilience, listen to your inner voice. Noting all your feelings helps you pace yourself and acclimate to the new demands.
4. Transitions affect you in unique ways.
Two people may experience the same event, yet process and respond to its challenges differently. So assess for yourself what you need. For example, you might consider taking a break every 45-90 minutes in order to stretch, hydrate, and change your setting. Find what works best for you and commit to it.
5. Transitions are developmental and entail a process.
The process of going through a transition may be long, sometimes even years, as in the aging process. Or it may be relatively short, such as in waking from sleep. Regardless of its length, each transition has distinct phases with specific processes. Again, how you move through a transition is what tells your story.
So what’s your next step to ensure that your response to your next transition is as open and flexible as possible? Well, here’s something to consider:
Time is pure potential. You decide how to use it; and once you do, it’s gone. That’s why it’s so important to build on your best time choices. If you feel like your time slips through your fingers, then you’ll want to claim your copy of my FREE “Daily Choices Template: Proven Strategies for Tracking Your Best Time Choices Today, Tomorrow & All Year!”
Become your own time expert as you move toward the future you envision for yourself.
Hi Paula, once again, your post(s) really speak to me. At work, we are facing some potentially major changes that would affect what my job entails and how I would do my job.
I have been putting off organizing my office until some decisions are made (no set timeline), but I am finding that that is just keeping me in a rut. Today I was wondering if I should use this time of transition at least to let go of things I don’t need–discarding old files, materials, etc. That might make some room for me both physically and mentally and allow me more flexibility should these changes come to pass. If not, I can pursue putting organizational systems in place for a more effective and organized workspace.
What do you think? All best!
Hi David – I think your ideas are excellent, both because of their practical impact and because initiating a process like that will help you to feel more in the driver’s seat during a time of uncertainty and change.
You are transforming what can be a challenging time into the start of something positive that is entirely within your control. You may not have a say in how your job is impacted by impending upheavals, but you can definitely have an impact on the quality of your experience. This builds feelings of empowerment and self trust which, in turn, enhance your ability to respond to whatever changes come.
Thanks for taking the time to write – and I wish you all the best as you navigate the weeks and months ahead.
PS I’d love to hear how your organizing and de-cluttering ideas are working for you. And please let me know if I can be of further help.
Paula