As promised in my previous post, here’s your exercise for checking your transition vision. This exercise gives you a leg up, when it comes to navigating through changes. Each transition is different, but knowing how you approach them makes your transitions much more manageable.
And here’s something important to keep in mind: transitions are opportunities, always. Challenging, yes – and also packed with new learning and invitations to grow and expand. The more you are able to welcome them, the more you position yourself to receive the gifts they offer!
Exercise: What’s YOUR Transition Vision?
1) Put your feet on the ground.
Breathe deeply, relax, and picture a few of your recent experiences of life changes. Let the images come and go easily, then quickly write down the first 3 words that come to mind when you think of the word “transition.”
2) Go a little bit deeper.
Next, take each of your 3 words and write a sentence around it. This will help you develop a broader understanding of what kinds of feelings transitions introduce to your life.
3) Now, go back in time.
To expand your understanding, relax again, breathe deeply and let yourself go back in time. Sink into the earliest years of your life and picture some transitions that you experienced. Write 3 more words that come to mind as you picture these transitions.
4) Reflect on what you’ve found.
Are there parallels that you can draw between how you experienced transitions long ago and the feelings they elicit now? Can you see where your responses have changed? Quickly write down the similarities and differences that you notice.
5) What about now?
Describe the ways that the experiences you had years ago are serving as a lens that affects how you see and experience your transitions today? Jot down 3 words that describe what you are seeing.
6) Assimilate your discoveries. Now, go back to all of the 3-word sets you’ve written for this exercise.
- Which ones indicate a flexible or a rigid approach to the process of change? If many early transitions confused or overwhelmed you, you might lack confidence and back away from transition challenges now.
- What words indicate curiosity, anticipation or readiness? Your positive associations with change are every bit as important. You can draw on them to help you zero in on strengths that you can expand on and develop further. These positives also help you identify circumstances that are most encouraging to you – always a good thing to know when navigating change.
The insights that you glean from this exercise will be very valuable as you move through the years. With increased consciousness and practice, you’ll develop a skill set that allows you to recognize and set aside automatic misperceptions when you’re confronted with change. As you improve your ‘transition vision’, you’re less likely to bump up against things as you learn the ins and outs of an unfamiliar landscape.
And on an even deeper level, any time you trace the connections between old experiences and current perceptions or patterns, you are offering yourself a level of understanding and self-acceptance that stands you in good stead no matter what life brings.
Understanding and accepting your choices in the context of your ongoing journey of discovery increases your resilience and means that, quite literally, nothing can stop you!
Whether you’re a mid-lifer or traversing some other developmental stage, thriving in times of transition requires alertness and flexibility. I invite you to use this exercise over time, as you bring clearer vision and growing confidence to your ever-changing life.
And to move toward your Heart-Based Time Success, sign up for our free gift, the Finding Time Success Kit. It’s right at the top of the sidebar and it includes “The Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!” Using a workbook format this powerful and practical time template helps you progress beyond disappointment and frustration. Discover that 24 hours really are enough!
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