Life Transitions—shifting gears

Employees are not going for the gold watch anymore. In fact, I wonder if anyone even offers this prize for long-term dedication to a place of business. So many people are tapping into their true-life purpose that change is almost a given constant in the career world these days.
Way past ready for a change in your career, a relationship, who you’ve become, what you thought was important, your lifestyle?
If it’s time for a big change in any major area of your life, some advance preparation can help you feel more in control of the situation and support you as you travel the path ahead.
Transitions, in addition to being traumatic and stressful, might take a while. If you are committed to redesigning your life and are willing to make some big changes in order to make it happen, the first thing to do is get clear about what you want.
Enter the inquiry via the juicy question:
If you dropped into your perfect life would you know it? Create a vision of where it would be, who you’re with, what you’re doing. Design it around your passions, beliefs, values and loves. Remember, if you don’t know what you want from your life there are plenty of people who will be only too glad to tell you. Let it be less about avoiding the current pain you are experiencing and more about moving towards a fulfilling way of living.
What are the core values you want to live your life around? What do you love? What gives you purpose? What do you stand for?
What could you not be dissuaded from believing in, no matter what? If you only had this one life to live, what would you do with it? (hmmm!)
These questions may not have quick and easy answers so keep a journal and track images, ideas, inspirations etc.
Are you ready to do whatever it takes to make your dreams happen? In order to make your dreams reality you may need to simplify your lifestyle to some degree, or make radical changes in your life.
Ask yourself, “How badly do I want this? Am I ready to scale back, live a different lifestyle, to make this transition?”
Next, determine what it will cost in time, money, and energy to make the changes you need to make.
Do you need to move to a new city or a less expensive home or apartment?
Are others, spouse, children, going to be affected by this transition and how, specifically, will it impact them?
Are they willing to make the changes as well?
Do you have enough money set aside to finance this change and if not what do you need to do to create necessary reserves?
Do you need to spend some more time doing research before you can even make some of these decisions?
Be as specific as you can during this stage. You are trying to make a realistic view of what would happen, what needs to be different for your dreams to become reality.
You might feel some anxiety, some fear, about what it will be necessary for you to do in order for this transition to be realized. Rest assured that if it feels right in your heart, it will work out; although maybe not exactly as you had planned.
Allow for some flexibility and ’unknowns’ in your transition plan. Things can come up that you do not anticipate and over which you have little or no control. Expect the unexpected! Leave room for serendipitous surprises!
Now acknowledge that you are on a journey and create a transition action plan.
What steps do you need to take to create this plan? Write them down. This will give you more of a feeling of control over this period.
What financial, real estate, CPA, or other planners might you consult so that you have all the information you need? Plan how much you will need to live comfortably in your new surroundings. Having this piece in place can be one of the biggest security blankets you can get under.
Be willing to pack light. Identify specifically what it is you want to keep and what you’ll leave behind. Be brutal. Know that for a while you may even miss some of the things you chose to leave behind. It doesn’t mean you’ve done the ‘wrong thing’.
During this process you need to get organized and clear out the clutter. Getting your physical environment organized will help you simplify in preparation for your
Big Leap.
Knowing the difference between having a life and maintaining a lifestyle can help you see that lifestyles can be expensive and take the energy you may be now ready to put forth into your new life.
Create a support team of friends and family who understand your need for a change and are willing to give you moral support. Tell them how they can best do this, and let yourself receive assistance.
Be cautious about sharing your plans with those who are Nay Sayers and “helping” you by warning you of the dangers of this kind of move, that there are no more jobs out there, you should really just stay put and be grateful….the economy, blah, blah, blah, etc.
If you are in career or other transition know that it’s going to take some work, some time, to move through the process. Now is the time to trust yourself, your choices, and your own truth. When you hit a rough spot, which is as likely as anytime in life, you may be tempted to run back to some past security that wasn’t working well for you but now seems friendly and familiar. Remember where you are going, your vision, and jump back in the horse!
Make sure you take good care of YOU along the way. It is easy to get caught up in a new passion, the details of a move, the ‘doingness’ of a change, and forget to nurture your body, mind, spirit.
Schedule regular time-outs for yourself.
You have embarked on a journey of courage and perseverance. Bravo to YOU!
Plan for the future, but live in the present.
That’s where all the action is!

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