None of us is immune to transition. At one point or another each of us faces necessary shifts.
I personally walked through countless transitions – from school to workplace, from living with my parents to living on my own, from single to married life, moving from one country to another, adding kids to our family, starting and growing my business, trying new marketing tools, and many others.
And I know you walked through some transitions too. Some might had been exciting, others not so much. Even though transition can be a pretty stressful time in person’s life, there are ways to embrace it and make the most out of it.
Following are my top 5 tips to show you how to survive transition next time you experience it. These tips apply whether you’re in the midst of career, life, project or any other transition. These tips apply no matter what’s your status or location.
1. Focus on where you want to go
It’s easy to get distracted by looking at your current situation. Whether you lost a job or you’re expanding your business, looking at your current situation won’t inspire you to create your best results. Instead, try to look at your desired outcome. What type of job would you like to land? What do you want your business to look like after the transition is over? Paint a picture, set some goals and focus your attention on those to stay positive and motivated.
2. Answer your emerging questions
We all have many questions when in transition. How long will it last? How much will it cost me? Can anybody help me? What if something goes wrong? Best strategy to get out of doubt and prevent getting stuck is to write all of your questions down and answer them one by one. It’s quite simple – you can use pen and paper or my favorite Evernote to come up with answers. Give yourself enough time and grace and don’t expect for the transition to be over overnight.
3. Focus on your strengths
Transition is a great time to do some self-evaluation. What are you really good at that can be the biggest help during this time? Is there specific strength that can be improved or upgraded? How can you maximize this transition time to learn, improve or help where possible? One of my favorite assessments is Kolbe ATM which reveals your conative strengths – how you take action and create your best results.
4. Evaluate your resources
In addition to your own strengths, there might be other resources available to you. Do you have a team member who has strengths in the area of your weaknesses? Do you have a piece of technology that can simplify the process? Is there a book on your shelf that can give you tips and ideas? Do you know someone who walked the walk and can give you invaluable insights? Look at what’s already there that can make this transition easier or more manageable. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. People are willing to help, but can’t read your mind if you don’t ask.
5. Keep your mind open
If you look back at your life you’ll agree that transition time is actually pretty cool. It’s time when anything is possible. Yes, it can go down hill, but you might also find opportunities you never knew existed. Be open to possibilities, meet with people, stay positive and be willing to try new things. If it doesn’t work, you’ll gain a new experience (and good story to share). But if it does, it will be all worth it.
What other strategies helped you during transition times? Share them in the comment section below.
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