Someone made a joke recently that ‘the being’ in charge of the sun is back. For the last few days we have had some sunshine and it looks like the season has changed. It is warmer than it was three weeks ago. We don’t need as many blankets and the heater can take a break. This got me thinking about transition. Releasing the old, just like those blankets to welcome the new. In life we go through so many transitions; change of jobs, losing of jobs, retirement, promotions, changes in income levels for better or worse, changes in your business, changes in family circumstances or simply deciding to stop working for a while.
Sometimes a whole organization goes through change. These transitions could be disruptive. Just when we are comfortable and finally feel settled, the disruption happens.
How to deal with transition.
First, accept the change. There are many unhappy people hanging on to winter when it’s summer. Sometimes I still want to load another blankets just in case the sun guy goes back on leave in the middle of the night and temperatures drop. Has the season changed for you?
Accepting means more than just verbalizing. It means taking time to see life through a new lens. For example, when you transition from employment into business, you need to see things from a business perspective. Tom had been trying to hang on to a toxic employee in his business because she was very gifted. He justified it for years and wanted to believe it was other people who were the problem. After another fight (with probably the tenth person in the span of one year), Tom finally got the message. What are you hanging on to that has just not been working? A career, status, lifestyle…?
It may be time to wipe the slate clean and start over. You may have the education, experience, networks and even money. But, do you really know how this next season of your life unfolds? We often make the mistake of trying to define the future with our past. We bring the past into a different job, business or title because that is what we know. Then maybe nothing will have to change. Tom cannot go and look for somebody exactly like that employee. He would have to redefine what attitudes he is looking for so that he does not make the same mistake. Once this person, starts he also cannot compare them with his ex-employee. That’s what I mean by recreating your past. Many people who retire try to recreate their jobs because that’s the only identity they know. Just because you were an accountant does not mean your opportunities are limited to accounting. Wipe the slate clean and understand your skill set!
Fear will always be present when you step out of your comfort zone. Understand that in transition, you will feel scared. There is nothing wrong with that. What you knew worked, you were in control and now you are not. You are not in control just like a new graduate in a new job. When you move to a new job, you need to understand how the organization works and accept the different way they do things Take on the attitude of a student. Learn along the way and be prepared to fail. Fear doesn’t go away but you get better at failing. ‘I failed’ does not mean ‘I am a failure’. It was just a lesson that needed learning. Along the way, you get better at failing faster.
Take small steps towards the new. It could be research, a conversation, a change in habit, a course, some time off or a different investment. We procrastinate waiting for ideal circumstances or a big bang to tell us that we got the message right. But that bang rarely happens. I’ve learnt that it is the small things which signal us that we are ready to change. That we are now in alignment with the next season and ready to accept what it brings us. Step into it a day at a time.
Waceke runs programs on Entrepreneurship and Personal Finance Management. Registration is currently open and ongoing through our website centonomy.com For more information get in touch with her through waceken@centonomy.com /Facebook-Waceke Nduati /Tweet @cekenduati