Transitions. Most of us are going through transitions right now, maybe from school, maybe in our workplace, and definitely the transition into Summer. Some of our transitions are our own doing, but many happen due to someone else’s decision. So many transitions are outside of our own control, and there’s nothing that we can do about them. So what can we do about them? Though we cannot keep transitions from occurring, we do have the ability to respond in such a way to channel the transition to propel us forward.
Personally, I’ve gone through a lot of transitions. I recently changed jobs, my kids are going into summer break, the weather has finally changed to the warmth of Summer we’ve longly anticipated, my Uncle passed away, and I’m stepping into new areas of responsibility at my local church.
That’s a lot. Maybe you can relate.
“Flexibility from a place of shaky ground isn’t flexibility at all, we can only be flexible from solid ground.”
I’ve seen the transitions that have come into the workplace, layoffs, corporate restructuring, and even expansion. It’s caused me to pause and think, how can I make sure I’m still the best I can possibly be for the people I’m leading. You might be like me, when transition comes, when the foundation I knew is being shaken, I tend to close off, put my head down, and hold onto whatever I can, grasping for a handhold as I begin to slip. And unfortunately, this can come at the expense of how I treat those around me. It’s a natural response to “guard your own” when you’re going through transition. But we have an opportunity to be better than that. Our kids, our spouses, our community, and our coworkers need something to hold onto as well. As a leader, that’s what we can provide.
So what can we do to help be and provide handholds for others when their world is slipping or falling apart? What does it mean to provide a safe place for people to process and transition? How can I, in the midst of my own transitions, still be a source of strength and hope for those around me?
For me, it’s looked like this. You see, over the last few years, I’ve begun to build some disciplines in my life. Disciplines of schedule, routine, health, fitness, financial, reading, quiet reflection, work, time with my wife, and time with my kids. I’m still growing in all of these areas, but the work I’ve done to build rhythms and routines have helped us adjust to and be flexible with the transition going on.
Transitions demand us to be flexible. We need to “roll with the punches,” but the only way to adjust and be flexible is if you have some structure to be flexible from. Flexibility is only possible when structure is in place. Flexibility from a place of shaky ground isn’t flexibility at all, we can only be flexible from solid ground.
So what can we do to start creating some structure in our life? Here are some thoughts that have helped me in my current transitions. The work I’ve done over the last couple years have helped me reap dividends in my own transitions. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’m glad I did the work to help me today.
- Build out your mission, values, and goals.
The first step is always to build out your mission. Know why you’re doing what you’re doing. Where do you want to go? What do you want to achieve? What does success look like? When all the world around us is shaking, having our mission, vision, and goals written down helps transcend the existing moment of uncertainty to the destination we’re heading. Like running a marathon, there’s a purpose to get to the finish line, so when you get tired, or hit the wall at mile 18, despite the discomfort of transition, you’re still pressing in to achieve your desired result.
- Map out your day.
Pat Gelsinger writes about in his book The Juggling Act, about an exercise to map out your entire day in 30-minute increments. The first step is to take inventory of what you’re already doing. First, observe and chart how you spend your time. Then, after you’ve analyzed how you use your time, you can begin to make adjustments to redirect your time towards your mission, values, and goals. I did this for a couple weeks, keeping track of my time on a Numbers spreadsheet. It was really helpful to take inventory and then adjust from there. Now, I don’t do this as much, but I do use my Panda Planner every day. It helps give intention to my day as I start my day. Again, the structure gives me the ability to be flexible for the unseen and unknown, you can’t be flexible if you’re not grounded.
- Invite others into your transition.
Transitions are hard, and they are personal. Everyone is experiencing the shifting in seasons, but we’re all processing through that transition differently. So that means we’re going to struggle or succeed differently, too. So invite people into what’s going on. This will do two things. First, it will help you get out of your own head. When we communicate with others we realize that the challenge isn’t as big as our brains made them out to be. This is our first self-realization. And the other value in inviting others into your transition is the wisdom and perspective of someone else in your life. It’s not good for us to be alone—alone in our thoughts, in our transitions, in our world. The perspective and wisdom from someone else helps us see beyond our current situation, and reminds us to give some grace to ourselves.
- Go at your own pace.
I recently changed jobs. I’m doing the same work, just for a different company. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to transition, even though my day to day looks very similar. What seemed like a natural and simple transition, surprised me by the work it’s taken to get adjusted. Not bad at all, just challenging to adjust. So I’ve had to remind myself to run my own race. I’ve got to learn the pace of the people I’m working with and give myself grace to build up the stamina and endurance to run with them. I’ve got big goals and a lot of work ahead, but when I run at my own pace, I know I’ll be much more successful going forward. At first I forgot to go at my own pace, and I was quickly overwhelmed and paralyzed by the amount of work in front of me. The mountain felt insurmountable. Then I was reminded to run my own race, to keep at the pace I know, and to not stop. Each step brought me closer to my goal—each baby step was still progress, and I know that I’ll still achieve what I’m working towards as I keep going.
I’m still in process. I’m still in transition. You might be, too. Or, maybe you’re not. But you will be. Consider these things above to help provide some structure in your life, so that when the wind and waves do come, as they always do, you’ll have built on some good foundation, helping you weather through the storms of transition.
I’ll leave you with this: There’s a popular Chinese proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Maybe you don’t have a structure to be flexible from yet, I encourage you, start today. Build out your mission, your values, your goals, figure out how you can use your time to work towards those goals, build the foundation you need to succeed, so that when your transitions come, you’ll have the ability to be flexible and adjust. We can only be flexible from solid ground.
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Photo by Marcus Woodbridge on Unsplash
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