How To Make Smooth Transitions in Life

Q. Within one week of travel, I’ve encountered various family, friends, colleagues,

TSA and airline agents, and clients who mentioned life transitions. How do people

transition successfully?

A. Career or job changes, promotions, retirements, selling a company, and deaths

require that people pivot. Some changes are well anticipated and people plan.

Others are sudden (a layoff, firing, or death.) When people think ahead and

consider the options they have and the choices they can make ahead of time,

transitions are possibly easier, even though they’re not always easy.

Changes require that people adjust and adapt. For example, people may look

forward to retirement. At the same time, they may grieve the loss of a structured

schedule and the regular relationships and conversations that they’ve developed

with colleagues over years. Recent retirees may struggle during the transition.

Ideally, they adopt a new mindset, think positive, and create plans and activities

to adapt to a new life. Getting help through a transition is optimal.

Illness and death, whether abrupt or lengthy can impact a family and work

environment. The support of the surrounding family and friends are crucial to a

successful transition. Accepting the finality allows people to pivot and move

forward. Life to death is an ultimate transformation.

Some work transitions (layoffs, firings, or selling a company) may initially bring up

bitter resentment or unfair treatment. When there is a finite decision and no

recourse, people suffer. If they assess the situation, learn from it, and choose not

to stay stuck in the negative mindset, they can adjust quickly.

Through varied life and work changes, there are multiple steps people may

experience. The five steps of grief and loss include denial, bargaining, anger,

depression, and acceptance. These are common emotional responses. Some

people experience a few of them or perhaps all of them. Being aware of the five

stages helps people recognize that their feelings are normal.

Moving forward also means reflecting. What is the meaning of your life? What is

the value you want to add? Are you doing it, or are you in a rut? When you think

about the person you want to be or the career path you’ve chosen, are you

present? Are you the teacher or engineer or writer you want to be?

People can make transitions flow more easily if they define the meaning they

want to have in life. People can periodically assess, am I experiencing the meaning

in life that I envision for myself? Or do I need to pivot? The more people look at

their options, plan what they want to do, and take action, the more satisfaction

they may experience.