3 Tips for Life & Leadership Transitions

Navigating transitions is a normal part of life. Many transitions occur over the course of a lifetime. We can notice transitions occurring in almost any area of our lives. They can occur during:

Developmental Stages: Different developmental stages of life affect the changing nature of our physical bodies, emotions, and attitudes. Transitions can occur anytime during the lifespan.

Life Phases: Various life phases include different experiences (i.e., leaving home, single life to married life, starting a family, launching children and empty nest, caring for aging parents). We can experience transitions during any of these life phases.

Career & Vocation: (i.e., early, mid-career, advancement, changing careers, being fired, retirement): We can experience a great deal of change over the course of a career and/or our vocations.

Spiritual Journey: For believers our spiritual journey includes the process of spiritual formation. We are growing, developing, and being transformed. During our faith journeys we are likely to encounter transitions as God speaks to our hearts, molds and shapes us, and clarifies calling.

Being stuck at one time or another in a life or leadership transition is not unusual. Most people will experience the discomfort of this at some point in their lives and more than likely many times. When it occurs there are several things that can help us to navigate the transition well.

3 Tips for Life & Leadership Transitions

1. Acknowledge that you are in a transition and that you may be feeling stuck. In a previous post, 4 Phases of Life & Leadership Transitions I wrote about the main phases of a transition.

• Phase I: Awareness
• Phase 2: Appraisal
• Phase 3: Alignment
• Phase 4: Action

2. Become familiar with the different phases of a transition. One of the main reasons for this is that it can help you from remaining stuck. Familiarity with the phases can guide you through the transition, bring clarity, and help you formulate a plan of action.

3. Know the role of accountability. Accountability can play a crucial part in helping you move through a transition. According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, accountability means

willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions

When you know that you are experiencing a life or leadership transition, one very effective way to navigate it well is to enlist the help of an accountability partner. This could be a trusted friend or colleague, a spouse, a life coach or consultant. This person’s role is to help keep you on track with your goals for moving forward. They can do this in many different ways. For example, accountability partners can provide

• opportunities for brainstorming
• clarity and focus
• help refining vision
• offer feedback
• support and/or prayer

Are you currently in a life transition? If you are you don’t need to “stay stuck.” What can you do today to move forward?