Seasons of Transition: How to handle them in Life & business
I’m not sure about you, but I can definitely feel a shift in seasons.
And since I live in the southeast where the weather this time of year is MOODY to say the least (85 and sunny one minute, 30 and sleeting the next), lately I have been considering the concept of changing seasons - and how it goes far beyond the context of a weather forecast.
For many of us, a change in seasons may look like:
Moving to a new place or starting a new job
Starting a new business, or closing one down
Making a big shift in the way you do business (i.e. starting to sell wholesale, hiring a marketing agency, etc)
Releasing ourselves from relationships that are no longer healthy
Deciding to build new, meaningful habits that will help us grow
Welcoming a new baby to the world or getting married
Grieving the loss of a loved one
Traveling a LOT, or staying home for the first time in a long time
…the list goes on
I’m sure if we were all gathered around a cozy cafe table, we could share endless examples of how we’ve experienced a change in seasons throughout our lives - of course literally (come on, summer!) but figuratively as well.
If you know me, you know that I am a combination of highly driven as well as super laid back. I love accomplishing goals and pushing myself to the next level…and I also fully believe that things will work out, choosing to live my life from a peaceful state - both personally and professionally.
And as I have been reflecting on this topic, there are a few ways I believe I have learned in regard to handling seasons of transition.
Even more than just handling them, in fact. Because I truly believe that we can make the MOST out of any season…any transition…no matter the circumstances.
I hope the following few personal learnings encourage and inspire you on your journey!
Manage Expectations.
How often have you stepped into a new season with waaaaay higher expectations than you probably should have? Maybe venturing into selling wholesale with your business and expecting everything with a new buyer to happen without a hitch. Or perhaps moving into a new home that “just needs a little bit of work”...so you thought. Don’t get me wrong - I think high expectations are great and have a place (remember? I myself am a go-getter 😃). But oftentimes our TOO high expectations set us up for disappointment or feeling like we failed. So when you’re embarking into a season of transition, consider practicing thoughts like “I’d LIKE for it to go like “this”, but I understand it might be more like “this”. The practice of managing expectations will help you avoid feeling frustration - and lead you to experience more success…even if it looks different than you thought!
Stay Flexible
This one goes hand in hand with managing expectations, but it’s also different! And I want to point out (for all my type A friends) that staying flexible does not always feel great. I know that not all of us have a go-with-the-flow type of personality, and quite frankly I love + appreciate that! When it comes to seasons of transition, being intentionally flexible will serve you in many ways. Here’s an example: if you’re transitioning from the corporate world to running your own business, try out different “workday” schedules to learn what suits you best (rather than what you see everyone else doing). If you’re going to be traveling for the next three months, prepare by bringing a simple wardrobe that can adjust to any type of weather. If you begin feeling flustered (which is totally natural in transitions) - pause and as yourself, “am I staying intentionally flexible right now”?
Expect the Magic
Last but not least, I want to share with you my absolute favorite thing that I have discovered about seasons of transition. There is ALWAYS magic - so expect it! And want to know a little secret? If we’re managing expectations and staying flexible…we’re THAT much more likely to be in a posture to see the magic I’m referring to. Even in the most trying circumstances, you might experience something magical like reconnecting with an old friend. If you’re scaling your business to the next level, you might find an amazing new way of doing something that saves you time and money. Magic comes in all shapes and sizes, and if we’re focused on it, it makes seasons of transition a little more manageable.
So as we leap ahead into the first days of Spring (yipee!), I hope you’ll put some of these practices into action. And further, put them in your back pocket for some time in the future, because one thing is for certain - the future is NOT…so we’ll all walk through transition at some point or another.
You inspire me!
Let’s stay connected! Follow along with me on Instagram @lucysinspired - and be sure to drop me a DM so I can say hi!