Facing a Career or Life Change? Don’t Sweat it!
Donna Jonas, CPC, ELI-MP
Like it or not, life requires you to shift from one situation to another, often unexpectedly. These transitions can be quite disconcerting, altering your emotions, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented change and major shifts to all our lives. The uncertainty of what lies ahead in this “new normal” can bring about worry and frustration, but having a positive mindset is key to facing the unknown.
Apply these helpful strategies to handle any life-changing event so you can move forward with clarity and confidence:
1) Process the information. Allow yourself some time to think through what has happened. There is no set timeframe for this; the important thing is to process what has occurred from your own particular perspective and situation. 2) Talk about it. Call a close friend or family member you trust and tell them what’s going on in your life. It helps to hear yourself think aloud whenever you’re faced with an enduring challenge. The goal is not to do what other people tell you, but to have the opportunity to express your feelings and see things from many possible viewpoints.3) Consider your options. If you are considering change, and are not completely ready to move forward, carefully examine your situation and where you might go from there. Be sure the change supports your life values.4) Take time to adjust. You might feel you have to make decisions fairly quickly to get moving forward. Don’t be afraid to be still. It’s wise to allow yourself necessary moments to adjust to what’s happening. Be led by what feels right for you and try not to be driven by others in making decisions.5) Tell yourself that you’ll make it through. Remind yourself that you have the savvy and fortitude to find your way from this day forward. 6) Begin to formulate a plan. After considerable thinking, you’ll be relieved to see parts of a new plan for your life falling in to place. You can have the best, most creative and innovative ideas, but without an action plan to outline the steps you need to take, you run the risk of going nowhere fast.7) Recognize your own strengths. Remember back to a time you struggled through a crisis and emerged better than ever. Realize your unique strengths will help you through the current situation. Focus on the characteristics that make you feel like your best self. Tapping into them is a surefire way to help you confidently step into any new situation.8) Look at the recent change as an opportunity. Even though it might take some effort, allow yourself to see that you’ve being given a chance to change your life. You’re in a position to improve something about your existence. Let your imagination run free. Regard the coming episode of your life as a new adventure and embrace it.9) Move forward with a sense of purpose. Now that you have the bare bones of a plan, you can proceed ahead with your new life with greater confidence. As time goes by, you’ll grow even surer of the direction you’re heading. Let yourself feel excited about your new goals.
Imagining there is something more, something different, that you want to do usually means there are new opportunities on the horizon. Be open to the things that are stirring up your passion and creativity and follow them. Always remember, you have what it takes to successfully manage any transition in life that appears before you. Openly accept this opportunity to let go of the old and embrace the new.
About the Author: Donna Jonas, CPC, ELI-MP, is a certified life transition coach with New Life Transition Coaching LLC and works with men and women who are unsure of how to move forward in life and find it difficult to make positive and healthy decisions. She helps them to discover what is causing stress and anxiety so they can go after what they want to achieve in life with confidence, clarity, and certainty. Donna also helps them to become aware of their core beliefs, perceptions, values, and passion which are key to them living their best life ever.
