The Three Elements Of A Transition Plan

3 min read

Do you like a good sandwich? I do. So, when I think about a transition plan, I like to think about it as a sandwich that has three parts:

1.?????? A top,

2.?????? The part in between,

3.?????? And a bottom.

The messy part in always the in between part and the framework that holds your transition plan together is made out if the top and the bottom.

The Top

The top is the part of you that represents everything before the external change happened. Is the “Who was I?” before your situation or environment changed.

Knowing that every beginning starts with an ending, this top can be also viewed as the bottom of your previous change. It is the part that you became familiar and comfortable with. It is the part that you have accepted (for your own reasons), even if you didn’t like it. The top part contains things that you will have to say goodbye to. And this is why you are sad and unhappy even when an exciting new positive change happens to you. The feeling of loss and ending something are part of every transition. Yet, at the same time, this top part also contains things worth celebrating in your life right now because they got you where you are today.

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The Part In Between

The part in between feels like you are jumping off a rock and before you hit the water you are in the air. The new hasn’t been operationalized yet, but the old is already behind you. You are in the air and in an unknown territory I call ‘The Emotional Wilderness’. In order to figure out “Who do I want to become?” you have to make your way through this messy in between part. It’s the time when you ask yourself “To be or not to be …?” and this is where most people decide to quit, give up and go back to the old ways. But this part also holds the possibility for you to re-align your values and beliefs in your life, to re-invent yourself, to choose between what works and what doesn’t work for you anymore. It is a creative state of mind where you re-connect with your dreams and decide who you will be going forward.

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The Bottom

The bottom is the beginning of your new identity. You have a clear answer to “Who do I choose to be now?” and have made the emotional commitment to do things in the new way while seeing yourself as a new person with new values, understandings and most importantly, with a new identity. You know what actions to take next and how to show up in the world. You are ready to share yourself and your transition story with others. You are full of excitement, energy and a sense of purpose. You know it and feel it in your heart and in your body – not just in your mind.

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Why Does Knowing These Elements Matter?

Knowing that you can build a transition plan for any past, current and future change in your life will help you:

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1. To get through the change without giving up,
2. To know you have choices and thus control throughout your transition process,
3. To navigate any change successfully in your life,
4. To gain understanding for yourself and for others so you can better support yourself and others in their transition process,
5. To make better choices that align with who you are and who you want to become.

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I am confident your resilience and courage will shine through your next transition process. And if you would like some help with that, just reach out.

Choose to live life differently.

Apply and join The Place, Your Transition Circle today. We start in November.

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