Thank you to those of you who took time to write me a kind note about the loss of my little dog, Sazerac. It meant a lot and we are slowly adapting to becoming “empty nesters.”
We are not adopting another dog for a long time since we currently are living in a State of Transition. I have jokingly said that the State of Transition became the 51st state in the USA effective March 13, 2020. Everyone I know seems to be in some form of a transition, either physically, mentally, or both.
Our State of Transition started when we sold our house in the Hudson Valley and decided to relocate and rethink just about every aspect of our lives. Possessions were sold with the rest packed into a small storage pod. It’s amazing how lighter one feels with less possessions and overhead.
The challenge of “what next?’ and “where to?” presents an opportunity unlike any to reshape one’s future. To do this well, you really need to let go of anything in your past life that is holding you down. That is not an easy task, and it takes time. We have met many people living in the same state. Some are trying to figure things out; others are well on their way.
If you feel you are living in a State of Transition, start with small steps:
- Re-arrange and declutter your house. Create a special space where you can reset without interruptions.
- Take up a new hobby or sign up for class to learn a skill that can help you with the transition- a business or technology course, an online workshop or language course.
- Allocate at least one-hour a day to focus on the Why, What and How strategy to move forward. This can be as simple as maintaining a diary with a list of ideas.
- Read up on role models who have faced a transition. Learn from their mistakes and successes. Reach out to them to connect. They may respond.
- Avoid the urge to compare/contrast where you are in your transition with others. Own your progress on your time.
- If the path isn’t working on the journey, take another route. There are always options.
Consider taking a side job or volunteer with an organization where you can learn the business you want to be in. - Try living in a location temporarily to see if you like the environment. These days remote working allows for any of us to try new things and be anywhere.
- Not everyone will support or agree with what you are doing. You can choose who to listen to or not. Most important is to listen to your inner voice.
