Anything changing in your future? New job? Starting to work part-time? Loss of a loved one? Health issues that challenge how you live your life? And the one you might be in denial over – RETIREMENT? Sometimes change can sneak up on you and smack you in the face. But sometimes you are more than ready and willing but aren’t quite sure how to transition into your next life phase. I didn’t really have a plan when I moved into the retirement zone so it was all trial and error for me. I don’t recommend that strategy because it is very stressful so that is why I am writing this blog to help you out.
So let’s talk about change. Here are some steps that might help you make the move forward with grace, style and even gay abandon!
C – Commit to making the change by setting a deadline date. I know this could freak you out but once you set that date all the universal forces and the decisions you are faced with get easier to make. And you are on your way.
H – Hire helpers of change.
Financial planner for your finances. My wakeup call was discussing my retirement plan with a financial advisor and discovering I could leave my frustrating job at 58 which could release the bondage I was feeling in my dead end job. What a relief!
Wellness coach for your life-balance issues. I received coaching from a nurse entrepreneur (just like me) who guided me into creating a new exciting path I hadn’t thought of that was a perfect match for me and brought balance back into my life.
Mentor from the field you want to be in. I pursued a very successful mentor who was doing just what I wanted to do which saved me time, money and instilled in me all the confidence I needed to move forward with my plans.
A – Adjust to the possibility of change. Start thinking about what life would be in your new future. Meditate and visualize living this way. Jot down notes to bring it into reality. Create a vision board from those notes that is visible to you daily. If you see it and feel it you will believe you can have it all.
N – Notice signs of change. What frustrations are you having now that if you were living your new exciting life would not be an issue anymore? What missed opportunities are occurring because you are too busy at work to be fully present with what you really want to do? What lives are others living that you wish you could have as well?
G – Give yourself time to make the change.
Are you a Jumper and leap ahead without much thought (THAT’S ME!).
Are you a Thinker and need to map out a detailed plan to follow?
Are you a Connector and need to go along with the crowd so you don’t feel alone in the process?
Are you a Controller and need to make a big deal about declaring what you are doing and broadcasting when you will be making the change?
Whomever you are, and there may be other styles I didn’t mention, you need to be true to your nature and do it your way.
E – Enjoy the ride. It’s just another phase of life and can also be great fun if you know this is the right thing for you and also know that it will be a chance to be more of who you really are. Kind of like the bell curve. We start out excited and are learning a lot, then we cruise for awhile as an expert, but then something changes and we feel a dip in our energy, enthusiasm, and desire to continue on. You see, it is natural for change to happen and for you to want to move through it and move on.
So the ups and downs of the bell curve are normal and remember – for whom the bell tolls it tolls for you. And in the second half of your life and career, you get to do it your way!
Be well on your journey, and contact me if you want some coaching around the great changes that lie ahead.