6 Tips for Successfully Navigating Change

By Sabrina Roblin

Change = Transition and they are happening all the time in one or more of the following areas of our lives: work, health, finances, relationship and home.  Transitions present challenges that bring up fear, as well as opportunities to stretch into a more authentic and fulfilling expression of who we are.  They can also grow us into our next level of personal and professional leadership if we embrace them well. The most challenging transitions are the ones that are out of our control, such as when we have a health issue pop up suddenly, our partner leaves us, or we are let go from a job.  Life as we knew it is gone and we are thrown into a process of grief and loss at the same time that we must step up to redesign our lives.  Even the happy transitions such as marriage, buying a new home, and being promoted, hold both challenge and opportunity.

Attending to the following six areas will support you in successfully managing the challenges and living into the opportunities of your life transitions:

Self care- make self care a daily practice.  Choose what brings you the most comfort and peace.  This could include rest, journaling, meditation, music, time with a loved one or a hot bath.

Feelings- Remember you are a human BEing.  It’s important to feel what you feel, including joy and pain so they move through you.  They show you what needs to be attended to and help you stay connected to what’s true and alive in you.  When you stuff them they can turn toxic, keeping you from moving forward in your life and growing into a more authentic expression of yourself, which are two of the greatest opportunities of any change.

Fear- this feeling deserves its own category.  Letting fear run unmanaged can undermine your well-being and freeze you into inaction.  Getting out of your head and into your body through singing, dancing, walking and other forms of exercise are all effective ways of managing fear.  Also, gaps in information can create fear. Ask yourself, ‘what do I need to learn or know in order to make a more informed choice in the situation?’

Attitude/perspective- it has been proven through research that a positive attitude makes all the difference in making it through challenging circumstances.  Pay attention to your thoughts and create a positive story about who you are and how you are going to succeed.  Making a list of at least 20 and up to 100 qualities, strengths and blessings you have will assist with this.

An attitude of gratitude supported by a daily practice is an important source of comfort, encouragement and strength.  (Check out my blog, The Essential Practice of Giving Thanks.)

Action- take action that is both self supporting and moves you forward in your life.  Inform your action through creating a vision and plan for where you want to be on the other side of the transition.

Support- we are tribal creatures and thrive in community.  Gather the support you need based on your circumstances, whether it be friends, loved ones, work colleagues, a therapist or a coach.

Most coaching clients are in one or more transitions in their personal or professional lives, and through coaching have created breakthroughs, and stepped into a new level of fulfillment and leadership. You can too.

Sabrina Roblin, CPCC has been a professional coach, mentor, and trainer since 2004.  She has worked for organizations that include Wells Fargo Bank, Broderbund Software, and The Coaches Training Institute. Contact her for more information and a sample session.

Chrysalis image from Suzanne D. Williams