The only constant in life is change.  Whether we make it happen, or it looks like it’s happening “to” us (remember, we make ALL of it happen, one way or another!) – change is inevitable.  I personally embrace change.  In fact, it’s become kind of a joke that when my friends call me and ask “What’s new?” they need to be prepared for a long answer.  There’s always something new!

I divide change into two categories: transitions and leaps (of faith, usually … because they feel like we’re jumping off a cliff, hoping the net will appear).  I think most of us are fairly comfortable with transitions.  Transitions allow us to edge forward carefully, taking baby steps into the unknown.  Unfortunately, leaps are eventually required if we want to create truly new and different circumstances for ourselves.

In fact, I’ve talked to quite a few clients lately who are stuck in transition.  They know the end of a relationship is coming, but haven’t moved out yet.  They have a part-time business going on the side, but haven’t quit their full-time job yet.  They are flirting with a new career direction or business expansion, but haven’t signed up for that class or coaching program yet.  They are in transition, but aren’t willing to take that big leap into change.

Having said that, I think that transitions are necessary before we take a leap.  I’m not a big fan of the budding entrepreneur who quits his day job with three months of savings in the bank and THEN starts a business.  I’m an advocate of building a side business, getting into revenue, and THEN quitting the day job.

Here’s why transitions are necessary.

They allow us the opportunity to make course corrections when the stakes aren’t so high.  We can take a baby step forward, have a look at where we land, and then take the next step into a slightly different direction, if necessary.  When we go into transition, we don’t have to have all the answers.  We can experiment a bit and nestle our way into what works for us.

Transitions also allow us to gather “proof” that we’re headed in the right direction.  Leaps of faith are scary – we can’t KNOW the outcome of what we’ve never done before.  But transitions allow us to test the waters, to witness evidence that we’re headed in the right direction.  If we’re working on a side business, for example, those first few clients let us know that the world perceives value in what we’re offering.

But eventually, the leap is required.  Transitions can give us the illusion that we’re moving forward, when all we’re doing is avoiding the big change, the full commitment to new circumstances.  If we stay in transition too long, we might even lose track of where we were going in the first place.

Before every transition, we need to be clear on what leap may eventually be required to truly create what we want.  Even better, it’s a great idea to put a limit on the amount of “proof” we need in order to make the big shift.  In other words, we need to create an end point to our transition.  Whether that’s a certain amount of income, number of clients, or other versions of success … we’re never going to get that big, shiny guarantee from the Universe that IF we take a leap of faith, we’ll be fine.  We need to find our guarantee in the little outcomes from our time of transition, and be satisfied with that.

Are you in a transition?  How far away are you from a leap?  And what would be required for you to take that dive off the cliff into change?

Blessings,
Andrea

Filed under: Embrace Your Highest Path and Purpose • Manifest Your Desired Outcomes • Releasing Limiting Beliefs

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