Six Ways to Transition with Confidence
Tomorrow, I’ll be starting a new role at work – which I’m very excited about! Throughout my career to date, I’ve been in rotational programs and worked at companies that encourage internal career mobility. As a result, I’ve had the opportunity to change jobs every 12-18 months. I love this, because it allows me to have diversified experiences, fosters my professional development, promotes continuous learning, and helps me gain a breadth of knowledge and skills.
While change can be exciting, I also understand from experience that it can be challenging and incite feelings of fear sometimes. Having changed jobs five times to date (including pivoting into a new field and industry) as well as experiencing other significant life changes, I thought I’d share a few tips that have helped me transition with confidence and embrace change more easily over time. And guess what?! These tips can help even if you’re transitioning to a new city or into a new season of life such as grad school, entrepreneurship, parenthood, etc.
Prepare – Sometimes change is unexpected. In many cases, however, we plan for change. When the latter is true, take time to prepare. Preparation is not only critical for success, it also helps to reduce anxiety, stress, and fear. I believe preparation also helps build confidence. Pause to think about the moments in your life when you prepared versus when you failed to prepare. Even if the outcome differed from what you expected, I’m sure you approached the experiences you prepared for with more confidence. So before stepping into new, unfamiliar territory, take time to strategize a plan for success, educate yourself, develop your skills, save money, or whatever preparation looks like for you in your particular season of life.
Be confident in yourself and your abilities – Change can be daunting and uncomfortable, because it forces us outside of our comfort zones. However, in addition to preparation, I also believe recounting past wins and affirming yourself can help you approach new situations with greater ease and confidence. For example, think about times in the past when you showed up and crushed it or successfully accomplished a goal. What strengths, skills, or knowledge did you use in that situation? Whatever you identified, own them and use them to your advantage in future situations. Now, recall the most challenging times in your life and how you overcame those experiences. Perhaps some of the practices or behaviors (i.e. resilience, perseverance, prayer, asking for help or advice, etc.) you applied during those times can also be leveraged when challenges present themselves along your new journey. Also, don’t wait for others to affirm you, be your biggest cheerleader! Tell yourself things like: I am graced and equipped for this! I was selected for this role or academic program, because I’m intelligent and competent. God entrusted me with this child and with His help, I will be an amazing parent. My product or service offering is valuable, and I have the knowledge and expertise to run a successful business. Whatever the case may be, you got this!
Be kind to yourself – I’m not sure about you, but sometimes I can be more gracious to others than I am towards myself. This is something I’m definitely still in the process of learning and putting into practice, but doing so is especially beneficial in seasons of transition. You won’t always know what to do or have the answers and by nature of being human, you will make mistakes. When you’re faced with a situation where you don’t know how to respond or don’t know the answer, it’s ok. You’re not expected to know everything. Leverage the skills and knowledge you have to date, and lean on others for support when needed. Also, as humans, mistakes are inevitable; but many people fail by repeating mistakes or becoming paralyzed when they make mistakes. The key to overcoming mistakes is acknowledging them, taking responsibility, learning from them, and getting back up! In either case, be patient and loving towards yourself and view them as learning opportunities.
Expect and embrace uncertainty – While it’s natural to have expectations for the way things will go in life, unexpected events tend to occur along the journey. Some of the best ways to navigate uncertainty is to be flexible, adaptable, and open-minded. Having this mindset allows you to quickly pivot when needed and to stay motivated through uncertain times. Also, try changing your perspective about unexpected changes. We often emerge from challenging situations stronger and smarter; so when unanticipated events pop up along the journey, focus on the things you can control, release your grip on the things you can’t control, and think to yourself, “Something good will eventually come out of this situation.” Also, for the record, the unexpected is not always a bad thing. Unexpected blessings, relationships, or opportunities may also present themselves along the journey. I encourage you to expect and be open to those as well!
Have a positive attitude – Your mindset and perspective are the primary factors affecting how you experience things in life. If you expect good things, you will experience good things. However, if you go into a situation dreading it or with a negative attitude, you aren’t going to have the best experience. Having a positive attitude also helps you to remain optimistic and motivated even when things aren’t going so great or don’t turn out the way you expected. It also conditions your mind to find the good in situations and makes you more pleasant to work with or be around. Lastly, many of life’s changes are exciting so have fun and enjoy the journey!
Lean on your community – Remember, you don’t have to face things in life alone. Surround yourself with a loving, supportive community of family, friends, colleagues, etc. and don’t be afraid to lean on them and ask for help, when needed. One beautiful thing about life is that someone else has previously experienced something you may currently be going through or about to experience. Reach out to these people for advice and to learn from their experience. Your community is also a great resource when things get especially hard or you don’t know how to handle a particular situation. And in case you need a gentle reminder, being vulnerable and asking for help isn’t a weakness, if anything it makes you stronger 🙂
I hope you find these tips helpful and would love for you to drop any additional tips or general thoughts in the comment section below!
Be encouraged,
Imanne