Change, big or small, is pretty much a given. How you approach change differs depending on a number of factors: your past experience with change, your resilence, how you cope with stress and the unknown, your support network, your personality, your values, how motivated you are, external influences, and the list goes on.

Changemakers can be defined in a number of ways and there are many words used to describe them. In this instance, I am using the word “changemaker” as it relates to how one approaches change.

The one that describes you depends on how you evaluate yourself based on the above factors:

The Embracer runs to change.

I am excited to share an episode of the Youest You podcast that I was so fortunate to participate in with fellow coaches Priti Chandran and Crissy Freeman. Podcast host, coach and all around fabulous human being, Julie Reisler, invited us to chat about the Life Designer Coach Academy certification program which she designed and teaches. We talked about what drew us to the program and the impact it has made on our lives and the lives of others.

One critical part of the transition process is acknowledging and giving due thought to the fact that your life looks and feels different from the one you had before. We often go from old to new and skip this step. We then wonder why we feel a bit off balance. This may sound strange but we don’t allow ourselves to grieve what once was even if we are excited about the change.

We often use the words “change” and “transition” interchangeably. Although they are related concepts, they have distinct meanings. So let’s talk about the difference between the two…

Change refers to a specific event or situation that is different than what came before it…

Transition, on the other hand, is the psychological and emotional process that one experiences in response to change…

My last few posts have been about managing a big transition so it is all too apparent that it is taking up a lot of brain space. I was even reluctant to mention my move again. Frankly, I am sick of talking about it.

Here’s the thing…it just takes time to adjust and talking about it helps. And yes, you’ve heard me say this before but boy am I proof of how it works.

So let’s recap. First, acknowledge that you are having a tough time to yourself and to anyone who will listen. Second, think about…

It’s important to acknowledge a big change. Give yourself credit for what it took to make that big decision to change jobs, find a new career, relocate, retire and any number of transitions. And when it’s done, reflect on everything you did to then make it happen. It takes a lot of courage, energy, stamina, brainpower, and possibly a few tears to make a big change.

But what happens next? What happens on the other side of that change?