Assess the Situation to Gain Perspective When Navigating Transitions

If you find yourself in a season of transition, you are in good company.

We have had many conversations this year with people who are selling their businesses, moving, or between careers. As they navigate the uncertainty, they find themselves facing unique challenges and frustrations. If this is you, I want to offer a few questions to consider as you seek clarity in the midst of many unknowns.

Step one in our process for navigating transition is to give yourself time to process the season that has ended. This may require slowing down, resting, and even grieving the shift.

Having rested, you may find yourself assessing your surroundings with a new perspective. By taking an honest look at where you are today and where you want to go, you can begin creating a vision and a path for moving forward.

The beauty of transitions is that they disrupt routine and present you with the opportunity to intentionally turn, adjust, and make positive changes that were not possible in the old rhythm. The Five Capitals provide a useful framework for identifying where you would like to make these changes. Each capital represents an influential piece of your life and can be summarized as follows:

• Financial Capital: The material resources at your disposal
• Relational Capital: Your personal and professional relationships
• Character Capital: The person you’re becoming
• Spiritual Capital: Your spiritual life, family, and legacy
• Intellectual Capital: The stewardship of your mind

For each of these capitals, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• What would you like to shift in each area?
• Where would you like to grow?
• What would you like to carry with you from the past season?
• What would you leave behind?
• Where do you feel stuck and who might help you become “unstuck”?

Asking and answering those questions will help clarify the season that has ended, assess where you stand today, and cast vision for the season upon you. You are not alone! There is purpose in this season of waiting, there is purpose in the in-between, and there is purpose in the process. My hope for you is that as you engage the process, you find yourself with an attitude of fulfillment even if you have not yet reached the final destination.

“Come now, insignificant man, fly for a moment from your affairs, escape for a little while from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside now your weighty cares and leave your wearisome toils. Abandon yourself for a little to God and rest for a little in him.” ― Anselm

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