Transition

The other day my daughter said “You don’t transition very well”.  This wasn’t a criticism.  It was a fact.

You see from April 28^th when I received the first text message from my grandson asking me to move to Westman Village until July 28^th when I physically moved to Calgary, I have been bombarded with decisions, change and adjustment.

It was one thing to get in a vehicle and drive to the new condo and quite another to get settled.   Notifying everyone of change of addresses and having documentation updated was a huge undertaking.  There was legal paperwork for the sale of my place in Medicine Hat and even more for the purchase of my condo in Calgary

Closing down a 1300 square foot office and an 1100 square foot condo while having only 1040 new square feet required some serious decision-making.  There was furniture to sell, items to pack and even some purchases to make.

I gave up all the professionals who had been so loyal to me for twenty-five years – my physician, hairdresser, financial planner and the many others who I trusted and built relationships with.

Transferring utilities, computer services, and learning about new providers was time-consuming.  There were also keys, passwords and strategies to navigate.

And through it all, I never missed a day of work with clients!  (Actually that was very positive as it grounded me).

So what was the plan that might help you too when you are in transition:

1. Take small steps (I only open three boxes a day).
2. Get enough rest.
3. Eat nutritionally
4. Be creative (still haven’t found my roaster but a lasagna plan works just as well!)
5. Enjoy the “newness” of the surroundings (a walk and drive provide wonderful adventures).
6. Give thanks (every hour of every day)
7. Keep the end goal in mind (everything will be so beautiful when the unpacking is done).

Transition is a middle area that takes us from one situation to another.  It is often rather chaotic and can actually feel overwhelming.  But, transition is part of life and we all need to be able to not just handle the transition but also handle ourselves while it is occurring.

Oh, and don’t panic when you mess up!   In fact, my editor had to remind me today that I hadn’t submitted my column this week.  Thanks Ryan!