Imagine you are:

• Getting ready to retire.
• Dealing with a job loss.
• Making a major career change.
• Facing a serious illness.
• Re-entering the workforce.

There is little training or guidance on how to navigate the multitude of inevitable passages in life. You dive into the deep end of the pool, doing what you can to prepare and hope for the best.

While putting your finances in order is always one of your first considerations, I would encourage you to spend time formulating the identity you desire as you move forward.

Your sense of yourself gets disrupted during transitions. You leave behind the familiar you and replace it with a new version of yourself. You can achieve this in a clumsy, unscripted manner--just evolving as the days and weeks go by. Or, you can establish your vision for who you want to become. Now you are in charge and increase your sense of well-being.

Here are some steps you can take if you are on the verge of a transition or in the middle of a transition that has been thrust upon you (or both!).

• Start by taking stalk of who you have been. Appreciate your former identity. Whatever your past has comprised, you need to lovingly be grateful for who you have become to this date.
• Begin to design your future identity. You can do this as a mental activity on a long walk or by talking to a friend who listens well.
• Consider both your plans for activates as well as your mental attitude. Ask yourself, how do I want to spend my time? How do I plan to motivate myself to be healthy and happy? Who do I want to maintain relationships with and who do I want to distance myself from? What do I want to learn and how do I want to show up in the world?
• If you have a creative flair a vision board, a journal or a video about you might help you illustrate your future.



The more detailed you can be, the more grounded and intentional your future will be. Use life transitions to grow into your greatest potential. This benefits you and also provides inspiration to all the people around you.