Life transitions are challenging because they force us to let go of the familiar, and face the future with a feeling of vulnerability. While transitions are as natural as the changing seasons, how many of us really understand the process and know how to make the best of it?
In his book, “Managing Transitions”, William Bridges defines transition as the “psychological process people go through to come to terms with a situation.” In Bridges’ view, the difference between a change and a transition is that while the former is an external event, the latter is an internal process resulting from it.
The first step to successfully managing a transition is to understand that transitions begin with an ending: Letting go of the old situation, the old way of doing things. Nevertheless, we must be aware that it takes time to psychologically abandon old patterns of thinking.
The second step, labeled by Bridges as the neutral zone, involves a no-mans-land between the old reality and the new one. This critical stage is characterized by a “limbo between the old sense of identity and the new.” In this stage, old habits and patterns may still persist, while new ones are still looking for a foothold. Here, transitions can either take off or sink into the mud.
Finally, we are ready for a new beginning. This stage is about new understandings, new values, new attitudes, and new identities. As the British-Czech born dramatist Tom Stoppard notes, “every exit is an entry somewhere else.”
These three steps can help us deal with and transition out of any changes we encounter in our lives. We may be able to shorten the length of each step, but we cannot bypass them. Remember that change cannot occur without a transition process.
Are you ready for change this summer?