Many people have been affected by the downward spiral of our country’s financial sector during the last year.  Clearly, our world is changing.  We are in a transition.  It is as if we have entered a new race in which we are striving to redefine normal.  Perhaps it is time to look at life as if it were a marathon race – not a sprint.  Preparing for a marathon requires different skills than preparing for a sprint.

Like a marathon, a transition is a process that happens over time.  Understanding the stages in the process of a transition and what you can do at each stage helps you be more prepared and resilient.  Discover what you can do to successfully participate in the marathon. 

There are 3 stages in a transition:  Ending, Middle, and New Beginning.  During a time of transition, you have to identify your losses, work through a middle stage, and finally embrace a new beginning.  You may find yourself at different stages and moving through the transition at different speeds, similar to running a marathon.

Stage 1 - Ending.  Sometimes endings are disliked because they mean unlearning ways of doing things that are familiar.  When running a marathon, this is a time you change your behavior to make time to prepare for the race.  Old routines need to change to make time to get fit.  Losses tend to disrupt your sense of identity, rootedness, and connection.  It migt mean loss of an ideal, purpose, goal, hope, or plan as you let go of the old way of thinking or acting.  Endings can shake your belief that life is predictable, fair, and controllable.  For instance, the kind of financial upheaval the nation has suffered recently shakes such a belief.  The world feels like it is no longer a benign place. 

Action Step:  You have to identify your losses before you can have a new beginning.  You have to get in condition which means finding time to train or practice even though you might like to just put on your running shoes and go.

Stage 2 – Middle.  There is little that is comfortable or clear during this stage.  Feelings of confusion can cause doubt and anxiety.  Likewise, in the middle of a marathon, it is easy to lose concentration and energy.  Yet, this is a time of creativity, opportunity, and devlopment.  It has been described as the winter before spring.

Action Step:  There is a strong need during this stage for direction and answers to help you with the necessary reorientation that is taking place.  Build in structure.  It helps provide strength.  Realistic, short-range goals and check-points along the way help keep you in the race.  Improved communication lines can lead to innovative ideas that enhance resilience and moving on to stage three.

Stage 3 – New Beginning.  This stage involves new understandings abut yourself and your situation.  As you approach the end of a marathon, there is renewed energy and commitment to completing it.  Finishing it becomes part of your new identity and affects your values and attitudes. 

Action Step:  Self-awareness is essential.  Identify what is important to you so you will be clear about your values.  Develop a clear picture of the outcome you want.  Look within yourself as well as outside yourself to determine the things that help you be responsive and persistent.  Choose to be authentic in what you say and do.  Live your life out of your values and a strong sense of purpose.

No matter what stage you are in during a transition or race, it is important to keep your resolve.  What choices are you making to be resilient and keep your resolve?  What will it take for you to do this with perseverance?  The answers will be different for each of you becuase you are unique.  Hopefully, you will keep your eyes and ears tuned to those things that not only keep you in the marathon but also help you be healthy and committed to completing it.