If you are like me, when you think about transitions that have occurred in your life, you will mostly recall major changes. Some were good, and some were bad. But you remember them because of the impact on your life.
Transitions are also the points in our lives that offer the greatest opportunity for learning. As a situation changes, we have the ability to reflect on the change itself, how we react to the change, and how it affects our future.
I spent time this week thinking about transitions, and realized that I am continuously in transition. These transitions occur in three main areas.
1) Time – Transitions occur daily as we have morning routines, afternoon routines, and evening routines. We transition from day to night. We transition through our week. We transition through the seasons of the year. But most importantly we transition through the seasons of our life.
2) Relationships – Relationships are always in transition. Relationships are growing stronger or becoming weaker. At a minimum we must give attention to a relationship to maintain it. Relationships are the most dynamic transitions of our life.
3) Activities – The activities and tasks that occupy our time, effort, and energy are in transition. We gain new interests, we lose interest in others. We are driven by our responsibilities to our families, our employers or clients, and to ourselves. The focus of these activities transition based on our priorities and the surrounding circumstances.
The importance of recognizing all of these transitions is to take advantage of the learning opportunities. Each transition provides an opening to improve. How often do you take advantage of your transitions to enhance your life?