How to Handle the Next Steps

So often in life, we go through so many transitions and adjustments. Each step, transition, adjustment is a new process. Sometimes we get overwhelmed by all these changes and these changes doesn’t include all the additional layers of our life such as our health, job, lifestyle, family to finances.

If we are not taught or self-taught resilience, have the coping skills, or given the tools to help us any transition can be a tough one. We are left in this constant cycle of worrying, trying to figure out what our next steps are, our self-care goes downward and we can be left in a vulnerable position.

Changes can either be healthy, scary, illuminating, empowering, unhealthy to taking that step into the unknown. Changes have meanings within themselves. What are we looking for when we are attempting to make these changes?

Here are some strategies to help you plan your next steps:

1. What is the intention behind the change?

2. What are you looking to get out of it?

3. What are the outcomes you are looking for?

4. What is the timeline you want to accomplish your goal in?

5. How can you create balance between what your goal is and all the other layers in your life?

6. Are you keeping up with your self-care routine and if not, what are the obstacles that are getting in the way?

7. What kind of thoughts are you associating with this change/transition?

8. If they are negative thoughts, what are the messages trying to tell you? Can you rewrite these messages?

9. What does your support system look like? Can you get assistance from your friends, family members and so on? What would that entail and look like?

10. Are you judging yourself to harshly? If so, why? Can you provide some compassion towards yourself? What would that look like for you?

It is important that to remember that change happens whether we like it or not, it is sometimes thrust upon us in many unexpected ways, but it does not mean that you will not be able to bounce back, move forward, accomplish the goals that you dream of. As the saying goes, there is light at the end of tunnel.