Seems like most people I speak with are going through a change in their lives. For some, it’s a smooth transition, for others a radical change. Perhaps I am noticing it because I am past the normal retirement age myself and many of the people I am in touch with are either adapting to or contemplating, retirement – or a new direction.
But it’s not just our boomer generation that is experiencing changes. It’s obvious from reading, listening and observing that it’s affecting members of all age groups.
A transition can be as sudden and dramatic as coming out of a dark tunnel into brilliant sunshine.
Or it can be a long slow and perhaps, frustrating, process.
Radical change can be accepted and welcomed, or resisted and feared.
Whether we see a new situation as a transition or major change in our lives is determined by our attitude, thoughts, values, beliefs and past experiences. If we have already experienced adversity and periods of huge upheaval in our lives, we are more likely to survive new changes.
If our lives have been a smooth passage with no major upsets or setbacks, the first big hurdle can be devastating.
In my case, the experience of moving to new countries in my late 20s and again in my early 40s, starting over and rebuilding my life helped me survive moving to Canada in my mid 50s.
Transition and experience
The pain and exhaustion of completing ultra marathons helped me survive interrogation and illegal imprisonment in Zimbabwe. The same resilience I relied upon in those long races and the days in the disgusting police cells, helped me survive 80 hour work weeks and hard manual work on a farm when I first came to Canada.
On really uncomfortable days on that farm, when it was wet and cold, equipment was breaking down, or I was trying to fix too many problems at the same time, I handled it by accepting that it was still infinitely better than the overcrowded police cell in Zimbabwe where I had been the year before.
On twitter yesterday, Peter Masters, tweeted that he had been made redundant and that it was a shock. He had written a post about it on Linked In and quoted an article by Victoria McLean. Peter was looking at redundancy as an incentive to transition into a new direction, success in another career, not a radical change to unemployment, financial hardship and early retirement. With that attitude, his experience, work ethic and skills he will soon be in a position worthy of his talents.
Others decide to make a radical change to a different life. A deliberate decision to manage their transition, not just a reaction to the trigger of changing circumstances or redundancy.
A case in point is a good friend of mine. She is in her early 60s, although her demanding management job is secure for at least another year, she has had enough of the pressure of her work. For some time, she has wanted to spend more time serving the community and helping people. With her work in the church, her communication skills, compassion for people and extensive religious knowledge and training, she is eminently qualified to do that.
She is taking the bold move to negotiate an early retirement, move back to the city she lived in as a child and young adult. It won’t be easy, but she has the resilience, determination and right attitude to be successful in her new vocation. I know she will be successful and have a positive impact on many lives. I admire her courage in taking a bold step to serve others at an age when most people are choosing an easier life.
Future transition and change
Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, robotics are all changing the nature of work. Jobs are becoming redundant with each advance in technology. These changes will affect most of us in some way.
We can resist and fight the changes or we can look for the opportunities they create and take advantage of them to manage our own transition to a contented and secure life.
Some changes should be resisted. Discerning which takes thought and reflection. The move to a cashless society and increasing government control of our lives are two that I find very worrying and will continue to resist.
How will you handle future changes?
Serenely managing your own transition or fighting radical change to the end?
Leave a comment, I welcome your thoughts.
Tunnel Photo by Alexander Mils instagram.com/alexandermils on Unsplash
Robot Photo by Alex Knight on Unsplash