“A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for” – John A Shedd.
Transitions are an inevitable and natural part of life. Human beings, like ships, are designed to handle them. I believe that transitions are what make life interesting, and, as with ships, what makes our human adventure worth the journey.
Think for a minute about your own transitions from childhood to adolescence and then to adulthood. Or think back to your last transition in your professional life. Was it sudden or gradual? Did you want it, or was it imposed on you? Regardless of the circumstances, keep in mind the thoughts and feelings that came up for you as you read this article.
William Bridges, a renowned expert on transitions, said that every transition moves through three phases:
1. The ending of something known
2. A period of reorientation
3. A new beginning
In this article, we’ll explore strategies for successfully navigating these phases.
Phase 1: Endings
Transitions always start with the ending of a familiar chapter and the version of us that existed up to that point.
Examples include:
• Leaving home to attend college and live independently
• Losing a job after steady employment
• Getting married after years of being single
• Transitioning from manager to Vice President
• Becoming a parent after only being responsible for yourself
Whether you’re excited about a transition or it was imposed on you, it always marks the end of who you were up to that point. As your identity shifts and your relationships and environment change, many emotions become your companions, including fear, grief, and joy. The key is acknowledging and welcoming these emotions without succumbing to them. Just pause to explore what they are trying to tell you.
While dealing with the emotions that can come with endings, consider:
• Who is the future you waiting to emerge?
• What internal strengths can help you? How can you leverage them?
• What are the downsides of the old situation?
• Can you glimpse the opportunities that lie behind the door of this change?
• What is one small thing that is positive about your new situation? This might be hard at first, but with practice, it can help improve your perspective about the change, leading to improved performance and satisfaction.
Transitions force us to leave our comfort zone, our metaphorical harbors. You have successfully navigated transitions before, so you can navigate this one too and learn something along the way.
Phase 2: Reorientation
This is the messy middle when some days it feels like we know what we are doing, only to be undone by our own doubts a minute later. The extent of the disorientation depends on five distinctions. The importance of the transition, your stage of life, the change’s impact, the people around you, and your attitude toward it all.
• The importance of the change and your stage in life. It’s very different to become unemployed at the beginning of your career, when you have many years to recover lost income and more opportunities to find a new job than when you are a few years away from retirement.
Ask: How do you assess the importance of the transition in this season of your life? What doors does it close and which ones open? What do you need to let go so something new can emerge? Notice if the change is giving you permission to do something you always wanted to do but didn’t because you were comfortable with the status quo.
• The impact of the change. Some changes may seem small, but they can close existing doors and open unexpected ones that completely alter your life. For example, getting passed over for a promotion may feel disappointing at first, then lead you to leave a job that has become part of your identity and open the door to a new career.
Imagine the change from the perspective of a month, a year, or five years in the future: what impact do you expect it to have?
• The people around you. Finding the right supporters can help you mitigate the messiness of the transition.
Ask: Who are the people who can support you? Think of your partner, friends, colleagues, mentors, coaches, professional psychologists, church leaders, etc. Think about how you feel when someone asks you for help. You probably feel honored and happy to help. By asking for help, you give others the opportunity to feel the same way.
• Your attitude toward the change.
Ask: What is within your control? How can this new situation help you become who you want to be? What is this transition inviting you to let go of so other experiences can come in and a new “you” can emerge? What are you willing to shift?
Often, growth begins when we are willing to let go of something that no longer serves us.
Phase 3: New Beginnings
Eventually, something shifts. You stop fighting the change and begin embracing the new challenges and the adventure of the unknown. In this phase, internal clues (curiosity or excitement about the new path and greater control over your emotions), as well as external clues (familiarity with the new environment and the people around you) will indicate you are ready to transform and perform.
Some key questions during this phase are:
• What do you want to be, learn, and accomplish in this new situation? This is an opportunity to craft new dreams, rediscover your purpose, and build alignment with your not-so-new situation.
• What new emotions are coming up for you? What are they trying to tell you? Are they helping you or undermining your efforts? Both situations are completely normal, and the sooner you recognize them, the sooner you can address them and come back to the center.
• What has helped you show up as your best self in the past?
• Who are your stakeholders and how will they measure your success? How can they help you? How can you help them?
• How can a thinking partner, such as a coach, help you navigate the transition? If you are at an organization, see if they’ll help you find a coach. If they don’t already, try to help them understand that coaching is an investment that supports their employees in being productive and fulfilled in a shorter period.
• What signposts will tell you that it is time to initiate a new transition? Some signposts to consider are: A new season in your life; you notice your growth is slowing down; you feel your purpose shifting with a desire to do something new.
Steering Your Own Course
The cycle of transitions is never-ending. Many times, we can prepare for transitions, as with the seasons of the year, when we pull out our swimsuits in the summer and our coats in the winter. If we are lucky, we can prepare for some of the transitions. In the worst-case scenario, we can choose how we respond to the change and leverage the strategies outlined above to help us adapt and emerge successful.
Regardless of where you are in a transition, it’s critical to recognize that you have the power to steer yourself toward the destination you desire, creating your own future rather than being tossed around by the storm of your circumstances. Transitions are not simply periods to survive. They are opportunities to grow, learn, and become.
You can do this! Trust your ability to navigate forward. Fair winds on your journey!
Please share other strategies that helped you navigate major life or career transitions in the comments.
Resources:
• The Way of Transition by William Bridges
• When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
• Diane Gan’s article from July 2026.
Ana Christina Lapera, with over 30 years of leadership experience in technology, operations, business architecture, and process improvement across Fortune 500 companies and major federal institutions, is an Executive Coach at TPA.
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