Life Transformation Roadmap
Recently, my longtime collaborator in event planning and local sustainability, Joanna Micek, delved into the topic of life transformation in a compelling interview featured on her blog, EVENTLIFE at joannamicek.com.
For those seeking insights into a potential career pivot or life-altering change, I encourage you to keep reading to get the five crucial steps of life transformation. And if you need support, I’m here to help.
1. Awareness: Embracing the Urge for Change.
"There's something new here, I want something different"
Self-reflection exercises can be helpful while maintaining curiosity, non-judgement, and awareness of new ideas and feelings as they come up. Time, space, and watching a lot of Netflix were helpful for me - I got one of my "aha" moments while watching Queer Eye for The Straight Guy!
Recognize the whispers of change through self-reflection exercises like journaling and meditation.
Cultivate curiosity, non-judgment, and an awareness of new ideas and feelings.
Create mental space for contemplation; sometimes, the most profound realizations come during moments of leisure.
2. Denial: Facing Fear and Uncertainty
"I can't, I'm afraid"
This is the step where you start to get a sense of what you want but it's too scary to look in the eye. Inspirational stories, informational networking, moodboards, visualizations around "what would it look like if..." can help the possibilities feel less daunting.
Acknowledge your desires even when they seem daunting.
Seek inspiration from motivational stories, engage in informational networking, and use tools like mood boards and visualizations to confront fears.
Consider reading 'Pivot' by Jenny Blake, a book that normalizes the challenges of change and encourages forward momentum.
3. Hypothesis Building: Exploring Possibilities
"Maybe I could..."
This is the stage where you start exploring possibilities, brainstorming, making lists, enumerating ideas, and researching.
Engage in brainstorming sessions, create lists, and enumerate your ideas.
Dive into research and explore possibilities.
Books such as 'Designing Your Life' by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans or 'Finding Your North Star' by Martha Beck can be valuable guides at this stage.
4. Experimentation and Testing: Navigating Low-Risk Ventures
"If I did do this thing, it would be like ..."
Experiment with ways where you could get lived experience with your idea. The idea here is to try it out, to see if it fits your hypothesis and if indeed you really like this possibility for yourself.
Volunteer, intern, apprentice, or take on freelance projects to gain practical experience.
Consider pro bono work or bartering to build your expertise in a low-risk environment.
This stage is about testing the waters through small, manageable steps.
5. Taking the Leap: Embracing Change with Courage
"I'm going for it!"
This stage is represented to me by the beautiful quote by Anaïs Nin:
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
Reflect on "What's it costing me to stay where I am?" and "What is really/objectively at stake if I make this leap?"
Know that it’s normal and inevitable (and won't kill you!) to do it scared.
Interview others about when they leaped. They were likely more scared than you may realize.
