If there is one theme that I am seeing across all my coaching clients right now, it’s the concept of transition.
Some of my clients are transitioning between jobs. Some of my clients are transitioning between career stages. Some of my clients are transitioning from non-vaccinated to vaccinated. Some of my clients have new babies, new homes, or new spouses.
In short, there’s a lot of change happening in people’s lives right now.
I’ve been turning to some really helpful resources on transition lately — and recommending them to a lot of my clients — so I also wanted to share some of my favorites here in case they are helpful in your own transition times:
Transitionsby William Bridges: This is my go-to resources for clients who are feeling overwhelmed by transition. Bridges outlines three stages of transition and offers lots of examples of what the stages can look like. Sometimes defining and naming what we are feeling in transition can be a helpful form of coping and gaining self-knowledge.
Managing Transitions by William Bridges: Part of me wishes that I had read this book a year ago when I was helping my organization go through a lot of transitions, but the other part of me can see how much better I understand the concepts in the book given my most recent experiences of organizational change. I want to hand this book to anyone currently managing a team that is undergoing change and transition. It’s definitely one for your permanent library.
What Got You Here Won’t Get You Thereby Marshall Goldsmith: For folks engaging in career transitions, this is a great book that helps you think through the current skills you have and the ones that you want to develop in the future. I reread this book every couple of years and always find something helpful and interesting each time.
Welcome the Unwelcome by Pema Chodron: I turned to this book early in the year and it was a helpful and comforting guide for dealing with uncertainty and change that are not always welcomed transitions in our lives. The author is an 80-year-old Buddhist nun living in an abbey in Canada and her insights serve as simple and timely reminders for how much control we have over our own thoughts and reactions.
Wintering by Katherine May. If you are going through a difficult transition period, this book is a comforting read about taking a pause, reevaluating your current situation, and being kind to yourself along the way. I read it in one sitting and can definitely see myself returning to it in the future.
And here’s one more that’s on my own to-read list:
Finding Meaning by David Kessler: This book builds off earlier research on grief to add a sixth stage about meaning. I’m always interested in finding deeper meaning in challenging situations so that I can further develop my skills in sense making, so this is on my short-list of books I want to read soon.
What are some of your favorite resources on transition?