I was on a run the other day and was thinking about the transitions this time of year brings.
Back to school. Back to university. Back to a fall routine. The transition from “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” to structure. Some folks dread it and others cannot wait to get back to the routine September brings. (I’m looking at you, parents!)
In my own family we have seen some changes this month. One kid back to Jr High. One starting university. One going BACK to university. Added to some changes within the family dynamic at home. All good, just a change.
In my coaching practice at Precision Nutrition, I often see how difficult change is for some folks. There are those who seem to love the challenge and the chance to do something new and try on a new set of habits. Others push back and find these changes incredibly difficult. Has this something to do with willpower or courage or ability to take on something new? Not at all.
Just as we all have different personalities and temperaments, we all have a different capacity to transition to new things. For some, stepping outside that comfort zone and doing a new thing….well, that is downright difficult. Not impossible, but terribly challenging. This is where doing one small thing comes in. You don’t have to take on something overwhelming right away. But one step forward will move you closer than you are right now.
To transition outside of the typical routine of each day and to keep growing is to continue living. Jim George said, “Transitions themselves are not the issue, but how well you respond to their challenges!”
I have a goal to continue to reach beyond and do things that are new and sometimes scary. As I said in my Tough Mudder post, trying something new and for the first time. Do I always want to do this? No way! But it allows me to become a better me, more able to handle transitions as they come my way.
What is challenging you this month? What keeps you from branching out and trying that new and frightening task or “to do”? What can you do for the first time?
pamsthoughtsontherun 