The first day of fall brings thoughts of crisp mornings, dew covered lawns, overcast skies, and putting on our favorite cardigan, vest, or jacket. The boots come out along with our favorite earmuffs and gloves. Glorious days abound.
Fresh starts don’t just happen with mother nature. We are often granted fresh starts with life transitions. A new job. A new relationship. A new family member.
We also experience other fresh starts that may not feel fresh at first. A family death. A job loss. A divorce.
We all experience life changes, and our life experiences may influence how we handle what is now before us.
A transition from season to season starts with signs of change and we begin to anticipate what is to come. Once arrived, we know we can’t turn back time, only move forward. We may feel emotions around leaves dropping and subsequent cleanup, but we fall into a routine of the season until the next season begins and the cycle continues.
There are four stages to a transition - Anticipation, Ending, Passage, and New Normal. While not all life transitions begin with anticipating the change they do have the event, or ending, and the subsequent move to a new normal.
Some will experience a life change seemingly without a single misstep – flowing right through the phases to new normal as if routine. Others may experience overwhelm, numbness, fatigue, or paralysis. For these people change is difficult and decisions become monumental.
There are some tools you can consider. The Financial Transitionist Institute teaches a Now, Soon, Later method to move forward. When overwhelm feels like whirlwind in your head and you can’t get a start, take a pen to paper and start with the things that need to be addressed now. If recently widowed, you might start with calling family, calling friends, notifying family professionals. Soon might include these tasks: arrange services, search favorite photos, and collect favorite stories about the deceased. Later may be: settle estate, clean out closet, and review and update estate documents. The process of putting on paper all the thoughts in one’s mind in three buckets reduces the amount of emotional stress one feels during a transition.
Fresh starts can be refreshing, exciting, and renewing. Some move along that path from the beginning of the transition. Others take time to process and find the renewal a new life season can bring.
Knowing there are people on whom you can rely is the fresh air of a life change. We are here to help through your life changes. Call us at 602.923.9800 or email affinitywealthadvisorygroup@ampf.com.
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