Values in Transitions

Transitions happen to everyone in their life at one stage or another, they can be external factors that just happen unexpectedly, or changes we put effort into i.e., we want these changes. Often transitions have implication on different areas in our life, both positive and negative, which can require some shifts in the way we think and do things.

When going through the different phases of transitions; endings, neutral zone, and new beginning, you often notice the shifts in mindset or state at different stages within those phases. Values can help bring clarity, especially in neutral zone where there is more confusion and discomfort.

Looking at values can identify specific areas which may have shifted after an ending and can support moving into a new beginning. This does not necessarily mean values completely change but they may shift in terms of importance or focus on your current state, which makes a lot of sense if your experiences or circumstances have changed in some way. It can even be that a transition itself makes you look at or reflect on things in another way, which leads to noticing the disconnect or that a change is needed.

Reflections on values to go through when in a transition:

·       Which values seem accurate on your list?

What has not changed on that list and what is still very important to you in your life right now.

·       Which values may have shifted?

This may feel like there is a conflict on a value. If you notice thinking of the value is only relevant in certain conditions (such as “only when”), saying “but” after, has some sort of “should” around it or seems to be someone else’s value. There may even be confusion on the value or not feeling very sure it is as relevant as before. The vales may just feel less important (yet still there), relevant to you or even just neutral.

·       Is there anything you would replace these values with?

This can even be a value which is very similar but more nuanced, or something that did not come up so strongly before.  

If you have not identified your values already, this article might help: https://www.merlinderorjela.com/articles/how-to-identify-your-values