Navigating Transition with Patience and Acceptance

A week has gone by since I took a big leap to transition from my toxic work environment to more satisfying work. Overall I'd say the experience has been pretty good, but as always, there have been a few hiccups along the way. Having been in this position before, I was prepared for last minute changes, knowing that everything sounds good in theory, but ideas, plans, even people can change once you really get down into the nitty gritty. I prepared myself for this weeks ago, releasing any grandiose expectations of what I thought my ideal day would be like and bracing for the nuances that would inevitably pop up. I think this practice has served me well and I'm finding that each hiccup, rather than being a nuisance, is a new layer in which I have to navigate. It's been a wonderful practice.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to give this all a try. The hardest part about this transition is going from the nine to five business hours to coordinating my own days. Whereas before, someone else was creating the structure in my day, now I'm the one making my day-to-day work. In some ways it's completely liberating, in other ways, it's completely overwhelming and yes, even some doubt started to creep in this week. However, I keep reminding myself that it's all a part of the transition and that in a few weeks time I will find my groove. It will happen. I just need to be patient and accepting of what comes my way.

new office view!

I don't want to lose sight of why I made this change--which is to teach and write more! This week as I started work with one new company and caught up with projects from another, I found myself inwardly saying, "hey wait! I've got a blog to write and manage, people to get back to, and ideas to share for Capricious Yogi." While all of this is important, let's be realistic, it's also necessary for me to get acquainted with my new responsibilities as I have bills to pay and health care coverage to maintain. This week my mantra has been "I'm figuring this out" and it's helped. Again, the practice of patience and acceptance has been crucial for me during this period.

So that's where I'm at. This weekend I plan to do a little reshuffle on my calendar, catch up on some personal projects and get organized for the week ahead. Given that Thanksgiving is around the corner and my dad is coming to visit (yay!), I'm not sure how much I'll actually get done, but it is my goal to do what I can to the best of my ability. That in and of itself is it's own practice, no? As long as I stay grounded and allow myself to ease into this process, rather than tearing through head first, I'm already ahead of the game. That's right,  I'm going to allow myself to have a little fun and enjoy the process rather than getting all stressed out by it. Otherwise, what's the point of all of the change and upheaval if I can't find enjoy the work I'm doing?

Have you ever made a change and thought you've bitten off more than you chew? How do you stay grounded through transitions?

Photo by AlicePopkorn