Transitions are funny experiences, not funny ‘haha’ but more like the scary funny. You know that laugh that comes out of your mouth as fear fills your body. We have all been there at some point in our lives. Transitions bring about unknowns and situations that are out of our control. You may think you have control, but the reality is you don’t, at least not fully.
Even though fear is present, in these moments of transition, you can find some of your greatest successes and wins. But there needs to be a perspective shift that you need to prepare yourself before that moment of transition hits you.
I love the quote by John F Kennedy, he said “the best time to fix a leaky roof is when the sun in shining.” If you try to fix your roof when its raining, your job will be a million times harder. The wise man or woman sees the leak and intentionally takes the time to fix it when the sun is out and shining brightly. Those moments are less dangerous, there’s no water leaking into your house and allows you to see clearly to make the repair.
The same is true in life and sport. Transitions are inevitable, they will come at you at times when you are not ready to navigate them, they weren’t planned, or foreseen; they just jump out at you.
So how prepared are you for those moments? You can’t schedule them or grab control when transitions come about. But, you can be prepared to navigate them and experience success. The irony is that some of the greatest moments of success come in the midst of transition. Athletically, you have counter attacks, change of possession, double plays, baton transfers, the list goes. And in these moments races, games, competitions are won or lost.
Athletes and coaches spend thousands of hours planning and preparing for these moments. So doesn’t it make sense to prepare personally for moments, events, chaos that leads to transition.
People today are leaving jobs faster than any other time in history; teams will trade players “out of the blue” to get someone better; downsizing, job cuts, going in a new direction are all words that you are being told as you are required to move on to something else.
Maximizing the transition starts with you and knowing who you are and whose you are. Your identity lays the foundation for successfully navigating transitions.
So how do you know who you are?
It begins by rejecting the 3 most common lies that sport and culture use to define you.
1) You are defined by what you do
2) You are defined by what you own
3) You are defined by what people say about you
When you know who you are, you are not allowing someone or something else to define you. Your value and significance, first and foremost as a person, is not defined by your performance. If you have an off game and play poorly, that doesn’t mean your value decreases as a person. It just means you had a bad game.
And your value isn’t defined by what vehicle you drive, the number of cars, the house you own, amount of jewelry on your body.
Finally, you are not defined by what people say about you. In our day and age, every little step is critiqued and analyzed. And everyone on social media to the sport news outlets have an opinion about you, your performance, and with fantasy sports your value.
It is not easy to see why so many athletes and people derive their identity from these 3 lies. They make a compelling argument that who you are and whose you are are defined and clarified in this way.
Here are 3 action steps to help you clarify your identity in a healthy manner.
1) Know the Standard – Your best true self. What does your character look like when you are at your best? What is your ideal best self in action, your core character that you desire to live out each day?
2) Know your Core Values and Beliefs. We all have values and beliefs, it just that most people and athletes haven’t clarified or defined them. You live them out each day based on a myriad of things; environment, nurture and nature, influencers in your life, etc. You derive who you are based on your values and beliefs.
3) Know your Community. You can’t live out this life without other people. You have had a tribe of coaches, family members, friends, mentors who have come along side you at various points in your life that have led to your success. You man or woman arrived alone, they are standing on the shoulders of someone else.
The real question is are you intentional with building and cultivating your community? Or have you just settled for who has been placed in front of you? Intentionally build your community and they will encourage, challenge, and call out your best true self and walk with you through the transitions.
Transitions can be messy, difficult, but also lead to great success. Starting with a healthy understanding of who you are, your identity, will get one step closer to maximizing those small moments and be successful as you navigate through this life!
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