Transition Anxiety

We’re moving in a few weeks to an apartment that is about half the size of our current home. This move is consistent with what we both want: more flexibility, less debt, much more opportunity intellectually and for both of our small businesses, a potentially wider circle of friends, and most of all – the springboard to the next phase in our lives together.
There are so many positives that will come with this move. But there’s a great deal of uncertainty as well. Anxiety is what I think the mental health professionals might call it.
You see, we love where we live. The beautiful mountains of Colorado greet us every morning and provide cool nights for deep sleeping year round. Sunshine and minimal humidity are the norm. And we have nested comfortably in the home we completed and decorated together.
On the flip side, we face between 6 and 10 hours each week just driving to and from the Denver airport. That’s a full productive day lost every week year round just sitting in the car. In addition, last winter’s storms were brutal for highway driving, and the constant construction delays the rest of the year have finally worn us down.
So we move. Towards something…Better!
That’s my favorite word. Better!
Moving Towards Better
We all face transitions every day. Most are small – meetings, schedules, decisions, new tasks at work and at home. Many of us – perhaps you – are in the midst of major transitions as well. New jobs, new cities, new families, new life responsibilities.
At a recent conference, we were discussing why it is so hard to make decisions and take action – especially when those decisions and actions have a high likelihood of making things Better! The discussion leader cut to the chase and reminded us of what we all knew in our gut – that for humans the most comfortable path is the status quo.
Certainly there is comfort in the familiar and certain in our lives. And changes both small and large can bring equal layers of tension and anxiety. Uncertainty about the future will do that. Especially if you are blessed as we are with a wonderful home life in a beautiful setting as a starting point.
But change is necessary for growth. My wonderful bride Kris and I know that, so we are pushing forward together towards what we know is simply…Better!
What Changes Do You Know You Need to Make?
John J. Hall, CPA

John J. Hall, CPA, is an author, speaker and results expert who presents around the world at conventions, corporate meetings and association events.
Throughout his 35-year career as a business consultant, corporate executive and professional speaker, John has helped organizations and individuals achieve measurable results. He inspires audience members in corporations, not-for-profit organizations and professional associations to step up, take action and “do what you can.”