One thing everyone can agree on: We’re all in transitions these days. I spent the last few years trying to figure out how to navigate these times better. I crisscrossed the country, collecting hundreds of life stories of Americans of all ages, all walks of life, and in all fifty states. People who lost homes, lost loved ones; changed careers, changed genders; got out of cults; got out of bad marriages.
I then spent a year coding these stories for fifty-seven variables, from high point to low point, from what emotions people struggled most with in times of change to what advice from friends was most helpful.
I called it The Life Story Project.
TRANSITIONS
Transitions are a skill we can, and must, master. The most exciting thing I uncovered is a set of tools people use to navigate these periods. Some of these people do naturally; others they have to learn; everybody is eager to improve.
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- Transitions Are Becoming More Plentiful
- Transitions Are Nonlinear
- Transitions Take Longer Than You Think (But No Longer Than You Need)
- Transitions Are Autobiographical Occasions
- Transitions Are Essential to Life
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GLOSSARY
ABCs of Meaning: An initialism for the three key ingredients of a well-balanced life: Agency, Belonging, and Cause.
Agency: Autonomy, freedom, creativity, mastery; the belief that you can impact the world around you.
Belonging: Relationships, community, friends, family; the people that surround and nurture you.
Cause: A calling, a mission, a direction, a purpose; a transcendent commitment beyond yourself that makes your life worthwhile.
Autobiographical Occasion: A moment when people are encouraged or obliged to retell their life story.
Disruptor: An event or experience that interrupts the everyday flow of one’s life.
Lifequake: A forceful change in one’s life that leads to a period of upheaval, transition, and renewal.
Pileup: When a person experiences two, three, four, or more disruptors around the same time.
Ritual: A symbolic act, gesture, or ceremony that formally marks the beginning (or end) of a transition.
Shapeshifting: The process of altering one’s priorities to determine what gives our lives meaning.
Transition: A vital period of adjustment, creativity, and rebirth that helps one find meaning after a major life disruption.
