I heard some good advice once. Never waste a transition.
Life is full of transitions, big and small. So some, just naturally, are going to pass you by. But I have a big one coming up. My oldest is starting Kindergarten. And there’s a lot that’s about to change. The butterfly effect of his now slightly altered schedule and transition to the bus is going to basically change up my entire routine.
And that can be a bummer, if I let it be. But I’m not going to let it be. It’s going to be a chance for me to have some 1 on 1 time with him, which is something I don’t get enough of. It’s going to be a chance for him to try some independence. And for me, it’s going to let me move things around in my day so that I can have longer hours of being productive.
Here I am, putting it out into the universe. A transition is coming, and I’m going to embrace it.
Kierkegaard on the nature of regret
If you marry, you will regret it; if you do not marry, you will also regret it; if you marry or if you do not marry, you will regret both; whether you marry or you do not marry, you will regret both. Laugh at the world’s follies, you will regret it; weep over them, you will also regret it; if you laugh at the world’s follies or if you weep over them, you will regret both; whether you laugh at the world’s follies or you weep over them, you will regret both. Believe a girl, you will regret it; if you do not believe her, you will also regret it; if you believe a girl or you do not believe her, you will regret both; whether you believe a girl or you do not believe her, you will regret both. If you hang yourself, you will regret it; if you do not hang yourself, you will regret it; if you hang yourself or you do not hang yourself, you will regret both; whether you hang yourself or you do not hang yourself, you will regret both. This… is the sum of all practical wisdom.
Notes Block – hello from the saved content!
Full episode of Never Waste a Transition:
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today’s tip is to never waste a transition. When there is a change happening in your life, consider whether there are any other changes you’d like.
To bundle with it. So I heard this story about advice given to a couple preparing for marriage. They were anticipating several moves in the early years of their life together. Rather than wasting these transitions, they were advised to be intentional about how they wanted to shape their life together
by reflecting on their norms and routines with each move. I think that is great advice, not just for newlyweds, but in lots of contexts. Transitions create fresh starts, and that makes it easier to start new habits. For instance,
the start of a new school year or the first day of a new job can both be great times to take on a new morning routine. Maybe you’re getting up at a different time now and the morning is already ordered differently, so it might not be quite so strange to add five minutes of yoga to the mix. Transitions also create natural opportunities for ending routines or breaking
habits that aren’t serving you any more. Maybe a weekly coffee shop date with your aunt was life giving when your daughter was a new born, but feels stressful now that your daughter is an active toddler. If you’re moving to a new apartment in a different neighborhood, this could be a natural time to find a new way to
connect with your aunt. Or perhaps this snooze button has been an ingrained habit for years, even if you know it doesn’t do you much good. The transition to a new job, with its new morning routines could create a great occasion to swear off the snooze button too. In addition to being great times to start, stop, or change habits,
transitions create ideal occasions for reflection. What do you want your life to be like? What are your hopes and goals? Maybe when you start going into an office three days a week, you become more intentional about taking breaks with colleagues in order to build in social time because you
have reflected on the importance of professional relationships. The truth is, transitions don’t even need to be huge to nudge some sort of changes. If you buy a new kitchen tape that can be a reason to rethink your family dinner routine.
So try to recognize any sort of transition when it is happening, then decide not to waste it. Anything can be an occasion for building good habits or changing something that isn’t working. Making the most of transitions can help us build the lives we want In the meantime, This