Life changes occur during transition because of several different outside influences. Some transitions like going to high school from middle school to graduating from high school at 18, going to college and entering the professional world after college can be predictable or what we consider normal. However, transitions and changes can be very challenging at times such as transitions from one job to the next or being let go from your career where you have worked several years at. Maybe its transition from being married to getting divorced, or losing a loved one. In my case, it was transitioning from the NFL to "corporate society" after playing 6 years of football.
So, after my career in the National Football League, I had a tough time transitioning. I had been playing football since I was 14 years old, and nowhere i was almost 28 years old and the game I loved for so long, made a career out of, and gave my all to was done with me. I should have been better prepared for the transition after the game, but to be honest, I was still trying to hold on to my past career and didn’t want to move forward!
Today, I am much more confident when I have to make transitions in my life. I look at every transition as an opportunity to grow myself into a better person, and I am always up to learning new information from people in my inner circle to help me accomplish this. For example, now that I have transitioned into a keynote speaker and executive coach, I have learned how to deal with anxiety, fear, and stress more constructively. And I help all of my clients with these issues as well.
We as people, can sometimes automatically attach fear and anxiety to transitions because we are not always willing to change. Fear of the unknown has been an enormous struggle to many. However, almost 100% if not all of the successful people today say that at one point they feared the transition or change in life. You will never regret the developments in life for each transition teaches us a little more about ourselves each time. How you interpret transition will determine the impact on you. You’ve have seen through your lifetime other individuals go through some dramatic changes or transitions and have dealt with incredible losses, but somehow they always emerge to get back up and keep moving forward. Transitions or changes in life create a unique timeline in our memories that organizes the way we reflect back on your life.
Things I have learned through transitions in life:
1. Recognize that transitions create a unique timeline of memories in your life.
2. Appreciate the benefits of transitions.
3. Reflect back on times where you were fearful of transition and successfully made it through. What did you learn from that transition and how did you handle going through it.
4. Change your fears into challenges.
5. Prepare the best you can.
6. Reach out for help from your network of supporters.
7. Focus on the positives.
8. Keep your mind on your goals and keep looking at towards those who inspire you.
9. Believe in yourself.
I remember in 2003 my head coach Jack Del Rio told me this after I had a terrible practice. He said “Marques, you had a terrible day today. So here are your two options, #1 continue to complain about it, come out and have the worst day tomorrow and get cut. Or option #2 you actually find courage, learn from your mistakes come out here tomorrow and have a great day and get back on track!”This has stuck with me since then, and always will for the rest of my life.
As I close out this blog I leave you with this, if you take accountability and ownership of the actions in your life, you will always be your best and achieve greatness in anything you do!
Marques Ogden. KEYNOTE SPEAKER
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