Moving Forward: Strategies for Major Life Shifts

What if navigating through major life transitions didn't have to feel like an insurmountable challenge? In this episode of the Start Your Comeback Podcast, Toni Thrash offers comforting and practical advice for those dealing with the shock, uncertainty, and eventual re-entry that accompany significant life changes. Whether you're grappling with divorce, retirement, empty nesting, or grief, Toni walks you through each phase with empathy and actionable steps. Drawing from her own experiences, she emphasizes the importance of self-care and taking things one step at a time.

As we recap the past quarter's episodes, you'll gain insights into the core stages of transition, discover the critical questions to ask yourself at the end of each month or quarter, and learn how to identify what's working and what's not in your life right now. From the initial shock to finding your footing again, Toni provides a roadmap to help you move forward with clarity and purpose. If you're ready for a fresh perspective and a solid game plan, this episode is packed with the guidance you need to start your comeback. Tune in for a dose of wisdom, compassion, and actionable advice!

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Shock
Limbo
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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Is there a major life transition benching you? I know you may be asking what's next? What's my purpose? What if? Because I've asked those too. Welcome to the Start your Comeback Podcast. I'm Toni Thrash, a certified life coach, and I want to share the tools and practical steps to help you create a winning game plan to move into your new adventure. Hi, welcome back. You are listening to episode 37. I wanted to take this week and review and recap the last quarter's episodes. You may be new here and wonder what this podcast is all about. Well, as someone who has recently walked through a couple of major life transitions, this little podcast is here to give you some tools and helpful things as you foresee a transition in your future.

Speaker 1: 1:26

I've recently had a couple of major transitions come my way and I'm not quite ready to talk about them just yet. But they will be episodes soon and I promise to give you all the details. But over the last few months I've talked about divorce, retirement, empty nesting and grief. I've talked about divorce, retirement, empty nesting and grief. The core stages of shock, limbo and re-entry are attached to all three of these transitions. You may find yourself in the limbo stage of one, and then another one comes along unannounced, and now you're dealing with shock as well. This is a lot to deal with and it is hard to process out the emotions and the priority of the one that needs to be dealt with first. For me, I was expecting one and, completely blindsided by the other, Grief has felt like a thousand pound rock on my chest, Juggling both. I've had to slow down and not rush anything, Just breathe, Take a nap, Eat when I'm hungry. You know the drill.

Speaker 1: 2:29

I wonder what stage of your transition you are in. Are you in the shock phase? Regardless if you've planned the transition or knew it was coming, processing it hits differently. There is some shock attached because it is now a reality and you have questions, loads of them. Also, it is hard to function during this stage, hard to think and make any good decisions, which is exactly why you don't need to make any major decisions when you're in shock. But maybe you are in the limbo, stuck in the middle of your transition and still can't move through all the obstacles. You don't know when it will end. However, your head is a bit clearer and those decisions that need to be made are a bit less confusing to make.

Speaker 1: 3:15

Now. You are retired, maybe, but stuck in the middle of not knowing what's next, you could be in the last phase, which I call re-entry. You have come out of survival mode into a world that has changed the rules and forgot to let you in on the changes. However, the decisions have been made and you feel confident. They are solid decisions and you are ready to move forward.

Speaker 1: 3:39

There are multiple stages within each phase and lots of emotions and feelings. Grief may have set in and you find yourself immobilized from fear. Let me tell you I know this firsthand it's hard to breathe, sleep, eat and think. Also, there are so many what-if questions. I typically find those are best left alone because the answer still eludes us. You may be filled with doubt about what's next. You have zero clue what to do.

Speaker 1: 4:10

A life coach can certainly help you build a game plan and sort out what is next. I've said this before, but I want you to remind you of the questions you need to ask yourself at the end of each month, or especially if you're in the middle of a big, huge transition. But if you don't ask them, then at least touch base with yourself at the end of every quarter. Here they are, Number one what is not working for you right now, Be specific and then build a plan to change it. If you need a life coach, that's what we're here for, that's what I'm here to help you build that game plan, to help you figure out what is not working right now. Number two what is working for you right now? Then keep doing it, because it is spilling a need for you right now. Number three what am I procrastinating? What am I avoiding? These problems or issues will not just disappear. What game plan do I need to create? Number four this one's a big one for me. What am I afraid of? This is a big component of my life, but I can help you with this one. You need to just have some stamina and the C word, which is courage. By the way, I tell myself this every single day. How do I get it? I make a decision and I do it afraid. Number five Am I unmotivated and why? Get real with yourself. As you answer this one, I want you to sit with each question and write out the obstacles you are seeing for each question. Be specific, Hold nothing back. Be honest with yourself.

Speaker 1: 5:56

You may find yourself still trying to build a relationship with your kids post-divorce. It's been three years. You may be an empty nester and don't know what to do with your time now. You may have just retired and are just figuring out what you enjoy doing Now. No one can stop you. You may be waiting through grief that sits on your chest like a boulder. You see, the stages and phases of any life transition contain the same elements to a degree. You need a game plan and some soul-searching confidence boosting all along the way. I'm here to help you uncover the right next step in your life. Get ready for clarity and confidence as you implement your game plan. The reason you need a coach is that for once in your life, someone will believe in you and what you are destined to be. Even if you are not quite sure yourself Yet, a coach will get you off the bench and into the game again. Coaching is a great tool to help you get unstuck and move in the direction of your purpose.

Speaker 1: 7:07

In the show notes I have a link to my Calendly to book a discovery call. Do it, it's free and it's 15 minutes. You can do anything for 15 minutes. Come with your questions ready. That's it for this week. Join me next week as I introduce my friend Kim to you. She's a book marketing guru and a podcast coach. I can't wait for you to meet her and hear her story of one of the biggest transitions that has ever happened. You're going to love her. I'll see you next time. Hey, thanks for listening. I don't take it for granted that you're here. You didn't listen by mistake. If you want to reach out, you can DM me on Instagram at Tony Thrash Until next week. Remember, there's still time left on the clock. Let's get you off the bench to start your comeback. I want to give a special shout out to Country Club for the original music. You can find them on Instagram at Country Club. You.