Have you ever driven on a paved mountain road only to turn left and suddenly be on a bumpy gravel path? Do you drive the same way? Or do you quickly adjust your speed and attention to the new driving conditions? Unfortunately, we aren’t always so quick to adjust to life transitions. Here are three ways we make our life transitions harder than they need to be:

1. Refuse to Accept Change

Sometimes when our daily routine is modified, we spend the first few days (weeks, months, years) refusing to belief that anything is different. We either fight the change, complain about it, grumble about how good it “used to be,” or some combination of the three. This not only wastes our time, but it causes undue frustration and stress.

2. Try to Solve New Problems with the Same Solutions

Once we realize things have changed, we must also realize that the way we approach problems will need to change too. What used to work might not work anymore. It’s like trying to nail a picture to the wall using a sledgehammer. Reach into your toolbox and look for something different.

3. Don’t Seek Help

No matter how strange your new situation may seem- whether it’s a new job, new family arrangement, new schedule, or new location- you’re not the first person to go through this transition. Why reinvent the wheel when so many others have gone before you? Reach out to other people who have made a similar transition and ask how they handled it.

If you’re a long time Time Diet reader, you know I’m going through my fair share of transitions right now (finishing the PhD, baby on the way, etc…) That’s why I love this blog. It’s a way we can all support each other.

Connect with The Time Diet for more time management tips