When Life Transitions Change Your Capacity

There are a lot of changes happening in our house right now. Our oldest daughter is heading to Purdue this fall (Boiler Up!), and this spring has become a rapid cadence of dance recitals, musical performances, percussion concerts, senior prom, and a long list of “last” moments arriving much faster than I expected.

The spring jazz concert isn’t just about finding the best seat near her piano anymore. It’s the final high school jazz concert. All of these events are so exciting and to be cherished, yet they bring with them a tinge of anticipation and sadness for their finality.

As these senior-year moments begin closing out in a flurry, I can feel new pockets of time, focus, and availability suddenly opening in my own life too.

In a few short months, she’ll be stepping into her next beginning which naturally leaves me asking:

What’s next for me?

I’m not sure I fully have that answer yet. But recently, one of my “to do” items was to apply for a freelance recruiting role. That’s not something I typically do. Most of my recruiting work comes through referrals, thankfully, but one of my clients had recently taken a leap herself and encouraged me to think differently.

So I thought: Why not?

I carefully reopened one of my old pitch decks, updated my materials, gathered my courage, and hit “apply.”

And almost immediately, my mind flooded with questions:

• How would this fit into my schedule?

• Am I really qualified for this?

• What if I’m not the right fit?

I had to stop and remind myself of the same things I tell my clients every day:

Don’t think too far ahead.
And if not you, who?

The Emotional Side of Putting Yourself Out There

This experience brought front and center the emotional side of interviewing, a topic that I often talk about with clients. Job searching is emotional!

Even after years of recruiting and coaching others through interviews, I felt the nerves creep in through a slew of overthinking, a mountain of anticipation, and the mental spiral of wondering if I’m over-prepared for the interview, under-prepared, or won’t be able to adequately explain my background.

After the actual interviews comes the waiting along with the dreaded questions of What if they choose someone else? What was wrong with me?

These thoughts are incredibly human and I think it’s important to acknowledge that interviewing isn’t just about qualifications.

So much of it comes down to:

• how we talk about ourselves

• how we connect the dots in our experience

• how confidently we tell our story.

Not perfectly, but authentically.

Transitions Change More Than Our Schedules

One thing I’m learning in this season is that transitions don’t just change logistics. Yes, my calendar may be opening up as our house becomes a bit less hectic but it’s not just my logistical situation, it’s also my emotional resilience that is being challenged and tested.

With logistical changes we also experience changes to:

• our energy

• our identity

• our confidence

• our capacity

Sometimes we’re simultaneously letting go of one version of ourselves while trying to imagine the next one. This evolution can feel exciting… and deeply uncomfortable at the same time.

I also think these moments create space for reflection in a way that busy seasons often don’t. These moments invite us to ask:

What do I want next?
What still fits?
What no longer does?

Learning to Trust the Next Chapter

Confidence doesn’t come from having every answer. Confidence grows from trusting yourself enough to keep moving forward anyway.

So if there’s something you’ve been hesitating to go after lately, maybe this is your little nudge to take the leap. We’re all navigating some version of the next chapter. And while mine still feels a little murky at times, I’m deeply grateful for the people around me who continue to inspire me with the courage to take their own Next Step.