You may have read Malcolm Gladwell’s best selling book “Tipping Point” that describes a host of situations and people that made change happen and tipped the balance of history–an interesting read if you haven’t already enjoyed it.
While your own personal tipping points may not have the impact of a Paul Revere’s ride, they nonetheless, can have life altering significance for you.
Recently I met with a client who was struck by the positive turn of events in his life over a 6-month period. I thought it might be interesting, if not revealing, to explore the patterns that may have contributed to the shift and asked him to describe what he saw as “pivotal moments” leading up to the shift.
As he identified a series of specific events, I listened for their overarching themes that could make them pertinent to anyone’s life journey. Interestingly enough, themes did emerge that, in fact, had shown up in other turning points in his life. Perhaps they will have relevance to you and your life:
1. An experience of Leaving and Loss (this could range from losing or leaving a job to the death or illness of a beloved)
2. Multiple experiences of “hitting a wall” (despite considerable effort on your part, you do not get the results you want)
3. Reaching out (recognizing you can not tackle this alone, you decide to seek guidance and help from people outside your inner circle or typical helpers)
4. Being open to new possibilities (when the familiar ways don’t work anymore, you welcome new viewpoints or perspectives)
If this particular list does not hit home for you, consider a time that was pivotal in your life and analyze it for the themes that seemed to lead up to the shift. In doing so, you may discover a hidden series of actions that created your tipping point.
Tags: Career Transitions
