BLUF
Change is a fact of life, but a major change can see us fall into ‘identity paralysis’—a situation where your sense of ‘self’ fails to keep up with your new role or situation.Summary
This Harvard Business Review article offers five tactical strategies to help people move forward, following positive or negative identity shifts:
- Mark a Distinct Break with the Past. Many people describe a key event that helped them make the change.
- Craft a Story to Tie the Past and Present. Link your present to your past by crafting a narrative that’s easy to share with others.
- Acknowledge Challenging Emotions. Try your best to work through those emotions.
- Focus on Non-Work Identities. Focusing on other aspects of your identity can help you get through a difficult transition.
- Don’t be Afraid to Fantasize. Research has shown there is great power in imagining a utopian future.
References
Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:
References from the Web:
- APR 2021 Why we define ourselves by our jobs—BBC
- MAY 2021 What Is Identity Disturbance?—VeryWellMind
- JUN 2021 What is Self-Image and How Do We Improve it?—Positive Psychology
Source Information: HBR
- Article Source: Harvard Business Review
- Media Check: Media Bias, Harvard Business Review
- LEARNING OUTCOMES—RUNWAY | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
