By Troy Vincent
NFL Player Engagement
“We do have the choice between being buffeted by the winds of change like a leaf in Autumn landing in a ‘new’ environment while thinking ‘old’ thoughts or to control our flight path and ride the winds of change to a destination in line with our choices.” – Karen Kaiser Clark
Transition is that moment in everyone’s playing experience that you know is coming, but you never know when it will arrive. You are one injury away, maybe a bad play, an “off” season, or that time when your mind says “let’s go” and your body says, “Oh no.” Transition means you are moving on to the next stage in your life’s journey. We can fight against it, even rage against it, but it is going to come. The way you transition may well determine the path of the rest of your life.
For me, I knew and accepted that someday I would be transitioning out of the game. Like everyone, I just didn’t know when. Unlike everyone, I began preparing for that day from the beginning of my career. Early on, I knew that football did not define me. I have strong faith and many of the football athletes who I know who transitioned successfully also had strong faith. They will tell you that this made transition easier for them.
In addition to faith, I believe there are three things that are important to a successful transition: Preparation, Acceptance, and Attitude.
It is never too early to prepare for transition. Continuing your education, attending leadership conferences, and networking are all ways to prepare yourself for that next big step in your life. You should utilize the full breadth and depth of the resources made available to you by your employer, your church, even your time at home. Make phone calls, follow-up with people you meet, stay in touch, identify and act on opportunities, establish a foundation from which to transition.
One of the most difficult steps in transition is accepting that you are in it. There are signs. The body is just not responding the way it once did; moving from team to team, increasing injuries, a lack of interest by coaches are all leading indicators that transition is upon you. Knowing that your body has an expiration date and accepting it when it comes is hard to do, but necessary if you are going to successfully move to the next phase of your professional life.
Your attitude can make you or break you (and quite frankly, your family) during transition. Having the mindset that you know it is going to come, recognizing it when it does, and keeping a balanced and positive mental attitude makes all the difference for you and those who care about you. I kept moving ahead with the motivation to apply the skills that I had learned with the desire and commitment to be great where I was. Each day was an opportunity to get better, to reach a goal, to achieve at another level. If something fell through that day, I made sure I accomplished something else, whether it was networking with someone or mowing the grass. Attitude is the fuel of transition.
Your ability to bring faith, preparation, acceptance, and attitude into balance as you transition will make a huge difference in your success.