In my career I’ve worked for several nonprofits across different sectors: education, international development and humanitarian aid, and media ministry. I’ve worked for large international organizations and very small ones.
Some people think I’m crazy. Others call me adventurous. Honestly, I just see change as an opportunity to learn something I couldn’t have learned if I’d stayed put.
Not everyone shares my philosophy about change. I know people who’ve lived in the same town their whole lives and worked for the same organization since their twenties. There’s something beautiful about that stability and rootedness. But recently, a conversation with my boss led me down a thought exercise that might apply to you—whether you’re a open to change like me or someone who’d prefer to leave well enough alone.
He was recommending a book called “What To Do Next” by Jeff Henderson, and mentioned a passage that stuck with me. Henderson distinguishes between two things we often lump together: “Change is an event. Transition is a journey.”
And that’s when everything clicked.
The Paradox We’re All Facing
Here’s the question that’s been living in my head since: Can we transition into the person we want to become if we’re afraid of change?
Think about it. You want to build better habits. You want to achieve a meaningful goal. You want to become a healthier, calmer, more intentional version of yourself. But becoming that person requires—by definition—change. And real change isn’t easy. It’s uncomfortable. It demands something from us.
So we’re caught in a trap: we desire transition but fear the events that make it possible. It’s like wanting to have your cake and eat it too. (Personally, I’ll just take some pie, but I digress).
The Good News? Awareness Is the First Step
The beautiful part about this distinction between change as an event and transition as a journey, is that it gives us permission to reframe what’s happening. When you embrace change for personal growth, you’re not just surviving individual moments of disruption. You’re signing up for a journey toward becoming someone new.
But here’s where honesty matters. If you’re going to pursue any significant goal or overhaul any major part of your life, you need to acknowledge what’s actually involved. Meaningful change isn’t easy. It takes effort. It requires discomfort. And if you’re not willing to commit to that work, it’s better to know it now.
That’s not cynicism talking. That’s realism. You can pick a different goal—one that aligns with how much energy you’re actually willing to invest. There’s no shame in that. Not every goal matters to us equally.
But if you’ve decided something does matter? If you’ve looked at who you want to become and decided you’re willing to embrace the change it takes to get there? Then don’t let anything hold you back.
Transition as a Journey, Not a Sprint
Here’s another reason I love this framework. Calling it a “journey” takes the pressure off. You don’t have to become a different person by next Tuesday. Transition is the ongoing process of showing up differently, building new habits, rewiring how you think. It’s not an event. It’s a direction.
And here’s the thing nobody tells you: you don’t have to do it alone. Getting support, whether that’s from a coach, a mentor, a friend, or a community, doesn’t make you weak. It makes you smart. It means you’ve decided this journey matters enough to get help navigating it.
Change doesn’t have to be scary when someone’s there helping you understand what you’re moving toward and how to get there.
What’s Next?
If you’re considering a big goal or a transition into a different version of yourself—whether that’s career-related, health-related, or something else entirely—one step you can take today is joining my free online community.
The Wholistic Productivity community is made up of people from all around the world who are just like you. They are working toward their own goals and trying to become better versions of themselves. No one community member is on the same journey, but the community and accountability brings everyone together.
We discuss the challenges we’re facing, celebrate our wins, and encourage each other. The community is free to join and there are a lot of great resources available in the community. I’d love to have you join today.
Because here’s what I’ve learned from my own journey: the people who keep growing are the ones willing to change. And the ones who thrive are the ones who do it with support.