We got back home from vacation on Wednesday and I had the most discombobulated feeling. This break felt longer than most, (which is a sign of a good vacation!) but not great for getting back into work mode. I had 2 appointments on Thursday morning and the rest of the day to get myself re-oriented. As I entered my office, I knew I couldn’t simply dive in.

I could have, but it would have been wasted energy. I would have spun my wheels with little to show for it at the end of the day and likely repeated the process for a few more days. This was a great moment to pause and evaluate where I was and what was my best next step.

I took a breath and looked around. The place had an “organized chaos” feel. There were piles of papers to be filed, books stacked, a few bags filled with items to be put away, and that storage bin that had been sitting in the corner for 10 months.

I had been meaning to tackle the office for months. I would put it off until the evening and then not have the energy to do it. This was what I could do today. My mind was discombobulated. Good work wasn’t happening today. But in organizing my office, I could clear my mind, get it familiar with work again, and accomplish a big task I’d been wanting to do for months.

I’m happy to report I’m now sitting at a clear desk with a clear mind!

The transition back from vacation could have been hell. I could have lost an additional week trying to work when I wasn’t ready and fought against the process.

Instead, I used it as a chance to level-up. I will work better for the task I accomplished today and I likely wouldn’t have had the inspiration to finish it if I wasn’t transitioning back from vacation.

Every transition gives us a choice. We can find it stressful and hard and fight against the change. Or we can use it as an opportunity to grow. To level-up.

Are you in a transition right now? New job? New work? New baby on the way? Kids going back to school?

How can you use this transition to grow?