Why Change is Hard and How to Navigate It

This article appears as part of Casey Weade's Weekend Reading for Retirees series. Every Friday, Casey highlights four hand-picked articles on trending retirement topics and delivers them straight to your email inbox. Get on the list here.

While change is an external event, this powerful article reminds us that the real work of moving through it lies in the transition. Here, change management specialist Bill Bridges identifies seven types of losses you may feel during major life changes:

📌 Loss of Identity (Who am I without my career?)

📌 Loss of Familiarity (Where’s my favorite coffee shop?)

📌 Loss of Structure (No more 9-to-5 rhythm)

📌 Loss of Control (This wasn’t the plan…)

📌 Loss of Future (What now?)

📌 Loss of Attachments (Goodbye, community)

📌 Loss of Meaning or Purpose (Where do I go from here?)

But Remember: There is hope and power in how you respond. Bridges outlines four ways to reclaim your footing: Restore, Replace, Redesign, or Relinquish. This approach doesn’t ignore the pain of change—it honors it—while empowering you to shape what comes next.