I remember hearing about the Great Divide on road trips through the mountains in Montana when I was growing up.  Also known as the Continental Divide (of the Americas) it separates the watersheds that drain to the Pacific Ocean from those that drain into the Atlantic Ocean.

My dad would say, “A raindrop that falls on the divide could split in two, with one half draining west to the Pacific and the other half draining east to the Atlantic.”  Pretty impressive to a 6-year old!

Why is it that we often think of retirement that way?  The ‘great divide’ between working and not working.  On or off.  Work or not work.  We’re either on one side or the other.

We’re either climbing the corporate ladder or backsliding into obscurity once we’re not ‘in the game’ any more.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Yes, retirement – full or phased – is a change. Change comes with the loss of old ways and the promise of new possibilities.  But we can plan to minimize the losses so that we might more enjoy the new possibilities.

William Bridges is the author of the book, “Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change.”  His book is a business book focused on business changes, but the approach works well for pretty much any change in our lives.  His premise is that “change” is not something you manage.  The change just occurs…it just happens. But what you can manage is the transition.  And this is really about helping us deal with the fear and uncertainty that the change brings.  Here’s how Bridges puts it, “Transition is the inner psychological process that people go through as they internalize and come to terms with the new situation that the change brings about.”

You could become ‘retired’ in one day if your employer decides to part ways with you.  But the transition could go on for quite some time.

Bridges uses his 4P model to help plan for and successfully manage a transition.  We can repurpose these as we plan for and think about our retirement.  And, of course, a phased retirement allows us to navigate both the changes in our work and the transition to full retirement – even if that takes many years.

The first of the 4Ps is the Purpose; this is the ‘why’ of the change.  This is highly personal, but there are some common themes.  Having more time away from a career to pursue other passions, spending time with family and friends, or traveling.  Based on the purpose, you can define the speed of your transition.

Next is the Picture; here Bridges asks us to visualize the change, the transition, and the results on the other side.  For some of us who envision the end of commuting, or office politics, this isn’t hard to imagine.

Third is the Plan; this is exactly what it sounds like.  A multiple-step plan that gets you to your ‘picture’ above.  It’s not that it must be strictly followed, but a sketched-out direction will help you consider the facets, and get advice where you need to fill in the gaps.

Lastly is the Part; in a business change and transition, this is all about involving the stakeholders. For retirement, it’s key to think about who plays which part, and how they will be impacted.  Your partner and family, of course. But consider your friends, your advisors, etc. and decide how to involve them.

Planning and managing our ‘transition zone’ will help us feel like we really own the process of crossing that ‘great divide.’  Or perhaps, it won’t seem so ‘great’ any longer.