{"id":4319,"date":"2020-10-08T05:00:46","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T11:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elainefroese.com\/?p=4319"},"modified":"2020-10-08T05:00:46","modified_gmt":"2020-10-08T11:00:46","slug":"how-to-get-unstuck-in-your-farm-transition-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elainefroese.com\/2020\/10\/08\/how-to-get-unstuck-in-your-farm-transition-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Unstuck in Your Farm Transition Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

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October for farmers is a \u201cget \u2018er done\u201d kind of season where fall work is pressing, late-season crops are harvested, cattle are moved, and the list goes on. Last March, when the Great Pause hit us, we were advised: \u201cnot to waste a good crisis.\u201d So, on top of the routine things that we manage, we have a lot of emotional roller coasters to navigate as well. If talking about your farm transition plan seems like yet another emotional burden you\u2019d rather not deal with, I\u2019m here to help you \u2018get unstuck.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

[Tweet “The reward of #farm #transitionplanning is worth the journey! In my latest blog post, I\u2019m sharing tips on how you can GET UNSTUCK and move forward in your #succession plan:”]<\/p>\n

Dealing with the Emotional Factor<\/span><\/h2>\n

Gratitude is a great tool for resilience. The ability to count our current blessings and reflect on the things we cherish in life gives us good energy. I love singing the song \u201cGive Thanks with a Grateful Heart.\u201d As I write this, we are thankful that we can gather in our community of faith and build each other up weekly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since March, I have heard from many farm families who are desperate for tools to have better communication and understanding about the certainty of their future. The problem with the pandemic is being able to live with high degrees of uncertainty and not knowing. When things are so uncertain, working on your farm transition plan<\/a> can sometimes be the last thing you want to think about.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Some podcast experts suggest 2020 fuels \u201cambiguous loss\u201d and \u201canticipatory loss.\u201d We never know what may be lost next.\u00a0 I experienced this when I was watching my father\u2019s health decline with Alzheimer\u2019s. Anticipatory loss is borrowing worry for what the future is going to look like. This is not a helpful emotion, and it may be freezing your family into inaction rather than motivating change.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in 2016, Dr. Megan McKenzie and I spent a year of Tuesdays with many flipcharts on the floor, creating the online course <\/span>Get Your Farm Transition Unstuck.<\/span><\/i> We believe emotional factors are blocking the farm family\u2019s ability to create positive change. Moving forward with your farm transition plan is a matter of first getting \u2018unstuck.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Stuck?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Stuck is a place where you didn\u2019t anticipate ending up\u2014being somewhere else when you\u2019d rather be doing what you had originally planned, though you should be doing, or need to be doing. You\u2019ve been forced to admit things aren\u2019t going well. You need to deal with the frustration, anger, helplessness, blame, and surprise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s time to figure out a plan to get out. If you are going to get where you want to go, you\u2019re going to have to take the time, put in the effort, and find resources to get unstuck.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the tractor is stuck, you call for help if it is really messy. Today, in the digital reality of doing business, medical appointments, and learning online, you have a new way of getting your farm transition plan back into gear.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Getting Unstuck in Your Farm Transition Plan<\/span><\/h2>\n

Succession transition planning<\/a> is not a one-time event; it is a journey. This year of challenges has magnified the pre-existing tension and issues that farm families are trying to navigate. They need facilitated communication to talk about tough issues. They need safety and respect as they are vulnerable when they describe the life they have always wanted but are not currently experiencing. Smart families enlist expert farm transition plan advisors who are happy to sit with deep emotion and unravel the blocks with questions like:<\/span><\/p>\n