I am currently looking for people who can spare 30-minutes for a Skype interview sometime over the coming months. In particular, I am looking for people who fit the following criteria and have struggled with the transition:
- Former professional athletes, who retired from their sport more than 1-year ago
- Former military personnel, who transitioned out of the military more than 1-year ago
- People who have had a significant trauma or illness that led to prolonged treatment and or hospital stays, who have been in remission or recovered for more than 1-year
- People who have retired from full-time work, who have been retired for more than 1-year
Background
I’m currently doing research for a book I’m writing on transition and change. The idea for this book is close to my heart. You see, while the physical trauma and pain following my motorbike accident was hard, my darkest days were after I got to go home from hospital.
Since then, I have been questioning why I wasn’t prepared for the transition from hospital to ‘real life.’ After speaking to many other people who have gone through major life transitions, I found that this response to these types of life transitions is rather common, yet so many people are not prepared, and as a result, many people struggle with the change.
So, this book will look at why a period filled with so much hope for the future often turns into one of the hardest, most mentally and emotionally challenging periods in a person’s life, why there is a disconnect between expectation and reality, and how people can be better prepared for these transitions.
Please note: I am looking for people who have gone through significant change, not trauma or grief – although I acknowledge that change often comes as a result of trauma and grief. While my heart goes out to you if you’re currently dealing with trauma or grief, I am not a trained councillor or psychologist, and this is not the focus of my research.
How will the information be used?
- All information will be anonymised, so no one will ever know it’s you (except me)
- If I use any quotes from you in my book as a case study, I will change your name and ensure no one can recognise you (such as changing your profession or gender), and I will send you the text for your approval before publishing
What to expect
- A 30-minute Skype conversation, that will be taped. Alternatively, if you’re in Sydney, I’d be happy to meet you face to face. If you’d like to contribute to this important work, but are uncomfortable or unable to meet or call, I can send you some questions via email if you’re more comfortable with that.
- I will be asking you to be open and share your story so others can learn from your experiences – this may bring up old memories and feelings for what was potentially a difficult period in your life. At any point if you would like to stop talking, or you need a break, you can just let me know to stop.
Please contact me or share
If you are interested in talking to me, please shoot me an email on marie.skelton@gmail.com.
Or, if you don’t fit the requirements, but know someone who does, please forward this to anyone in your networks who might be interested.
I hope that this book can help others to navigate their next life transition better than I did, and maybe together, by telling our stories we can make a difference in someone’s life. Thank you in advance for your support.