Author : Steve Jackson

Whether it is your home or your business that your are moving or relocating, the results are often the same Huge amounts of stress for weeks before hand, followed by weeks of “Where is ?” conversations as others demand to know where their prized possessions have gone Yes, moving is draining and stressful, but you can get through this with a little help and even laugh about it later!

One of the first things to do when you know that you are moving, or going to be relocating in the near future is to by yourself a notebook and pen, or pencil, one that you can keep with you at all times of the day, and night Now night time might seem a bit off, but sometimes the subconscious has a habit of finding solutions or giving you reminders at odd times, and having somewhere to jot down a quick reminder so that all your notes are in the same place, can be very helpful, I find Choosing a book with dividers can be an advantage, as you can divide your tasks into the different sections For example, you might use one section for keeping track of those you have given your new address to, and another for possible new homes, or your daily to do list, and perhaps a different one for moving quotes and information from moving companies you might use – you get the idea By using a notebook, everything is kept together and you can refer back to see what you did a few days ago, because you will forget, believe me!

Start the habit of writing what you have done into your notebook, giving the date and the outcome of any phone calls, so that you can refer back as necessary and your notes will mean something This is also helpful for future moves, as you can refer back to your notebook to see what you did then, and make sure you have everything under control this time

Make certain that your notes make sense, so if necessary after a phone conversation, take a few minutes to summarize the outcome Yes, it does take time, but it can save you from having to make the same phone call to find out what you decided!

Get plenty of sleep There is no escaping the fact that moving takes time, and unfortunately the rest of life continues, so you just have extra to fit into a day You still have to go to work, get the kids to school and soccer practice You still need to make meals, and more than ever, you need sleep Despite the temptation to stay up later getter things packed, do try to get your regular amount of sleep The stress caused by moving is hard on your body, not to mention all the physical exercise of moving things around as you decide what to pack and what can go, so your body needs good quality sleep every night This will enable you to focus better during the day, and cause fewer mistakes

Try to have some fun We are all agreed about the relocation stress, but having a laugh about events, anything is good for relieving that stress, and this is as important as sleep Keeping a positive attitude too will help you get through this time, and don’t forget to ask for help if you need it Friends and family would often like to help, but perhaps do not have the good health required to move boxes, but they could help in other ways Perhaps your friends could look after your young children a few hours a week, freeing up some time for you to get more done You may be able to store some of your boxes at your friends’ homes as a temporary move, just to let you get better organized at home, perhaps some of your glassware that you won’t be needing in the near future Perhaps they could pick children up from school, or soccer practice It may only seem to save you half an hour, but that time adds up and can help you to get a lot more done

Stay on top of your health, as stress can wear you down quite quickly It is easy in the rush to get everything done to skip your check up at the doctor’s office, or to forget to get new prescriptions Make a note of these, and make sure they do get done Your health is important, so don’t ignore it

Keep a calendar close by you too, so that you can make sure you get your days and dates straight for all appointments Your notebook may already have this in, in which case, make sure you use it! Be realistic with your to do lists, and don’t give yourself a hard time if you don’t get everything done one day, just add it to the next to make sure that it does get completed You probably will not be able to cross off everything you hope to do each day You must not beat yourself up about these things, just let it go and get on with the next thing

You can only do so much each day, and moving it to the next day should be no big deal Just make sure that anything that isn’t completed does get moved to another to do list You don’t want to have incomplete jobs that you don’t remember about!

Return library books, and things borrowed from friends too, sooner rather than later Return all these as soon as possible – then you can see what is yours to decide about keeping, recycling, or sending to the charity shops

If you put items into black garbage bags, make sure you know what is in the bags, whether it is garbage, or to go to charity, so label the bags Just to be certain, label bags that are for the garbage too As you pack boxes label them too, and if it is lots of small stuff, perhaps even put a list at the top f each box so you know what is there a few months down the road when you need it again Writing content lists does take time, but when you consider the amount of time spent rummaging through lots of boxes for lost items, it can actually save you a lot of time over all

That’s enough for now, as you probably have many other things to consider right now too So, get some sleep, then tomorrow get yourself a suitable notebook, and a calendar if you don’t already have one, and get yourself organized Your organization will help the rest of your family, and will enable you to rest a little easier at night With all of your planning and preparation, your next move or relocation will go well, at least everything that you have control over! Things like weather are somewhat harder to manage! And good luck with your next move!

Moving and relocation is a very time consuming and exhausting process, and one which Steve Jackson, the author, gives plenty of useful advice at www.relocation-moves.com For anyone considering a move or relocation in the near future, this is a must read!

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