Moving is the mature equivalent of middle school—everyone is really gungho about the prospect, but it is only the folks with sensible expectations who end up having a trouble-free move. Yes, it is a new home, a new beginning, and the prospect of a wonderful new life--but once that last empty moving truck leaves and you are standing there in the middle of your boxes, you have still got to do the actual work.
Managing your move with realistic expectations is fundamental to beginning that new life on a positive note--and that equates to not only accepting the fact that a new abode will not wondrously melt off the fifteen pounds you want to lose, but that moving is emotionally difficult even in ideal circumstances and you and your family should allow the time and space to accept that.
One of the odd things about a local move--new abode, neighborhoods, schools--is that can be more difficult on the kids than a long-distance relocation. A new residende in another state removes the non-stop requests to go hang with their friends in the old neighborhood, and it is less difficult to adopt a new life and new friends when your old ones are in a different time zone.
But back to the main point. There are three Ps to think about when managing your move to or in Tulsa and Oklahoma City--Purge, Pack, and Pay. What you do not purge has to be packed, and the more you pack, the more you will pay. Expectation—I will get rid of old stuff and only hang on to what I love. Reality--you love a lot more than you believe you do. No matter if you handle your own packing or hire professional movers, you have got to determine what is worth the time and money to pack and move.
Purge
Purging is one of those weird phrases you don't hear a lot, at least in a good connotation. But really, releasing the old baggage is one of the smartest ways that you can let your new home to bestow your expectations of wonderful. There are hundreds of guidelines and suggestions to assist you in figuring out the best methods to sort through your old things, from down-to-earth--"if you haven't used/worn it in a year get rid of it"; to a tad wacky--"toss all your negative energy out with the old towels". At its basic level, purging is simply sorting through all the cupboards, closets and drawers and making three piles: take with you, throw away, donate. Or you might have four piles if you have got some nice things that you do not need anymore, and consign those things.
The hardest thing about purging is keeping up the aloofness in order to be cutthroat about tossing things. If you stored all those pre-school paintings, how can you toss them and be a great parent? Here is a tip—appoint a friend to assist you to pick through items and talk you through why you are keeping items that are really better thrown away. Having someone else ask you out loud why you want to hang on to the 1980s jelly shoes does put things in focus and you will have a pain-free time growing the throw away pile if you've got someone to back-up your decisions.
If your spouse is the one with the pack rat impulses, here is a suggestion for helping an unwilling partner say good-bye their treasures. Think small, and begin with the kitchen junk drawers, try to limit handling of old matchbooks and out-of-ink pens to one time only and steadily make your way to larger possessions, like collections (for example, choose two or three porcelain bunnies and donate or consign the rest).
Catch up us next time as we review managing your move subjects: Pack and Pay, in Part 2 of this blog series.
