When you’ve gotten used to living a certain way for a long time, it can start to feel monotonous. Daily routines are well and good to keep you productive at work, but they can also make you feel like you’re getting nowhere in life. When you start feeling that way, your first idea may be to get a fresher perspective, and for some, this means stepping out of your comfort zone and starting anew.
This is a contributed post and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Meet The Harris Family.
While it may seem daunting for some, taking the risk might be precisely what you need to enter a new and exciting chapter in your life. However, there are some things that you might not expect while you plan that big move.
The Moving Process Isn’t Quick and Easy
Even if you make as many preparations as possible and choose to move next week, chances are it won’t happen. Moving takes time, and in between packing up all your things, notifying your electricity provider, and making sure all the utilities will be working by the time you get to your new home, you’ll also have to deal with figuring out what you want to do and how you want to live your new life.
One of the steps in the moving process that takes a lot of time is selling your home. In most cases, it can be challenging to sell your home on short notice, but it isn’t impossible. There are a couple of ways to go about this: you can sell it to a friend or relative who had previously been eyeing your home, or you can sell your house for cash. While the latter may seem unconventional, it’s a quick and easy way to get your home off your hands.
Another thing that people often struggle with before making that big move is letting go. Moving is a complicated process, not just in terms of logistics but also in terms of emotions. Leaving something you’ve been accustomed to for a considerable chunk of your life can be difficult, especially when so many memories are attached to specific people or places.
However, it’s important to remember that these changes bring you one step closer to new experiences and are a necessary pain for you to experience personal growth.
Change Starts with You
Many people assume that once you start living in a new city, change begins automatically. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t wait for change to happen. Change begins as soon as you decide on it. Often, what happens is that it occurs externally. Different routes, transportation, food, housing, etc., but what doesn’t change is you. This lack of internal change causes many to start doubting themselves and wondering whether it was an excellent decision to move after all, and this is where the problem lies.
We leave our comfort zones so that we allow ourselves to experience new things and grow. We often expect to change our identities in a new environment when we need learning experiences that help us define who we are and what we want to do in life.
Making Friends Is Hard
Seeing people every day makes it easier to establish connections with them, which is why it’s easy to make friends at school or in college. Once you enter real life and find yourself in a new environment, it isn’t as easy as you’d like it to be. For starters, you won’t likely know anyone in the city you’re moving to. Even if you do, you’re probably not going to see them every day.
The only way to make friends is to do so aggressively. While it may not sound ideal, it’s the most effective way to make friends in a new city. Besides interacting with your co-workers, join a virtual class, workshop, or even an online group- anything that allows you to meet and interact with new people. There are different ways to make friends in a new city. All you need to do is find those opportunities.
You’ll not only improve your social skills, but having a couple of people you can count on can make a living in a new place, much less lonely.
Let Go of Your Expectations
Starting over in a new place can lead to expectations of what life you want to live while you’re there. Often, people move to a new home and start daydreaming about the perfect job, house, partner, and even social life. While it isn’t wrong to have expectations, it’s important not to let them define you, or you might let good opportunities slip away. Instead of living to achieve these expectations, take the road less traveled and jump at any interesting opportunities that come your way. You never know where these opportunities will lead you.
Starting over is both an exciting and emotional experience. Still, it’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about yourself and build a life that may not have been possible if you hadn’t taken the risk. You’ll go through ups and downs, as everyone does, and change may not come right away, but once you see where these roads take you, you’ll realize that the journey was worth the risk.
