Moving is a great time for fresh starts. Here are ten tips for jump starting your life after you've moved:
1.) Finances - Do you really have a choice? Making a move is always a costly affair, and if your finances are in a state of disarray, there is no better time to sit down and devise a responsible budget. The best way to kick it off is to make a list of all of your assets and all of your debts to firmly establish exactly where you stand. Then get a credit check and find out how your are perceived by financial instutions' perspectives.
2.) Cleaning (one room a day) - On a recent trip to Ohio, my wife's granmother told me that if I were to clean one room a day, I'd always have a clean house. I've found that it really is that easy. It can take as little as 15 minutes to clean one room well, and it's better for me than doing between 1-3 hours straight every week or two... that just ain't gonna happen.
3.) Reading - The average American watches 28 hours of television each week - that adds up to 1,456 hours of television each year. And how many books does the average American read in a year? Three. Yikes! That means while we read thirty books every 10 years, we watch 14,560 hours of television. That adds up to 606 DAYS of television every 10 years - the better part of 2 years straight. Do you really want to be that stupid? And if you have kids, are they reading? I'd say it's time to turn off the idiot box and pick up a book, America.
4.) Get Up-to-Date with Your Check Ups - When was the last time you had your "annual" physical? And your "six-month" dental check up? Regardless of how important you think your schedule is, there is no excuse - not ever - to let your health slide. Get recommendations from friends, colleagues or anyone else you trust and get caught up with your check ups!
5.) Eating Right - The reports of American obesity and the impact it has on our society are sobering. If you are moving from the city, one of the best parts is the relative calm of the supermarket. Take your time, cruise the aisles and find healthy foods that taste good to you. Granted, it's hard to give advice on eating well when there has been so much research in the last 20 years that you can find a study to back just about any theory out there. Talk to your doctor - and even a nutritionist - and find a common sense approach that you will follow.
6.) Getting in Touch with Old Friends - You're going to have to update everyone on your new address, so why not send it along to some of your long lost acquaintances? It's always interesting to see what has happened in the lives of those you haven't talked to in a while.
7.) Find New Friends - While there is nothing like an old friend, you have to get out there and expand your horizons at the same time. If there is a local Newcomer's Organization, don't be shy! Also, seek out other groups devoted to your interests, such as a book club or an athletic club. One of the easiest ways to turn a relocation into a nightmare is to be a hermit. Get out and make friends!
8.) Pick up a Hobby - Is there a hobby you have longed to try for years? You'll probably have a lot more space outside of the city to explore your interests. And if you need another reason or motivation to cut back on your tv time, maybe this will help, too. So, go on and pick up the guitar, try your hand at homebrewing or try your hand at Feng Shui.
9.) Find a new kind of music - Are you sick of listening to James Taylor, Billy Joel and Elton John? Join the club! Your old favorites will sound a lot better if you bring something else into the mix. It's never been easier to explore new artists and genres of music. Amazon.com and other retailers have thousands of records for you to sample. And it sure beats those headphones at the record store that Eddie Earwax has sweated all over.
10.) Exercising - If you don't exercise very much, you might actually find yourself winded during the moving process. You'll be on your feet for hours at a time unpacking and running errands. Take advantage of this momentum and get yourself to a doctor for a physical fitness regimen recommendation.
