Moving Tip: Ditch Perfectionism

Perfectionism has the tendency to rear its ugly head when big, exciting life changes are around the corner.

Sometimes, it can be crippling; hindering you from making things happen. You could be getting in your own way! You could be the roadblock. Case in point:

Do any of these statements sound familiar?

• "I need to have $10,000 saved up for my move, but I only have $8,000."

• "I'm going to move in 3 years. I'll be ready by then."

• "I want to move to Seattle, but I need a job first, and a place to live, and tons of savings, and..."

Sidenote: I came up with the idea for City Leaper almost two (!!) years ago, and I sat on the idea for the longest time before I finally took action. When I did start to work on it, I feared sharing it with the world too soon. It needed to be perfect. I found myself postponing my launch date from September, to November, to January.

But you know what I realized?

There's never a perfect time.


If you wait for it, it may never happen! And it will most certainly slow you down and push your move date further and further back.

The harsh reality is that moving is usually not a perfect, magical experience, no matter how carefully you plan and how much money you save.

You'll pack everything in the most fail-proof, pristine way, but a dish or two will break. You'll get your car checked out at your local mechanic to ensure it's in tip-top-shape before making the drive, but you'll get a flat at the most inopportune hour.

Related Posts:

Free Moving Planning Journal

5 Truths I Learned From Moving On A Whim

10 Apartment Hunting Tips (+ Free Printable Checklist!)

It would have been great to have every single duck in a row before I left for California, but if I waited for that to happen, I'd still be in New Hampshire right now, still saving, still plotting for that "right" moment to come.

So I did it. I made the move, and everything and then some happened: my car broke down after 31 days, I got unexpectedly laid off, it took my boyfriend Steve longer than I thought possible to secure a job, I cried and felt homesick and broke, but through the challenges and imperfections, I felt the thrill of experiencing my new-to-me life on the opposite coast. As Graham Greene says, "When we are not sure, we are alive."

There's always a comfortable "in between" goal that you can shoot for that's still attainable and won't hold you back.

Don't put off your move.

Don't be afraid.

Plan, but don't overplan.

And take action! (You can start with our free moving planning journal!)


BY ALISON KINSEY

Alison Kinsey is a serial mover and the founder of City Leaper. She craves adventure, movement, and new beginnings. Her most recent move was over 3,000 miles, from New Hampshire to California, where she lives with her husband and her two dogs.