Now what?
When my husband and I decided to emigrate from Venezuela to the United States, we thought we had everything covered. From our friend’s experience, we thought we understood the challenges, the long list of things to decide and do in order to move, and the long term benefits for our family.
But, despite all considerations, preparation and information we got, at the beginning, we asked ourselves everyday: “And Now, What?” We felt overwhelm.
Any important project requires some planning. And I’m not talking about just corporate or business ones. Spreadsheets, diagrams or consultants might be of assistance, even in personal life projects. But, most fundamentally, emotional preparation and support are the real “must have”. Take a look to the following simple advice
- Agree on the basics. Any personal project might have impact on others, to some extent. Communicate open and clearly with those involved, and agree on the goal or goals, dates to achieve them, potential benefits, etc. Be prepare to work on any negative emotions that might arise during the process, by reading, asking friends, teachers or life coaches! Change is challenging, but not impossible, especially if the entire group is coordinated and committed.
- Make a list of tasks, and never leave home without it. It gives you and all around you a sense of concrete direction. Also it might ease and speed your project. In my example, we divided our project in sub-projects, and listed the activities the best we could. For instance: close our old home was a sub project that involved the tasks of classification of furniture, kitchen tools, cloth, etc. in 4 categories: to sell, to donate, to throw away or to pack. Every time I met with somebody or go to an appointment, I offer one item of the “to sell” or “to donate”, placed a lot of them directly, or obtain a reference to do it later.
- Ask for help. People are more than willing to help, if you are clear communicating your rules and expectations. You could save a lot of worries and feel less alone in the process.
- Keep the pace. Probably you will feel tired, or even frustrated along the way. Take a moment to rest, to breath or simply day-dream about your goal accomplished. Re charge you with such great feelings of success.
This list is just to inspire you. Take a moment to think about your own project, the activities involved, the resources and people you would like to engage, and the wonderful you will feel when everything is done. Then, go back to work!
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. – Amelia Earhart
What do you think? Share your opinion in the comments section. It’s fun and also, helps everybody to learn more. Thanks!
