How do you know when it is time to move and how to get the courage to do it?

Posted by Freeyourmind on Saturday, January 16, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Moving to a new city can be terrifying. It’s scary to leave your comfort zone and move to a new city, where you don’t know anyone and don’t know your way around, however research shows that “householders who desire to move and who do move generally report greater residential satisfaction with their new residence than their old one”. And it’s sad then that nearly 1 in 10 people desire to move, but don’t move in the next year (United Census Bureau, 2015, Desire to Move and Residential Mobility: 2010-2011)

Sometimes, however, your soul just needs that big of a change to be revived. New adventures can be life inspiring and help to re-awaken the mind, body and soul.

Change is an important part of life that allows us to create new life experiences rather than remain stagnant. I made smaller changes at first, got a new job, got a new boyfriend, bought a new condo, remodeled the condo…and even though all of those things made me happy and were exciting at the time, after they were not new anymore, I still felt like I was missing something. I still longed for something more. I finally realized that I needed to make the big change that I have been wanting to do for a long time, but had allowed fear to hold me back from doing. Making the decision to move was a scary one but I’m so happy and proud of myself for finally taking the leap.

1. Let go of the “what ifs”

Questions we ask ourselves that hold us back: What if I don’t like it? What if I can’t get a job? What if something goes wrong? What if I miss it here? What if? What if? What if? You can let the what ifs hold you back and stop you from doing the things that you long for, that you dream of, that your soul thirsts for, or you can push the what ifs aside and do what your heart tells you. Do what you FEEL is right and stop overthinking it.

2. Trust the journey

Everything in life leads you to the next stage in your journey. Without the stage before it, you wouldn’t be where you are now and you wouldn’t be on your way to where you are heading.
Allow the things that happen in your life to guide you. As soon as I decided that I wanted to move, things just magically fell into place. I got a dream job offer within weeks, my boyfriend was able to keep his job and work remotely, my friend said we could stay with her until we found a place to live. I decided all of these things were happening for a reason and I should trust the path that was unfolding in front of me and just follow it.

3. Go with your gut

That weird gut feeling is there for a reason. Trust it, follow it. I just had a gut feeling that where I currently was living was just not for me anymore. And even though everyone around me loved living in that city, some even consider it a paradise, I still had a gut feeling that I belonged somewhere else. Stop ignoring your gut feeling, it is trying to tell you something important!

4. Don’t listen to them

You know who I’m talking about. The negative Nancys. The ones that keep asking you the what if questions. We know they mean well, but they are just putting their own insecurities and fears onto you. A lot of times it’s the people that you spend the most time with, because well, they love you and don’t want you to go. So be easy on them, but don’t listen to them.

5. It’s not the end all be all

Stop thinking that moving is a permanent decision that you can never change. That just creates more fear. Moving is expensive but it is not permanent. You can always move again. You are allowed to change your mind whenever you want. You will be happier that you tried and failed than to keep wondering what it could have been like and regret not having the courage to have tried it.

Sources:
http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p70-140.pdf