The Situation
A few years ago, I had to move from a current apartment to a new apartment. I needed to move because the apartment building that I lived in was being repurposed into veteran’s only housing. This meant that staying in the apartment was not an option, and I only had a few months to find a new place to live. I wanted to live in a new area, one that was closer to parks and outdoor recreation, but still close enough to be near shopping areas, work, school, and other activities.
Keeping a Positive Attitude Until the Problem is Resolved
At first, it was hard to keep a positive attitude because the situation was so sudden and it felt like I was being forced to leave my home. Not only did I have to research and look for a new apartment, I also had to pack up all of my belongings and make a plan about how to move them. At first, I wasn’t even sure where I was moving. I kept positive by seeing the situation as an opportunity to move to someplace that I might like more.
Determining the Accuracy Assumptions and/or Conclusions
The first thing that I assumed was that living anywhere else would be too expensive. While it is true that most other areas are more expensive than where I was living, I could research and find less expensive apartments in usually higher priced areas. I also assumed that packing was going to be a really hard process, but I looked online and found ways to make packing easier.
Breaking the Problem Into Smaller, More Workable Parts
One of the online suggestions for preparing to move was to pack a little bit every day. Websites also suggested then planning to pack a whole room over the course of one week. So, packing was broken down into smaller parts. For example, I would pack the kitchen over the period of one week by packing a few boxes each day. I did the same with the living room and bedroom.
I also broke the task of finding an new apartment down into smaller parts. I would spend a few hours over the week researching apartments. On my time off I would visit one or two apartments every week until I found the one that matched my needs.
Determining Necessary Information and What Information Is Still Needed
The first thing that I needed to determine was how much money I had to spend on an apartment. I had to create a budget and look at how much I was spending versus how much more I could afford to spend. I also had to determine how much time I had to look for a new apartment, which turned about to be about three months. Information that I still needed included: how much my new apartment would cost (once I picked it) and when my moving date would be.
Organizing my Information
I organized the information by creating a list of potential apartments on my computer. I would search apartments and put one on the list when I decided that I liked it. Since I didn’t have time to visit all of the apartments on the list, I would compare and contrast the lists, removing the apartments that had too many downsides. Finally, I would visit the apartments that were left on the list. After that, I had a list of apartments that I had visited and I could compare and contrast until I found the right place to move into.
Meaningful Self-Dialogue
I definitely spent a lot of time thinking to myself about which apartment would be the perfect for me to move into. The comparing and contrasting, and thinking up pros and cons, happened in my head. I often added the pros and cons to my list, but first, I had to think everything through in my mind first.
Prompts and Lists
As I mentioned before, I used lists a lot in this process. Besides the lists of apartments, I first had to list what I was looking for in an apartment. I also had to list out items that I would consider pros or cons. What I was looking for in a apartment included: a good neighborhood, close to parks, not to far from shopping, spacious rooms, and affordable. For the pros and cons, I had to figure out what I could compromise. For example, I might choose a less nice neighborhood because the apartment is very affordable. On the other hand, I might choose an apartment right across from a park even though it has small rooms.
What it I Felt Like to Going Through the Process
Sometimes, the process made me feel anxious and worried and other times I was excited to find a new place to live and to start a new life. Doing things like: creating lists, and packing a little a time, helped me not to feel so scared because I felt like everything was under control. I will definitely use this process next time I want need to move.
