About two months ago, my boyfriend and I (and our puppy!)
embarked on an exciting adventure. We decided that even though
we loved the cozy life we had built in California, we were both
ready for new challenges and experiences. So with as much
planning and organizing as we could handle, we packed up and
moved to Boston.

After a couple of months here on the east coast, I'm ready to
trade in all of the new challenges and experiences for a little
familiarity and peace. But unfortunately, I am smack dab in the
middle of this major life change. So instead of running back to
the life that was familiar, but (okay, I admit it) a little
monotonous, I've decided to jump in with both feet to create a
new life that is just as wonderful on the east coast... and one
that fits me a little better, too.

Are you in the middle of a major life transition? If so, here
are a couple of things to keep in mind to help you through the
difficult times:

1. Remind yourself that this is a PHASE. Big life changes
often leave us feeling out of whack, like the rug has been
pulled out from under us. Even when the change is good, we can
feel as though things will never be normal again. And as
creatures of habit, we tend to want things to go back to the way
they were, just because it's familiar. But if we did that,
nothing in our lives would ever change or improve. Just
remember to put one foot in front of the other, try to relax and
give yourself time to create a new routine. Things will get
easier, I promise.

2. Ease up on the high expectations. Just the other day, I
wrote out a list of all of the things I had to take care of. It
was over 2 pages long! I about cried. So instead of planning
to check every item on that list off by the end of the week (my
original plan), I decided to give myself a month or two instead.
Having so many things on my mind created a lot of stress. But
on the other hand, my own expectations seemed to be causing the
most stress of all. So now I just take care of the one or two
items that seem to be the most important that day, and then
repeat my trusty mantra: "tomorrow is another day...."

3. Be PRO-active, rather than RE-active in creating your new
reality. Transitions create a lot of extra stress, whether we
choose it ourselves or life throws us curve ball. Unfortunately,
what tends to happen when we're dealing with all of this stress
is that we pay attention to whatever new problem presents itself
in that moment. And after doing that for a few months, we
unwittingly create the habit of reacting to life, rather than
creating it. Take this opportunity to be proactive, and to
create a life that fulfills and energizes you, rather than one
where you're always "dealing" with the most pressing issue.

Whether you're planning a big move yourself, dealing with a
break-up, or you've just had a baby, you're definitely going
through a lot. I hope that keeping these things in mind will
help you manage your own transition with a little more ease. I
can't say that even I have been completely successful at
following my own advice, but the days I do seem to be a lot
easier. Good luck!