Success Lessons from Moving Day

Moving Day — whew!! Last Wednesday, Susan and I helped our daughter and son-in-law unload the last U-Haul truck marking their big move from one end of the Bluegrass state to the other. Afterward as we drove home, we discussed some important lessons from a physical move which directly apply to a person’s personal and professional success. Let me know if you agree.

The Moving Drill — It’s Hard Work

You know the drill. Pack up all the things we collect as we live our life. Clean out the cabinets, the closets, and the garage. Find stuff we’ve not thought of in years. Silly items. Things lost but now found. Items once whole, but now missing parts. Items we’ve not even missed. Stuff we never should have spent money on and special momentos we can’t bear to part with.

Moving is really hard, detailed work. Sometimes, mind-bending, physically and emotionally exhausting work. Moving is fueled by dreaming, planning, and a healthy dose of risk taking. But it’s all a part of figuring out what to do with all our “stuff.

Once decided, we secure everything in a truck, give one last memory-packed look over our shoulder… then put the truck in gear, and move forward.

The Adventure of Moving

In my lifetime, I’ve had quite a few moving days. My dad was a construction painter so we moved A LOT! Every time we climbed into the station wagon pulling all our belongings in a U-Haul behind us, my mom made it a great adventure — pulling out her atlas and teaching us about what awaited us in our “new home.

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Metaphorical Moves

Susan and I agreed, every moving day is a marker in a life. The day someone physically and emotionally lets go of one thing to receive another.

We also agreed, we should probably “move” more often — metaphorically, at least. Decide what we’ve hung onto for too long, what’s holding us back, what we should take to the “dump.” Spend some serious time thinking about what’s waiting for us to take hold of — if we’ll only release our grip on some of the “stuff” blocking our way.

Moving Day for You?

Thankfully moving day doesn’t happen every day. But when it does, I always find a fresh sense of excitement for, anticipation of, and readiness for the all the possibilities which are waiting. It’s waiting — but to move forward, I  have to get in the driver’s seat, start the engine, and actually put the truck in gear.

When was your last “moving day” and what did it teach you? Please share your stories in the comments below.

If your team needs some inspiration for a big move ahead, and my lessons could help — let’s talk. I’d be honored to help you “move.”

About The Author: Phillip Van Hooser

Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE is committed to helping organizations transform their business outcomes by building engaged employee relationships. He is an award-winning keynote speaker and author on engaged leadership and communication. His most recent book is “Earning The Right To Be Heard," a primer for creating greater influence and opportunities. Connect with Phil on LinkedIn and Facebook.