Monthly planning for moving

Over the weekend I started thinking about all the things I need to do to get ready to move this summer. I had been thinking, "It's months away, I've got plenty of time." But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I need to mark some dates and make some notes.

So I grabbed my Monthly 4 planner. I've been using my Quo Vadis Monthly 4 (which I reviewed recently) for planning my blogs, and it works great for that. I realized the big monthly format with space for notes is perfect for planning my big move. (Luckily the large daily squares have plenty of space for my blog stuff AND my move stuff.)

I noted our target moving date on the calendar, and then worked backwards from there to determine what needs to be done, and when, to prepare.

In the month before the move I wrote in things I need to do to like: sell our car, pack up our stuff, and arrange the movers. But before those things can happen, I have to do things like advertise the car, and prep the household for the move. So I wrote those in two months before the move.

We are moving to a new area so we have questions such as: Where is a good neighborhood in the area? What are housing prices like in the area? What about school districts? Luckily I have a few months to do this research. Questions like these get their own page in the Notes section.

As I look around my house, I realize there's a lot to be done before this stuff will be ready to pack. I have enough closets to go through to keep me busy all spring. If I schedule one closet or room per weekend, I can work through them systematically to get rid of everything I don't need before it's time to pack up.

Back-dating from moving day and writing in all the steps and the amount of time it will take to complete them makes me realize I don't have all the time in the world. I need to get busy!

Leah on the Quo Vadis blog posted about an email conversation she and I had recently about using the Monthly 4 to plan for another major life event: pregnancy and preparing (yourself and your home) for the new baby. A new mom-to-be has a lot on her mind, and this planner would help her keep everything straight.

Do you have any major life events coming up soon? How are you preparing for the big event?