How to make the hard thing easy

Sometimes we expect a struggle and we get one. But once in a while, the hard thing turns out to be easier than we expect.

Is it luck? Skill? Good planning? It’s probably a bit of all three. But if we can break down the steps, more of the hard things will go smoothly. And as a result, everything will seem possible.

My recent relocation from Denver to Truckee, California, came together with minimal drama. The real estate transactions synced up perfectly, and happened record time. The packing, hauling, and unpacking hasn’t been horrible. And even the cohabitation part is so-far-so-good.

I’m no expert, but I’ve done (and written about) many hard things. And while I never count on things going well, they often do.

So, here are a few things I’ve noticed along the way

Keep your eye on the prize. When trying to make a major move forward, no good can come from looking back. Any amount of nostalgia can kill the momentum, even when the prize is sexy and shiny. It’s best to focus on the what and the why — or in my case the where — and not idealize the past. Of course there will be tradeoffs. You’ll have time to reflect on those later. When progress is not at stake.

Be realistic about how long the hard thing will take, but plug away at it every day. Selling one house and buying another — or making any major decision — always takes time. Along the way, you’ll make progress. And inevitably, you’ll get hung up. The broker and had a showing. Yay. There was no offer, or it was too low. Boo. Even small advances can be hard to come by. While you wait for the big win you can take another bag of stuff to the Goodwill.

When the universe throws you a bone, grab it and run. The unicorn buyer knocks on the door. The perfect house shows up on Zillow. Now it’s all happening fast — and that’s slightly horrifying. But this is what you’ve wanted. You’re in the flow. So don’t pump the brakes. The greater plan is being revealed.

Big change is always scary. But confidence is key. If the new job, the new love, or the new place doesn’t work out it will suck for a while. But hey, we’re pretty awesome. We’ll know how to pivot and recover. But chances are good that we won’t have to.

Because we’ve learned a few things these past many years.

The clock on adventure is ticking.

And there’s no good reason to put up a fight.