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Use Your Smartphone To Organise Your Move

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A Fresh Start: New Year as an Opportunity for Growth Human beings aren’t known for their love of change. Indeed, we’re almost always hearing about how hard we find it to accept change, much less deliberately seek it out. But perhaps it’s time to challenge this widely-believed idea; after all, our moving habits tell a completely different story. At many junctures in our lives, we willingly submit ourselves to the upheaval of packing everything up and resuming our lives elsewhere. And no matter how positive our move might be (a nicer area; a bigger property), it still requires huge effort, patience, stamina and hard work. So are we really as bad at handling change as we’re reputed to be? Or are we, in fact, an exceptionally adaptable species, capable of much more than we realise? Let’s assume we are - in which case, the new year provides the perfect time to identify other areas where change could flourish in our lives. As moving house shows, change can be invigorating and transformative. The benefits of the growth and renewal that come from making a change easily outweigh the drawbacks. So let’s assess the ways in which we might be able to rejuvenate our lives in 2025. Real Resolutions Good Habits Ongoing Personal Development Bad Habits Changing Your Environment Keeping Going with Confidence The Ultimate Change: Moving House with Aussie Real Resolutions The notion of the New Year’s resolution has become a groan-inducing portent of imminent failure. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We don’t have to set resolutions that are doomed. Instead, we can do something positive and inspiring, whether that’s learning a new skill, making a small, manageable lifestyle change, or taking on a project. One way to avoid the failure for which New Year’s resolutions are so infamous is to avoid picking one that’s all about eliminating something. So instead of framing our resolution in the language of abstention (“I’ll stop eating hamburgers”), we can look at it another way (“I’ll eat more salad and vegetables”). Putting a resolution in positive rather than negative terms is just one step towards making it more do-able. We can also take care to make the resolution realistic and specific. Resolutions like “get fit” or “be a better person” are far too imprecise. If we do, indeed, want to get more physically fit, we’re better off making a specific, trackable commitment such as “three exercise classes per week”. The other way to keep a resolution on track is to recognise and acknowledge milestones. If we’ve kept it in place for a week, then we should celebrate that. And if we break it, it’s important not to think, ‘Oh, well, there’s no point - it’s all ruined now’. We shouldn’t be asking perfection of ourselves. In the event that a resolution is dropped for a week, we can resume it the next one. Good Habits A resolution is one thing; but cultivating good habits can turn a single resolution into something even longer-lasting, ensuring that positive change lasts longer than just the month of January. Again, the key here is staying manageable and realistic. There’s no harm in starting small. So if your goal is to read more, then commit to five minutes a day and build it up in increments. If you’re opting to get fitter, use a running app that starts you off on 1K and breaks up the kilometre into sections of walking and sections of running. By keep your good habit small, you won’t be courting failure and will get a sense of growing confidence as you tick off one success after another. Of course, habits requires repetition. You may find that it helps to emphasise the repetition factor by performing the new habit at the same time each day. And, as with resolutions, you can stay motivated by marking the milestones, whether via an app or your diary Ongoing Personal Development Resolutions and good habits are just the start; the new year is also the perfect time to invest in ourselves and unlock more of our potential. It’s so easy, given how busy life gets, to let some form of stasis occur. We can be stuck in a treading-water way of life and forget the importance of growth, accomplishment and learning. Bolstering our personal growth needn’t require a towering achievement; we can simply register for a course, join a group, take up a new hobby or research a subject we’ve always been interested in. Our minds will be kept active and we’ll also create new social connections. But if it’s not the right time for you to learn something new, then there’s no shortage of other routes to development. You could go down a more spiritual path by consciously practising gratitude, something usually done via a daily list and deliberate moments of contemplation. Few things are as embittering as viewing oneself as unfairly short-changed by life; this can be kept at bay with a gratitude list (as simple as three things per day), shifting our focus and broadening our outlook. There’s also grounds for personal growth in our social connections. If you’ve been a bit withdrawn (entirely possible ever since the Covid era), then re-nurturing your friendships and connections needn’t be an uphill task; you can arrange more meet-ups, check in more often via messages and calls and also practise more conscious listening. Bad Habits While we’ve taken pains to stay focussed on the positive, there’s one area for change where the bad has to be confronted. It’s important to do this in a measured way, so that we acknowledge our bad habits without indulging in self-flagellation or self-hate. To let go of a bad habit, it helps if we replace it with something. If, for example, we’ve got into a pattern of doom-scrolling on our phones in bed at night, then replacing it with a book or a meditation is the way to go. It won’t feel punitive in the way that simply banning ourselves from a habit can feel. Patience and forbearance are also important here: we may well encounter setbacks and relapses with our letting go of bad habits. Don’t come down on yourself like a ton of bricks if/when this happens. Just begin again the next day. Changing Your Environment Many of us find that positive change comes much harder if we’re surrounded by the visual evidence of our staying the same, especially if what we’re looking at is a chaotic and cluttered living space. While this doesn’t apply to everyone, it’s also true that we can find it impossible to think clearly unless what we’re looking at is reasonably ordered and tidy. So this is the right time for organising our belongings, clearing out drawers and cupboards and restoring order. Not only that, but after our decluttering, we can emphasise feelings of renewal by adding something new to the space, whether it’s an item of furniture, a throw, or a new framed photo. Keeping Going with Confidence Of course, the new year and the idea of deliberate change are both daunting. But let’s try to think of it in terms of excitement; we’re going to leave behind that which doesn’t serve us in 2024 and embrace personal development and opportunities for all kinds of creative satisfaction and happiness. Every forward step is a form of progress. We’re going to cultivate an attitude of curiosity and optimism. Here’s to a 2025 bursting with possibility and meaningful change. The Ultimate Change: Moving House with Aussie If you’re taking the plunge this year and going ahead with that most exciting of changes - moving house - then we’re here to make it go swiftly and smoothly. We offer all kinds of moving packages, including man & van for smaller moves, and our removals service for larger ones. We have over two decades of experience and a reputation built on customer service, good value and our “can-do”, problem-solving attitude.

Organisation and efficiency are everything when it comes to moving, and the judicious use of your smartphone (and/or tablet) can make the difference between a move that leaves you feeling flattened and one that goes like clockwork. But how would someone actually do this without being tech-savvy or relying on others to do it for them?

Have no fear; that’s what this blog is all about. At Aussie, we’re big fans of providing people with tips on how to improve their moving experience. Now that most of us own or has access to a phone or its equivalent, why not put them to work to make life easier for you? Here are some ideas for making your phone work for you when it comes to pulling off the perfect move.

How Apps are Improving the Moving Experience –

Unless you’ve spent the last five or ten years on a remote island, you’ll have heard of an app. It stands for application and works on smartphones and Apple devices. Each app comes with unique features specifically designed to simplify things. And they’re easy to download and start using straight away, although you might need a bit of practice to navigate correctly.

There are some obvious ones like home inventory apps that make relocating much easier. Then you have things like to-do lists and calendars to help with organising and creating a timeline. Some might even incorporate every function or link with other applications. We’ll suggest the best ones we know of in this blog with some links directly to them.

Ultimately, you’ll have something there to remind you and regain focus because there will be plenty of distractions. It’s easy to lose track when moving because life continues onwards, regardless of how important your move is. We end up balancing lots of different tasks simultaneously. That’s why an app will give you another helping hand when arranging your upcoming relocation.

Home Inventory Apps – Sortly and More –

Sortly is a free moving app that helps you keep tabs on all your stuff throughout the move. Say you need to find that cherished picture frame but have forgotten where you packed it; Sortly remembers it all for you. Better still, it lets you make a visual inventory of all your possessions, with photos, notes, tags, and locations.

Magic Home Inventory allows you to organise your home inventory across several properties and break down each separate inventory by room, listing each item’s location along with a description and photo. The app’s advanced search feature helps you locate items quickly, and you can manually backup your list to another storage location. 

MyStuff can store an incredible amount of information for each item you save in this inventory. Rather than slog through entering the product information, it’s possible to scan its barcode to initiate an entry. This is an iOS application, and it comes in two versions: the Lite version is free, but your limit is fifteen items. The full version has a much more extensive database and would be worth the purchase cost for people with lots of furniture and appliances.

Nest Egg is the ultimate choice for individual item data. You can take detailed photos per item, including its barcode, purchase date, expiry date (if applicable) and return purchase dates for new products. You can create a log for when you loan out items to family or friends, and it’s possible to export your complete inventory lists to save or print.

Learn on YouTube for How-To and DIY Videos –

YouTube comes into its element when you need help with that task, the very thought of which is keeping you up at two in the morning. From moving-day tips by experts and real people to advice on handling and packing valuables and fragile ones, pretty much every moving quandary is resolved in front of your eyes. You can save them to watch again later, and a few are even available to download.

YouTube also has a large audience on its platform and there are more people creating and uploading DIY videos every week. Furthermore, businesses the following suit and are creating and adding their online tutorials for products and services. You’ll likely find what you’re looking for on there, and most topics are simple to find.

Who knows, you might even get the content bug yourself as you go through this process. If you fancy it, there’s the option of recording your own moving tips. Some people even earn money from YouTube ads if there’s enough views. It’s not for everyone but worth considering, especially if you have a suggestion that other movers might find useful.

Google Docs and Evernote – Record Musings, Ideas, and Inspirations –

Where we once had to rely on sticky notes, scrapbooks, and scrawled handwriting to keep track of our ideas, now we have our phones. When you spot something that inspires you – perhaps at a friend’s house or garden – store the image in a note where it’ll stay safe until you need to come back to it. Google Docs and Evernote are two popular notation platforms. 

Never again will you need to refer to a messy pile of papers, and neither will little notes get lost during your move – everything’s stored just a click away. You can also edit things without having to cross things out on messy notes. Most will automatically update without having to resave, making it fast and simple to note down your thoughts.

Should you need to use the information, you can always copy and paste it into another document or something similar. People often need to relay this via a message or email. Just grab all of the wording and share via a messaging app or in an email. You won’t need to keep a clunky notepad again unless that’s your thing. Either way, you can’t go wrong with a notation application.

Use Your Phone Calendar for a Timeline and Reminders –

While you might worry about finding these various apps, the good news is some will already be on your phone. One of the best ones is a calendar where you can save things for specific dates. Be sure to utilise the reminder function so that you get an alert before each actual event. That way, even if you forget things, your phone won’t.

You can adjust the settings to suit your needs or to save you from known habits. Some of us do things straight away; others need an additional reminder or snooze. Another bonus is being able to create a task in your calendar and share it. This is an amazing feature for businesspeople when arranging meetings to share the reminder with other attendees.

The final benefit that a lot of people don’t consider is the ability to count the days and weeks until your move. We can’t stress this enough – time flies, especially when you have lots on your plate. Make sure you don’t forget tasks and leave too much for the final week. You’ll have more than enough to deal with and possibly, some unforeseen issues. Assign things to do each week with your calendar, and you’ll be on track for a successful relocation.

Backup Your Files and Images Before You Go – 

All the well-known cloud services are at your fingertips – from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and iCloud, plus many more. Keep all your most important documents safely inside them – scanning when it’s necessary to create digital copies. If the worst happens and something gets lost as you go from a-to-b, you’ve still got your digital version safe and sound.

You can also use an external hard drive if you’re more comfortable with having something physically in your hand. Just remember to buy one that’s durable and portable as they have additional padding, making them more robust and built for travelling. The last thing you want to do is lose files if they corrupt due to damage occurring. And even a small bash can cause this to happen.

Another option is to enlist the services of a home server. They come with their version of a cloud storage system, and you can back up remotely whenever you need to save your files. You don’t have to carry around a device like an external hard drive. However, it’s worth further research to gauge how reliable they are and how data is transferred.

Aussie Man & Van London – Utilising Tech for a Smoother Relocation –

We live in a time where technology is making moving straightforward, and we naturally think this is excellent. Plus, apps are getting more user-friendly, and it doesn’t take a degree in IT to use them. With more apps launching, most free, it’s also affordable and stress-free. You can organise everything at the touch of a button or two.

Aussie Man & Van is here to assist you throughout your move, and we’ll discuss any relevant apps if they add value to your situation. Home inventory applications are changing the way people relocate. And they’re excellent for sharing lists with your insurance provider as well. Moreover, you can send it to us to help us assess your upcoming move in more detail.

To get a free quote for your next relocation, click here, and we’ll start an assessment. We provide the most efficient and cost-effective moves in London and beyond.

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