Making the most of a new career in a new city.

So you’ve finally received your ideal job offer, only it’s the other side of the country, in a city you don’t know and have no connections with. Let’s assume you are at a point in your life where your career is your top priority, so you take the job, what can this new start mean to you?

For starters, you’ll need to find somewhere to live, maybe you’ll want to rent somewhere on your own, but why not find a professional flat share? This can be hugely beneficial. Initially, while settling into the new city, you will immediately meet your new housemates, and potentially make friends with their friends, so from the start sharing a property dramatically reduces the chance of becoming overwhelmed making a new start completely on your own. Another benefit of flat sharing is the shorter tenancy length you can have, you’ll have no problem committing to just 3 months allowing you to get to know the area before you make any long term commitments.

You’ve moved in, now what? Is there a particular sport you would like to start playing? Then search for local clubs and go along to a session, do it in your first week or you’ll have a hard time getting round to it.

It would make good sense to test your new journey to work one morning before you start, you definitely don’t want to be turning up late on the first day of work because you got on the wrong bus or misjudged traffic.

How many years come around and you make that same old new years resolution to start a diet or go jogging but it never lasts more than a few days. Why is this? Simply put, the new year is no different to the year before, change is hard and when you are settled into a routine it takes a high level of dedication to make positive changes to that routine. Now where does moving to a new city come into this? Well this is the perfect opportunity, the ideal chance to implement all those changes to your life that you always said you would. You’re naturally going to find yourself in a new routine, so why not add these changes now.

“The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.” — Mike Murdock

How good is your current morning routine? Do you allow yourself time to wake up properly before a long day at work? Take this opportunity to improve your mornings. Try not being reliant on that cup of coffee to get you up and out when a glass of water will do the trick. Alternatively, a warm mug of lemon water can provide huge benefits and is part of many peoples morning routine. Give yourself plenty of time to eat a satisfactory breakfast but if you still find yourself short on time in the mornings, why not grab a banana and utilise the slow release of energy to help you through till lunch.

After breakfast you head off to work, full of energy and enthusiasm for the day ahead. You complete your daily activities, 5 o’clock rolls around and you head back home, now what? As important as it is to have a good morning routine, keeping your evenings well organised can provide even more benefits. Planning your meals ahead allow you to eat more healthily, as well as not wasting valuable wind down time just figuring out what to eat that evening. For example, have you ever come home from a long day with no plan for an evening meal and ended up ordering a takeaway or eating out. I now plan my meals and buy the necessary groceries for the week ahead every weekend so during the working week I can focus most of my energy on work and winding down in the evenings.

Finally, a pre bed time routine can ensure you waking up each morning with no unnecessary tasks. So much of a morning routine can be achieved the night before, from ironing your shirt to making sandwiches for lunch. The less you have to do each morning, the more you can focus your thoughts onto the day ahead.

To summarise, planning ahead is everything. Get into regular routines which promote good health and can maximise your performance at work. Take the opportunity with a fresh new start in life to implement these new routines now until they become natural.