Moving Day, Part 1

In case you haven’t been paying attention, today is our last day in our old house. Which means it’s part 1 of moving day, the packing. Of course this is a virtual move, since there's been an acquisition and we're working for a new company, not really changing jobs. Also, we’re all pretty much working for home already, and the commute isn’t going to change much.

But lots of things are going to change. And today is the last chance to get ready. So, in the spirit of a physical move, here’s some things to keep in mind as you prepare:

Know who to go to when you have questions. Know both the new and old IT and HR links. Know the slack channel(s) for realtime tech questions.

Pack your stuff. Yes, yes, yes, it’s all digital, so there’s no real packing, but there are changes coming. Certificates will be changing. Macs will be wiped. Identities will change. You don’t want to lose anything along the way, so back it up. Google Drive is a good choice for work artifacts. and config files. So is Git. Make sure you push any branches and stashes.

Close out work in progress. The more things you can close out, the fewer things you’ll have to keep track of/pick back up after. Get your PRs out and queued. If you have PRs to review, get it done. Don’t start something that you know will get interrupted. And don’t forget to write down what you were in the middle of and what should be done next. That’s a good idea every day, and especially helpful now.

Make sure you have a map of where you’re going. Sure, you’re not actually moving physically, but there are enough things changing that having a map makes sense. Or at least a printed page of the instructions you’ll need to follow. Stored in a place you KNOW you’ll have access to in the middle of the move. I know someone who didn’t have their driver’s license with them for a move because they left it in the bathroom when the packers came. They were good packers and asked him if he had his wallet with him, and he said yes, but he didn’t. That night when he got to the temporary housing he realized he had left his wallet in the bathroom and it was now in a box on a truck heading for Seattle. Luckily his wife had credit cards and they all had passports with them, but it could have been a problem.

Finally, remember to stop occasionally and take a deep breath. There’s a lot going on, and change is stressful. Instead of denying it, acknowledge it and work with it. It will make it easier for everyone.

See you on the other side.