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There are some things in life that can either be viewed as an unpleasant necessity in which case no amount of preparation will make them less daunting or they can be viewed as an adventure in which case with a bit of planning they can be both fun and exciting. I have spent most of my adult life relocating in some cases simply because I wanted to and in others because my work required it of me. Let me state up-front that the corporate relocation is easier only in that it is paid for by someone else; in all other ways the same rules apply. At this stage of my life I have the cross country and even global relocation down to a fine art, but I am not afraid to use a bit of assistance from experts. My best expert advice is the Military Relocation Checklist, which is provided at the end of this article.

This is a big move and bound to set everyone on edge, or as we say in my family set everyone's head on fire. There are so many moving parts to this type of relocation it is difficult to know where to start with a good checklist, but of course the first place to start is with the family. The following are family consideration that will assist with the relocation stress:

1. Has a career assistance package been negotiated for the spouse that will be "out of work" due to the relocation? This is an important factor to consider since one spouse will be unemployed unless the work for a company with locations in the area that you will be locating to and can negotiate a transfer. It is important to consider your spouses emotional response to unemployment. It is also important to consider the affect of the loss of income to your family while your spouse is looking for work. I always advise people to negotiate this prior to accepting a position to relocate.

2. Someone will need to be the project manager' for your move. It is more than likely that this job is going to fall to your spouse as you will be taking on your new position. You should plan for six (6) weeks prior to your actual move for your spouse to be full time in their role of move project manager'. Make sure you factor this into your financial calculations.

3. If you have children, especially teenagers, talk to them early about the relocation and your reasons. Don't assume that this does not affect them, it does. They will have an immediate and usually negative response. You will need to treat them respectfully and sensitively as they work through their emotions about leaving their friends and schools for an unknown.

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