Yes, I've moved a lot, but so have you (probably). It's getting more and more common to pick up and start over in a new location.

As someone who has moved to places that I don't vibe with and who cares very much about being intentional with how I design my life, I've learned that this is one of those decisions where it's best to have a system.

Product management makes use of a bunch of these high-stakes decision making hacks so I put them together to make the below process.

These next steps might seem a bit technical, but the best of decision science shows us that having a system for making big decisions trumps having sound judgement by SIX TIMES. So buckle up.

Clarify my top priorities

Years of leading product discussions with all types of people has reinforced in me the understanding that We Think We Know What We Want, but usually we don't.

Totally OK. It's how humans work. It's usually a "I'll know it when I see it" kinda thing. So I "see it" by writing it down. Writing down and force ranking my reasons for wanting to move to a particular city always gives me clarity.

Example:

• "I want to live in a place that 1) has a big digital creator & tech scene, 2) is walkable, 3) is affordable."

Identify my hypotheses & my unknown variables.

This sounds a little jargon-y but they're good words to get familiar with if you want to run to test things in your life.

Examples:

• "I know NYC has a huge network, but idk if I can deal with not having a dishwasher or laundry machine in my unit. Oh also will I go broke in 6 months?"

These are things I need to test. There's no amount of thinking that will get me the answer to these kinds of questions.

Prototype

... and that's where prototyping comes in. How can I test my hypotheses without apeing in? This is the fun part! I can fly there for a weekend and stay with a friend, I can rent an Airbnb, or I can find a long-term rental to try it out for a couple months. So many options.

Make the call

Based on the information I've created and gathered for meself, I make a call. I've just significantly reduced the risk of moving to the totally wrong city and I feel so much more confident that I made the right decision.

Yes, it's a lot of effort, but this is one of those big life decisions that eliminates or creates a thousand other downstream decisions. It's worth it.

If you enjoyed this mini-essay, check out my personal newsletter on how to design a creative, focused life.