@notmyrealname23 wrote:
Welp, early adjustment.
First Tech Federal CU ... The rep offered me a credit card ... First Tech Choice Rewards card
Approved, $35k.
Whoa, that's a HUGE understatement, @notmyrealname23! Your previous highest limit was $11.5K and First Tech gave you a $35K SL? That's fantastic! 
Congratulations!
Y'know, it's smart to make plans for the our next credit moves. But it's impossible to see opportunities such as this one coming along. So good for you for being receptive and flexible enough to take advantage of a great card that just dropped into your lap! Sometimes, that's absolutely the appropriate thing to do. It's only a problem when someone makes no plans at all and just carelessly applies (or doesn't apply) for credit, leading to an uninspired patchwork quilt of card options that don't fit together well or serve a unified purpose.
I like your plans of culling the unuseful low-hanging fruit also. That's exactly what I recommend to members to grow their profile over time. Add some good cards but take some away as they become obsolete or less valuable so that you can tend to your new prizes and help them to prosper and grow.
I didn't see anything in the approvals column yet so please share your success there (with data points) when you have the chance!
I just hit my gold spade. Now I am pondering how long to wait before applying for a CLI with Coastal (which is a HP) and/or one of the Elan 5% category cards. It's a test of impatience vs logic. The longer I wait, probably the better, especially with Elan as I'm still 5/12.
@Aim_Highwrote:
“For the community, how do you set limits for yourself on new cards or inquiries and do you have a process before applying for new credit? How long do you plan or do you impulsively app? Is impulsive or excessive app'ing a problem or a concern? We're in the last three weeks of 2020. As it draws to a close, what are your credit goals for 2021?”
I had 18 CC’s and after getting COVID as a Christmas Present literally on Christmas Day I found myself dreaming of the three (3) cards I had on my wish list. In my “Rona” induced delirium and boredom, I pulled an “app’ing” session and found myself with the trifecta in my wallet going into 2021. Without going into too much detail, during the time I was quarantined I lost my sense of smell, taste and apparently my sense of reason. What I didn’t lose was my ability to fill out my name, address, phone and other pertinent info and click the “SUBMIT” button.
As @Remedios stated: “None of this means I won't apply for cards, but it does mean being quite a bit more selective, delineating better between *want, need, and bored*.”
Fantastic post, and the replies are nothing short of informative and beneficial for setting goals. Thank you all!!!
UPDATE: I just pulled two (2) sleepers out of the SD and reallocated my AmEx BCP to HH Surpass and then reallocated my WF Platinum to WF Propel. While I was dinking around, I thought…“Hey, I should get a couple CLI’s”. So, I took some advice and hit the love button on Discover for $2k and PP Extras for $1.5k. 
I am now officially gardening for the next 365 days thanks to the Forum Community. Time to dial it down a few notches and get out of my own way. I appreciate the fact that I get answers before I ask the question, and the valuable insight that is garnered from folks who have already walked the path I’m on and consequently lit the torch.
