Change your expat life…
5 Tools for a Great Family Move
It’s that time again. June is approaching. Expat families all over the world will be moving, and this time, we are, too!
For those of us making a move this summer, it’s go time: it’s time to make the most of friendships before goodbyes, and time to make the most of where we are now before we leave.
But it’s also time for the logistical mess: scheduling the move, selling the car and all the items you don’t want to bring with you, making sure that the people who have been taking care of you and your family will be fine after you leave, and deciding what to do while the container is on a boat reaching your new destination. Not to mention what happens on the other end: settling down in a new home, sending your children to a new school, meeting new people, maybe reconnecting with old ones if you are going back to a place you know…
In short, starting over.
To help you weather your transition and have a great family move, I’m sharing 5 fundamental tools that are at the core of my coaching programs.
1. Drop the drama.
No matter what country you are moving to or what country you’re leaving, the basic fact that you are relocating is neutral. It’s just “what’s happening”—no matter how you think or feel about it. Maybe you’re scared or overwhelmed, perhaps you’re feeling unsettled or even angry. But the fact of the matter remains neutral: you are relocating.
For most of us, it’s challenging to think this way. But learning to differentiate the fact that you’re moving from the story you are telling yourself about it can make a huge difference in your experience. It’s is a powerful skill because it helps you get rid of the drama.
2. Visualize your ideal move scenario.
Again, your thoughts create your emotions. Your thoughts are where the power is! This means you can decide, with purpose and intention, what you want to feel ahead of a move, ahead of a transition. Choosing purposefully how to feel is a skill that, once mastered, can change your life.
If you feel overwhelmed, you may be thinking that you don’t want to relocate again, that it’s too much to handle, or that it’s not what you want. But feelings don’t happen to us. We create them with our thoughts. And this is fantastic news because it means that you can change how you feel by choosing a thought that serves you better.
This time around with my own move, I chose to be focused. What are you choosing?
3. Decide how you want to feel about your move.
The thoughts you have about your move are incredibly powerful. Why? Because our thoughts determine how we feel, what we do, and what we create for ourselves. So, when you’re thinking about your upcoming move, choose wisely.
If you let your mind wander and dream big, what would the most amazing scenario for your move look like? Take the time to visualize it. Focus. This vision will help guide your thinking—and thus your feelings and your actions—in the midst of your big transition.
4. Choose actions that take you closer to what you want.
You can decide to use your time, energy, and resources exactly the way you want to and in a way that is serving you.
Let me say that again, as it bears repeating: you can decide to use your time, energy, and resources exactly the way you want to and in a way that is serving you. It may not always feel like it, but it’s true. You can choose to take actions that will bring you into alignment with what you really want.
So, what do you want to do and what do you want to stop doing that will bring you closer to the kind of move you want to experience?
5. Decide ahead of time what you want to create with this move.
What if you could create anything you want out of life, no matter where you are moving this year? Well, you can! Just like you can decide how you want to feel about your move and choose actions that align with what you want, you can decide ahead of time what you want to create with your move.
And it all starts with asking two simple questions: How is this move perfect for you right now? What will it help you create?
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