Relocation & Expat Coach

Tip seven - budget!

One of the challenges of any move - locally, nationally or internationally.  The difference is that internationally you need to consider additional costs, over those you would have if you were to move locally or even nationally.

1. Visas - the cost of these is dependant upon where you have selected to emigrate to.
    Residence - if as a European, you are staying within Europe, then you will need to gain residence in the country you have selected to move to.  This incurs a cost - a lot less than visas for countries outside of Europe.

2. Property - what budget do you need to allocate to purchase the type of property you are looking foat your new destination?

3. Purchase costs - what are these?

4. Mortgage/Loan - what sort of mortgage or loan do you need to secure to purchase your property.  Advice we were given was that it was easier to organise this from your current country of residence, as you have a credit rating - in your destination country you do not have this.

5. Schooling - what costs will you need to cover in order for your children to attend the local schools, colleges, or universities?

6. Transport - what is the cost of purchasing a new car?
    What is the benefits and costs of taking your current car?

7. Flights to/from your country of destination!
    How many times do you have to fly in/out of your country of destination before you actually move?

8. Moving costs - what will it cost you to move your possessions to your country of destination?

9. What other costs should you have included in your budget?

10. What contingency have you added for those hidden, unexpected, not known costs?

Now is the time for you to capture in as much detail as possible your budget:
- be specific about all costs
- how you will measure that these costs are complete
- agreed / action-oriented - keep this list up-to-date.  Enter any new budget costs.  Enter all actual spend.  Acknowledge when the actual spend is higher than budget - update your contingency.
- realistic - be realistic about what it will cost you to move.  This is not the time to incur unexpected costs and start your new life with a debt.  Against each cost, enter the detail as to where the monies are coming from to cover the cost.
- time framed - clearly document what your timescales are for each cost associate with your move. 
- exciting - It is true that it we cannot live, dream, breathe, be engulfed by our goal, it probably won't be achieved.  Now that you know what it will cost you to move, yes it's probably scary! but holding onto the excitment of your dream, your goal, your aspiration, will allow you to address each element of this hint and tip.
- recorded - at no point in your whole process is it more important to capture the detail.  Write it ALL down - expected costs, actual costs, over-spends, under-spends, continually update your contingency!

Want to make a success of your plans to move?  Want to work with someone who will not judge the reasons you want to make your move, who will not guide you down a specific path?  You have this opportunity to work with a qualified and accredited coach who has done it!

Just email Barbara on [email protected]!

Find Barbara's biog on http://www.internationalcoachinginstitute.org/coach_referral_service/display_detail.php?trf=91

Tip six - decision!

Now you've made your mind up - you are going to emigrate!  It really doesn't matter the reason that you are going to emigrate - be it for work, projects, new environment, grass looks greener on the other side - you've made your decision!

1. Where are you looking?

2. What type of environment are you looking for?

3. What social life do you want?

4. What are the impacts on your immediate family (those travelling with you)?

5. Work - school!  What do you need to do to ensure that these requirements are met?

6. How does this decision impact the family remaining behind?
    How does this decision impact your relationship with the family remaining behind?

7. What research do you still need to do?
     When will you visit your country of destination to complete this research?

8. Who do you now need to start to talk to?

9. Who can help you make this move?

10. Which action will you select to do first?
      When will you complete this action?
      Who do you need to discuss this with?  Who can help you?
      How long will it take you to do?
      When do you need to start?

It is probably more important now than any of the writing in your journal that you've done to:
- be specific about what your answers.  It's probably the right time to write in bullet point format rather than in paragraphs.
- clearly document how you will measure the success of each of your actions
- agreed / action-oriented - be absolutely clear on the actions you need to take to ensure that you keep on your select path
- realistic - how easy will it be to keep on your path.  What will you do if you find that something stops you.
- time framed - clearly document what your timescale is for each task/action, and what your timescale is for each decision you need to take.
- exciting - now that you have made your decision, how excited are you?  It is true that it we cannot live, dream, breathe, be engulfed by our goal, it probably won't be achieved - so being clear about your decision is important. 
- recorded - it's important to capture your goal ... write a sentence (preferably not a paragraph) about your reason for selecting this destination.  This will allow you to focus - clearly focus.  Now write it on something or put it somewhere where you will see it regularly.

Want to make a success of your plans to move?  Want to work with someone who will not judge the reasons you want to make your move, who will not guide you down a specific path?  You have this opportunity to work with a qualified and accredited coach who has done it!

Just email Barbara on [email protected]!

Find Barbara's biog on http://www.internationalcoachinginstitute.org/coach_referral_service/display_detail.php?trf=91

Tip five - the 'why not's!'

Take this time to clearly understand what is good in your current environment, relationships, work/career/business, social life, hobbies, and any other area that you are currently experiencing.

Take some time out to be very clear about what you and only you want to change in your future.

Now think about the reasons why you should not move.  Sounds like a strange suggestion, but getting absolutely clarity on why you want to move will truly make it happen.  Thinking about the reasons why you should not move will help you identify what you need to find in your future.

It is probably more important now than any of the writing in your journal that you've done to:
- be specific about why you do not want to move
- be specific about why you do not want to change your current life
- know how you will measure finding these elements/areas in your future life
- agreed / action-oriented - be absolutely clear on the actions you need to take to ensure that you keep in your future life what you do not want to leave behind from your current life
- realistic - how easy will it be to keep what you do not want to leave behind?  If you have any concerns about one of your 'why not's', then you need to include the research you need to do in your actions/tasks.
- time framed - clearly document what your timescale is for each task/action, and what is your timescale for each decision you need to take?
- exciting - looking at the 'why not's' - do you still feel excited about your moving?  It is true that it we cannot live, dream, breathe, be engulfed by our goal, it probably won't be achieved - so knowing that what you do not want to leave behind/lose won't be - will help! 
- recorded - it's important to capture your goal ... write a sentence (preferably not a paragraph) about your what you want to keep when you emigrate.  This will allow you to focus - clearly focus.  Now write it on something or put it somewhere where you will see it regularly.

Want to make a success of your plans to move?  Want to work with someone who will not judge the reasons you want to make your move, who will not guide you down a specific path?  You have this opportunity to work with a qualified and accredited coach who has done it!

Just email Barbara on [email protected]!

Find Barbara's biog on http://www.internationalcoachinginstitute.org/coach_referral_service/display_detail.php?trf=91

TIp four - time for reflection!

It is important that before you select to make any decisions that you take the time to reflect on your decision.  You have answered many questions in the previous three tips and now is the time for you to sit down, quietly and reflect on your answers to the questions asked and to your own questions.

It's important to remember that the answers you give to your own questions and to the questions asked in this blog or by your Expat Coach are answers that you only share with yourself.  It is your decision if you decide to share these with anyone else.

- What was the real reason that you want to move away from where you are living now?

- What are you truly looking for in the environment that you want to move to?
   At the same time, what are you truly looking to move away from in the environment that you are now living in?

- What do you want from your lifestyle?
   At the same time, what are you looking to change in your current lifestyle?

- What do you want from your new property?
   At the same time, what are you looking to move away from in the property you are now living?

- What do you want from your bank accounts?
   At the same time, what are you looking to change in your current bank accounts?
   Strange question you may say, but have you truly looked at all elements of moving? 

What benefits have you got now that you might lose?  What benefits have you not got now that you might gain?

- What do you want from your social life?
   At the same time, what are you looking to change in your current social life?

- What do you want from your working life/requirements/career/business?
   At the same time, what are you looking to change in your current job/career/business?

- What do you want for your health?
   At the same time, what are you looking to change in relation to your health now?

- What do you want from your cost of living?
   At the same time, what are you looking to change in your current cost of living?

- What do you know of the legislation, regulation and tax systems in the country you are looking to move to?
   At the same time, what are you trying to get away from in relation to legislation, regulation and tax?
   OK - so we are all trying to get away from paying tax, but it is worth being very clear about what tax you are paying now and what you will be paying.

During your reflection, please remember to be:
- specific about your answers
- where you are looking for something, be clear about how will you measure what you are looking for
- agreed / action-oriented - you've heard the phrase 'if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail'.  When writing in your journal be absolutely clear about what you have to do to get there.  Now is the time for you to really document your tasks, your actions.  If you need to do more research - do it.  If you need to visit, visit!  If you need time, take the time!  It's important now to identify exactly what you need to do to achieve your goal.
- realistic - looking at what you have now written down, what draws you to want to move?
- time framed - what is your timescale for each task/action, and what is your timescale for each decision you need to take?
- exciting - looking at your answers, how do you feel?  It's true that it we cannot live, dream, breathe, be engulfed by our goal, it probably won't be achieved.  If you are not feeling absolutely overwhelmed by excitement, now is the time to ask yourself 'what is the reason or reasons that I'm not sure about emigrating?'  Once you've written these down, if you have to go back to the beginning and reflect in your journal about these answers - this is the time to do it.  Once you know that this is your goal and no longer your dream, then move on!
- recorded - it's important to capture your goal ... write a sentence (preferably not a paragraph) about your emigration goal.  This will allow you to focus - clearly focus.  Now write it on something or put it somewhere where you will see it regularly.

Want to make a success of your plans to move?  Want to work with someone who will not judge the reasons you want to make your move, who will not guide you down a specific path?  You have this opportunity to work with a qualified and accredited coach who has done it!

Just email Barbara on [email protected]!

Find Barbara's biog on http://www.internationalcoachinginstitute.org/coach_referral_service/display_detail.php?trf=91

Tip three - don't despair!

Australia ... New Zealand ... South Africa ... Thailand ... Vietnam ... Philippines ... Malaysia ... Mexico ...  Where?  We didn't despair ... we knew that with enough research we would find the ideal place!  It's at times like this that you really need to absolutely clear on what your goal is. 

What is the real reason that you want to make this move? 

What are you trying to achieve by uprooting yourself, your family, your enviroment to go somewhere else?

After nearly five years of looking we still knew that we wanted to change our lifestyle.  We knew that it was the right time for us to do so - or accept that we would continue to live in the 'rut' that we were in.  We knew that this was not the lifestyle for us - we knew that we had to move.

Research shows that people tend to emigrate because they've visited somewhere that looks a lot 'nicer' than where they are today.  Often not enough research is done, to understand where they are now and what they really want.

Emigration does mean 'starting again!'  Unless you are lucky enough to move to a place where you know a lot of people, often you arrive, settle in, start work and it all feels the same as it did before your move but without the social life.

Thinking now about what you truly want:

- What do you like about your current environment?

- What do you like about your current job?

- What do you like about your immediate family? 

- How close are they to you now?

- How often do you get to visit them?

- What do you want to change about your current environment?

- What do you want to keep about your current environment?

- What do you want to change about your job?

- What do you like about your current job that you want to still do?

- How far do you want to be away from your immediate family?

- How often do you want to see them?

- Once you've moved, how will you make friends?

- How will you build your social life?

I understand that as another drizzly summer passes us by in the UK and the sunshine in other countries seems to draw us, it makes our plans for emigration all the more urgent!  How will you feel if you join the statistics of people who move and within a couple/three years have returned back to the place of starting/origin?

- How much research have you truly done to absolutely know that where you are looking to emigrate is the right place for you?

Don't despair ... just know that you will find your dream! 

Take this time to turn your dream into your goal!  Take some time and write in your journal - allow your imagination to run wild!  Everytime you think of a reason to move ... something you are drawn to ... an idea of your 'new' life ... just jot it down.  It's important when you are writing in your journal that you do not try and interpret your thoughts - just write them down as they come.

After a while (it may be days ... weeks ... months) review what you have written down and now, take a clean sheet of paper in your journal and be:
- specific about the type of lifestyle you want.
  specific about the type of environment you want to live in.
  specific about the type of job that you want to be doing.
  specific about the hours that you want to be working.
  specific about how you will find the 'job of your dreams'
  specific about how you will find friends.
  specific about how you will build up your social life.
- how will you measure that the life you are designing meets all the criteria you set initially?
- agreed / action-oriented - you've heard the phrase 'if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail'.  When writing in your journal be absolutely clear about what you have to do to get there.  Now if the time for you to really document your tasks, your actions.
- realistic - looking at what you have now written down, what about your 'new' life is different to the one you've got now?  What makes this new life realistic?  What draws you to want to live it?
- time framed - a lot of the process of emigration is outside our own control; so sometimes putting down a timescale for actually moving is a little difficult.  Now is the time to think about the decisions that you have to take (these are generally based on the tasks and actions you've set yourself above) - what is your timescale for each task/action, and what is your timescale for each decision you need to take?
- exciting - looking at your journal, how do you feel?  It's true that it we cannot live, dream, breathe, be engulfed by our goal, it probably won't be achieved.  If you are not feeling absolutely overwhelmed by excitement, now is the time to ask yourself 'what is the reason or reasons that I'm not sure about emigrating?'  Once you've written these down, if you have to go back to the beginning and reflect in your journal about these answers - this is the time to do it.  Once you know that this is your goal and no longer your dream, then move on!
- recorded - it's important to capture your goal ... write a sentence (preferably not a paragraph) about your emigration goal.  This will allow you to focus - clearly focus.  Now write it on something or put it somewhere where you will see it regularly.

Want to make a success of your plans to move?  Want to work with someone who will not judge the reasons you want to make your move, who will not guide you down a specific path?  You have this opportunity to work with a qualified and accredited coach who has done it!

Just email Barbara on [email protected]!

Find Barbara's biog on http://www.internationalcoachinginstitute.org/coach_referral_service/display_detail.php?trf=91

Tip two - what are you trying to move away from?

Now that you've spent some time working through why you do want to move away from your home country and why you don't, let's explore what you are trying to move away from.

What is it about your current life that you don't like? 

What dreams did you have as a child that you feel you have not fulfilled?

What is it that you do not like about the country you are living in?

What is it about the way you earn your living that you don't like?

What is it about the way you earn you living that you would like to change?

What is it about your immediate environment that you want to change?

What is it about your social life that you would like to change?

What is it about your health and fitness that you would like to change?

Who are you trying to move away from?

Where have you visited that so attracted you, that you feel you now want to move to there?

What is it about that country that has attracted you? 

Before you select to go through the upheaval, what do you need to do to be absolutely sure that the country you've visited, that has attracted you, is able to provide you with all those things you are trying to move away from?

Where in the country that is attacting you, would you be able to find the things that you don't like about the country you are currently living in?

Where could you live that would allow you fulfil the dreams you had as a child?

Where could you live that would allow you to find a way to earn your living, that incorporates the changes you would like to make?

Where could you live that would allow you to make the changes you want to make to your immediate environment?

How will you develop the social life that you would like to enjoy?

Looking at what you don't like about your health and fitness, where could you live that would allow you to make those changes?

What research have you done about your current country that shows that your current country provides you with the things that you are trying to move away from?

Where in your current country could you find the answers to your questions?

What country or countries would you like to research now that you know what you are trying to move away from?  Write these into your journal, with a list of things that you need to research.  Be:
- specific about the country or countries that you want to research.
  specific about the things you need to research in each country.
- how will you measure that your research is a success?
- agreed / action-oriented - you've heard the phrase 'if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail'.  When writing in your journal be clear about your research.
- realistic - looking at the things you are moving away from, what makes your answers a realistic reason to move?  What makes you think that where you are moving to will allow you to move away from these things?
- time framed - what timeframe have put on your move?  Looking at the research that you've still got to do, what makes you believe that you can meet your timeframe?
- exciting - looking back at what you've written down, does it make you feel excited about moving?  Write down what is exciting about the things you have moved away from. 
- recorded - it's important to capture this information in bullet form.  This will allow you to focus - clearly focus.

Want to make a success of your plans to move?  Want to work with someone who will not judge the reasons you want to make your move, who will not guide you down a specific path?  You have this opportunity to work with a qualified and accredited coach who has done it!

Just email Barbara on [email protected]!

Find Barbara's biog on http://www.internationalcoachinginstitute.org/coach_referral_service/display_detail.php?trf=91