Emigration in Bite-Size Chunks
Whether your emigration takes years or just a few months breaking the complete process into bite-size chunks and setting goals for each stage will help everything run more smoothly, with less stress. Life will not be ‘in limbo” you will have a target and be moving closer each day.
Effective Emigration Goals
Good emigration goals focus your mind on the outcome for each stage. You will be clear about what you want and why you want it. Knowing the benefits and how each goal ultimately serves you, creates the motivation and momentum to keep you going. Instead of dreaming about being in your new country you will be focused on the more immediate actions you need to take to get to the next phase.
Three Phases of Emigration
The following time line illustrates how you can split your emigration into three phases, from the initial idea through to being completely settled.
1. Conception Phase
From your first thoughts of emigrating, the goals for this stage are to obtain your visas and set a departure date. Timescale typically beginning 3 – 5 years before departure until 12 – 6 months before departure. During the conception phase you will decide if emigration is the best option for you, research, investigate visa options, and compile your application.
What you can expect
The information gathering stage, research, and decisions. Now is the ideal time to answer the big question of what you want from life. It is vital to be clear about what is important to you, and what you value in life. After all if you don’t know, it’s a big gamble moving to another country hoping it will give you what you don’t know you want.
It is easy to get so focused on the emigration itself that you neglect the long term, getting there is just a step towards your life goals, not the main focus.
Questions that need answering: Is it worth it? What location will best suit your needs? What application route will get you there quickest? What do you need to change in your life now to get where you want to be? What new skills, experience, or knowledge do you need?
2. Transition Phase
Begins when you have your visas with an end goal of getting on that plane knowing everything has been done, exactly the way you wanted it. You are preparing yourselves, physically, (possessions, and home , and emotionally (family and friends etc), to move your complete life to a new country. It all starts happening at once leaving work, selling homes, arranging removals etc.
What you can expect
The pace of life increases rapidly; many things need co-ordinating, house sale, de-cluttering, removals, leaving jobs, flights, car sale, temporary accommodation (here and there), money transfers, banking, schools and preparing for goodbyes. All that is familiar will be shifting; if you are not used to being outside your comfort zone you will feel it now.
3. Integration Phase
From landing at the airport, to your end goal of being completely settled in your new country. Timescales typically up to 2 years after landing, although can vary enormously. During the integration phase you establish your new life, home, job, credit ratings and support networks. With the short term issues dealt with you can focus on the long term goals of creating the lifestyle you dream about. During the ‘honey moon period’ many fresh expats feel they have already reached the integrated point only to feel unsettled months later. Give it lots of time; after all you came here to enjoy a better life.
What you can expect
It can feel a little surreal, and hard to believe that you are actually here at last. A whole range of emotions are likely and frequently changing from one extreme to the other. Set yourself a daily goal to keep that focus and determination strong. There are as many, if not more tasks and things to consider once you arrive, and you will be experiencing them from a very different position. All the things you took for granted and just ‘knew’ how to do before you are learning from scratch.
Chunk it down again
Now you have the three major phases you can begin to break each of these down into smaller stages and set goals for each step. Apply the following principles to each goal you set, to make it powerful and effective:
- Must be written down
- Reviewed regularly
- Be specific
- Stated in the positive
- Inspiring
- Measurable
- Challenging
- Achievable and realistic
- Have start and completion date
Within your responsibility
Feel free to pass this article on to anyone else who may be interested, you are welcome to use the information in your blog, newsletter or other online publication as long you include this info. Louise Green runs The Expat Coach specialising in planning and preparation services for emigrating to Canada. www.TheExpatCoach.com
