{"id":48070,"date":"2023-07-22T23:14:31","date_gmt":"2023-07-23T04:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=48070"},"modified":"2023-07-22T23:14:31","modified_gmt":"2023-07-23T04:14:31","slug":"top-6-qualities-of-a-successful-expat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/top-6-qualities-of-a-successful-expat\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 6 Qualities of a Successful Expat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thinking about moving overseas but not quite sure if you can hack it?<\/p>\n

The great news is that there are a few key characteristics that expats agree are the most important for making a successful move. And, even if you may not naturally thrive in these specific areas, they are definitely skills you can grow over time if you know what to focus your efforts on.<\/p>\n

Strap into your growth mindset and let\u2019s chat about the top 6 qualities of successful expats, and how you can grow your skills in these areas.<\/p>\n

1. Open-mindedness<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Top<\/p>\n

Across the board, open-mindedness was always one of the top skills mentioned by expats as being critical to their success.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no question about it, things are going to be very different when you land in a new country vs your home country. Culture shock is going to hit you like a ton of bricks.<\/p>\n

Being open-minded helps you take in new information and learn as you go. It helps you move from that stage of shock into a stage of acceptance. It helps you to immerse yourself into your new culture, cast aside your judgements, and embrace your life in your new country.<\/p>\n

Work on your open-mindedness at home by exposing yourself to new experiences and people who think differently than you do. Take trips to your target destination and make a point of getting out amongst the locals rather than staying at your resort the whole time. These are some simple, intentional steps you can take to push yourself out of your comfort zone and build up your open-mindedness.<\/p>\n

2. Flexibility\/adaptability<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Top<\/p>\n

Are you good at rolling with the punches? Flexibility is hugely important for anyone considering becoming an expat.<\/p>\n

There are a lot of moving pieces when you move to a new country and things are going to go wrong. So, you need to be prepared for that when, not if, it happens. And that means being flexible and having the ability to adapt to new situations and circumstances, while still pursuing your goal. Flexibility in this context is the willingness to try new ways of doing things.<\/p>\n

Think of it like having multiple routes to the same destination. Maybe construction pops up on Route A so you need to take Route B instead. Maybe you miss the turn for Route B and need to move to Route C.<\/p>\n

Having backup plans can help you to become more flexible, because you are setting yourself up for success. Do the work beforehand to identify potential obstacles in your path and prepare for them. It\u2019s easier to be flexible in your approach when you aren\u2019t caught completely off-guard when things don\u2019t go as planned.<\/p>\n

3. Sense of humor<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Top<\/p>\n

Oh man, is this one ever important. Sometimes, you just have to laugh things off.<\/p>\n

Approaching life with a good sense of humor is important for pretty much everyone, not just expats. It enables you to let things just roll off your back and not take things too seriously, or too personally. It\u2019s about not sweating the small stuff and keeping a good perspective on what is important in life.<\/p>\n

If something less than ideal happens, take stock of the situation and ask yourself if it is really that serious. If the answer is \u201cno,\u201d give yourself permission to smile, deal with it, and move on. Even if the answer is \u201cyes,\u201d a lighthearted perspective will help you to better deal with the situation.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s really no downside to having a good sense of humor about life. It could even save you some wrinkles and grey hair!<\/p>\n

4. Resilience\/persistence<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Top<\/p>\n

Resilience is expressed perfectly in the 90s hit \u201cTubthumper\u201d by Chumbawamba<\/a>:<\/p>\n

I get knocked down, but I get up again<\/em>
\nYou\u2019re never gonna keep me down<\/em><\/p>\n

I get knocked down, but I get up again<\/em>
\nYou\u2019re never gonna keep me down <\/em><\/p>\n

You\u2019re welcome for getting this song stuck in your head! But it really is a great example of how to demonstrate resilience as an expat. You are going to make missteps along the way, but the important thing is to just keep going. Don\u2019t give up at the first sign of difficulty. Use challenges as an opportunity to grow and become stronger.<\/p>\n

5. Cultural sensitivity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Top<\/p>\n

Cultural sensitivity is all about making an effort to understand the culture of your new country, and working to understand and integrate into it. After all, you are leaving your home country because you are looking for a change, so it is your responsibility to do your best to work within the new culture when you get there.<\/p>\n

Examples of cultural sensitivity in practice are learning the language, and having the curiosity to learn about and respect the norms and culture of your new country.<\/p>\n

Do your best to start the process before you leave permanently. By taking shorter trips to scout things out in your destination of choice, researching online, and starting to learn the language before you make the move, you will have a better understanding of the culture when you get there. This will lessen some of the culture shock as well.<\/p>\n

6. Patience<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Top<\/p>\n

In Canada and the US, we are very much all about instant gratification. And we have the infrastructure to support that, whether that means ordering from Amazon Prime or Door Dash, calling an Uber, or getting our plumbing fixed.<\/p>\n

Most other cultures around the world do not carry this same expectation, nor the infrastructure to support it. In Latin America, they are famous for doing things \u201cma\u00f1ana,\u201d which could mean tomorrow or next week. And this can drive expats absolutely crazy.<\/p>\n

But, that\u2019s how it is. So, to avoid losing your mind, you will need to work on being patient. And, in my opinion, patience is the glue that holds everything else together for an expat.<\/p>\n

Patience with yourself. Patience with others. Patience when things don\u2019t go as planned. Everything else on this list hinges on your ability to take a chill pill and give yourself, others, and the whole entire process some grace.<\/p>\n

What helps you relax? Are you good at forgiving yourself and others? Do you find you are stressed out a lot?<\/p>\n

Try meditation and yoga for relaxation if that helps you. Make sure your expectations for where you are going are realistic. Set yourself up for success with proper planning.<\/p>\n

Patience is a virtue that most of us do not possess in excess so you will need to do your best to put yourself in a position where you aren\u2019t overusing it, while also working to build up your ability to be more patient over time.<\/p>\n

Honorable mentions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

These are a few of the skills that showed up the most when I was researching this topic. Here are some of the other skills deemed important by expats:<\/p>\n