{"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
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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
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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
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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
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