How to Change It Up When Travel & Work Isn’t Going As You Want
For most of us, when we venture off to greener pastures, we tend to have, at least, an outline of our plan. Whether it’s travelling on a Working Holiday Visa to work on the slopes in Canada or to set sail on a boat exploring the outer South Pacific, we tend to have some idea of what we want.
You can do everything right to make that journey happen. You have money saved up, your flights are booked, all the goodbyes have been done, and you’ve begun your new adventure overseas.
But sometimes, things don’t go to plan. Sometimes things do go to plan, but they don’t last. It’s more common than you think, so it’s always good to have a plan B and to change it up.
Evaluate The Problem
We can all have the best intentions in mind. I remember when I planned my move to Hong Kong on a Working Holiday Visa. I said to myself; I wanted to work in a senior role for a travel company full time and maybe begin teaching English on the side. Within the first month of networking and searching, I achieved my main goal for the year.
After about six months, I was burnt out, and the expectation I put on myself wasn’t fulfilling enough. So I evaluated the problem. Was I earning good money? Yes. Was I achieving what I set out to do? Yes. Was I happy? Hell no.
At that point I realised I could be more productive with my time, while earning money and having time off to do what I loved, freelancing and going on adventures. I can categorically say since I made the change for a period of 2-3 months in Hong Kong thereafter, were some of my happiest on the road to date.
Be Honest With Yourself
This is your experience and your life, so the first person you need to be honest with is yourself. Forget what your friends may say or what you think your social media feed craves, you need to look at yourself. Is it possible to do things better? Are there other avenues of happiness you can explore? If so, pat yourself on the back for your honesty, but it’s time to change.
Lower The Expectation
Expectation is the biggest reason things can become a problem. Are you trying to prove something to yourself or others?
Think of where you are. What attracts you about the place? Remember to go back to basics and enjoy the moment and your surroundings. The world today everyone is frantically running, crushing, pushing and smashing towards their goals but is it something that you want or are you catching onto the trend? Look at the positives in where you are and what makes you happy. Everything else should follow more naturally than not.
Change Your Old Routine
If you’re stuck in the same conversations and the same routine that’s contributing to you being stuck in a rut, it’s definitely time to change. Whether you’re going to the same bar too much or spending needlessly on things that are for a short-term buzz, you need to gradually reduce that.
Make More Time For Yourself
When we’re abroad, we also like the concept of saving more to travel. Travellers on Working Holiday Visa’s are a prime example of that. Visit a new country, work a bit and save for the next adventure. Although, it’s definitely beneficial to work your ass off for a while to save your travel money, don’t burn yourself out too much. You have to explore the place you’re in as well as make more time for yourself.
Be productive with your working hours and time because the more time for yourself the better your social life will be. The better your social life the most energy and optimism you’ll have while working and moving forward.
Surround Yourself With The Right People
It’s crucial that you’re in the right space as the people around you. If you’re not, it can contribute to being stuck in a rut. The best thing about being on the road is your friends are in the same place as you. However, long-term travellers will find that sometimes you can be in a mismatch with others. You may not be in the same place you were years ago, and your focuses have now changed.
Don’t make any dramas or leave any hard feelings but sometimes changing who you see regularly is a good way to spring into a new lease of life.
Set New Mini-Targets
Looking at the bigger picture is the best way to live, especially if you have a life full of travel. Many of us could open a travel magazine and happily travel to most places on the planet, but it’s important not to get ahead of ourselves. Look at mini goals and achievements – baby steps if you will – and take each day as it comes.
There’s still plenty of time for us to travel. Depending on where you are in the world, it’s best to focus on what is on your doorstep and surrounding first. If you’re based in Australia, why not venture to Bali, New Zealand and the South Pacific islands? If you’re in Canada, look at the US and Central America for your next adventure.
One step at a time.