How to Live Life to The Fullest: 9 Tips for moving abroad

Today’s guest post is from the energetic and inspiring Alex from Alex Chasing Dreams. Alex offers some awesome insights from her experiences of travelling to more than 25 countries. If you’re considering moving overseas for a while or you’re simply on a quest to live your life to the fullest, check out these valuable tips for chasing your dreams. You can also find out a bit more about Alex at the bottom of this post. Colin and Elly xx

It’s a short life. We all have one and we all have one crack at it. Time wasted on feeling slightly ordinary, under-enthused or under-stimulated is time better spent doing something else. It’s easy to become stuck in the grind wondering “what if” and watching others have slightly more fun than you. Fear not; as a thoroughbred dream chaser living life to the fullest, I’m here to see you chasing your dreams.

There’s one vital ingredient to living your life to the fullest though, and that’s having enough income to sustain it. No-one is suggesting you pack in the career you’ve worked for years to reach pinnacles of, in order to chase wild cabbages across vacant fields. I am however, advocating that you look at where in the World that career can take you, begin exuding a travel mindset, find an ounce of courage and a spoonful of curiosity, and begin implementing these tips for moving abroad.

Figure out what you’re good at

All of us have a skill or talent of which we apply to our current field. You have one. Actually; you may have more than one. The point is to consider what it is, claim it, own it, define it and develop it. If you can’t figure it out on your own, ask your boss what your skill or talent is. They’ll have had that figured out long ago, you can bet on it!

This is the skill or talent that will platform you to chasing your dreams somewhere spectacular.

Think like an achiever; think with a travel mindset.

It’s time to change your mind set. Are you being, or are you living life? Are you living life, or are you living life to the fullest? Venus Williams doesn’t get out of bed each day wondering if she’s good enough and Sir Edmund Hillary didn’t ascend Everest without first acknowledging he was worthy of such heights. Now it’s your turn; wake up every morning and own the moment to think like an achiever.

Live life to the fullest by focusing on the positive

Guess what? It’s hard chasing your dreams. It takes energy, time, planning, preparation. It’s like child birth; parts can be a bit gruelling but the end result and life thereafter makes it all worthwhile. You can’t waste time letting the negatives overcome you. There might be days where you feel rejection from jobs or back-lash from family who don’t want you to go. Don’t waste time in the negative zone, you have to focus on the positives. How great will it be when you’re moving overseas?

Figure out 5 things on your international bucket list

A small yet precise list will help you identify to where strive for. Sure; a bucket list has the potential to be a lengthy list of every possible place you want to explore if you had infinite time on your hands, but you’re a dream chaser now; you don’t have time for a long list you’re too busy living life to the fullest. Make your list a small, precise list of those special, inspirational, glorious international destinations or activities you can’t possibly live without.

It’s this list that is going to help you choose exactly where you’ll end up when it comes to chasing your ‘moving abroad’ dreams. For example, does your destination need sun? Snow? Easy access to international airports? Culture? Sport? Only you can create the life you design, so make sure this list excites you each time you pick it up for a look.

Surround yourself with fellow dreamers

There’s no time for whining conversations about how the neighbours don’t prune their roses. Are those whining people living life to the fullest? My guess is no. It’s time to identify who else is chasing their dreams and align yourself to them. Flick through your phone and social media making note of who is really living life? Who has a travel mindset? It’s those people you need to associate with, not Mr Grumpy.

Did you know that the person who sits next to the most overweight person at the dinner table by association ends up also eating the most lunch? That’s right; energy and mind set permeates from us, seeping into those we connect with. Ensure you’re only receiving the very best dreamer vibes. Life’s for the living after all!

Create your personalised game plan

It’s time to prepare a personalised timeline that works for you. Ever wondered how your favourite Olympian made it to the podium? They knew the date of the event and broke down steps to reach it. Now it’s your turn. You might not have an “event” date as such but you still need to select yourself one. One year? Two years? You choose! Select a date and work backwards creating action steps to see you get to your own podium. Include tasks like creating a C.V or discussing moving overseas with your current employer. Writing your timeline is the ticket to seeing your plan take shape. Don’t worry you can move the date later if you need to. No biggy. For now all that is important is to have a date written down.

Begin Creating your International Network

This is where your mind starts to wander to your new destination; your travel mindset is truly taking over and in the near future your body will follow. Using that wonderful tool called Google it’s time to find a network in your new destination. A helpful place to start is with Seek (the recruitment website) for employment options, and an insight likely salary options, or job locations. All you’re doing here is feeling out what’s happening in the glorious world of your new destination.

Next jump on social media: find a community group in your new destination. Ask for traveling tips and advice, find out what is happening in your new neighbourhood, and ask if anyone else has experience with moving overseas. Google itself will also have insights into groups, activities, highlights and traveling tips or tips specific to moving abroad. Begin to research, create lists, pin articles and inspiration to your pinterest page and get to know your new community. Doesn’t it feel good to already be really living life now?

Detach to live life to the fullest

As much as you probably love your existing situation, it’s time to detach. The unknown world ahead should be considered empowering, but you can’t tackle it head on when you’re attached to items like your favourite shoes/dress/coat/furniture item/ornament/kitchenware (or any other item!). Remember, items and stuff are just that, items and stuff. You don’t need many items and stuff when you embrace living life to the fullest!

Jobs and income make life a little bit easier

You heard it earlier; no-ones suggesting you pack in your prosperous career for a life eating noodles; jobs and income make living your life to the fullest just a little bit easier.

Begin creating your best C.V and most spectacular cover letter possible. Apply all the bells and whistles associated with your new travel mindset; colourful, professional and showcasing the best version of you ever. You are chasing your dreams after all.

Chasing your dreams doesn’t happen with the click of your fingers and tap of your heels. Planning, organisation and clearly defined action steps are all key ingredients. But the real icing on the cake is drive, determination, and desire. I’m a dream chaser. A dream chaser who makes calculated decisions, designing a life that allows freedom, excitement, exploration and truly living life to the fullest. I can’t wait to see you live your life to the fullest too.

About the author:

It takes a special kind of sausage to leave the butchery outside of the pack and explore new territory. Some sausages are born with an innate sense of curiosity and some like to stay on the perfect polystyrene tray they are both on. I’m the kind of sausage with curiosity for living a life of exploration, freedom, and happiness.

Through my adventures exploring more than 25 countries I noticed some sausages eager to explore their own innate curiosity, and so www.alexchasingdreams.com was born. It is through this platform I hope to share travel tips, advice and information to curious sausages like me. @alexchasingdreams.