257: Initiate Plan B

Is the grass always greener on the other side? I see it in myself and with my clients. You want something, or believe you do, but once you get it, you want the opposite.

“My life is so hectic; I wish I had time to relax.” Then, by day three of your beach vacation, you’re going stir-crazy, tired of just lizarding around in the sun.

“My life is so boring; I wish I had some excitement.” Then, exhausted from walking on the wild side, you long for a low-key evening where thrills look like a bubble bath and a good book.

For many expats, stability is most likely a word you associate with others back home. It’s common to crave traditional ways and later be bored by them once they become your reality. (And vice versa.)

So how can you reach a balance, especially in an era where so much is outside of your control?

Inspired by a listener’s conundrum, this week, I’ll show you how to initiate a backup plan and give yourself what you really need. First, I’ll help you determine what’s missing (and yes, it might not be what you think). Then, after you’ve named the hole, I’ll offer alternative suggestions for how to fill it.

• The moments in the muck
• Sacred pockets of time for spontaneity
• Adrenaline-packed adventure vs. quiet cabin
• Deciding your day based on your energy
• Doing something that stretches you

You’ve been asking, and we’ve got answers. Join me on December 7th for a FREE Wisdom Fusion Project Town Hall. Sign up right here to learn all about hot topics we explored and hear takeaways directly from past participants.

Featured on the Show:

• Global Life in the Hard Resource Roundup
• Expats on Purpose
• Sundae’s Facebook Business Page – Sundae Schneider-Bean LLC
• www.sundaebean.com
• Get Your Purpose Pack

We’re delighted by our nomination to the global Top 25 Expat Podcasts!

Subscribe: iTunes | Android

Full Episode Transcript:

Download Transcript

Hello. It is 6:00 am in New York, 1:00 pm in Johannesburg, and 6:00 pm in Bangkok. Welcome to the Expat Happy Hour. This is Sundae Schneider-Bean from www.sundaebean.com. I am a solution-orientated coach and intercultural strategist for individuals and organizations. I am on a mission to help you adapt and succeed when living abroad and get you through any life transition.

*ringing* “Hello, Sundae speaking. How can I help you?” This week’s episode gives me butterflies because it is from a call in question from a listener. By the way, if you have any questions, you would like to hear me answer, then make sure you let me know or my team. You can use my contact form on my website. Tell me inside, Expats on Purpose or reply to my email when you get my newsletter.

All right, let’s dive into this week’s episode directly from a listener of Expat Happy Hour. She reached out to me with this call in question. She says, “Hi Sundae. It’s so good to be in contact with you. It has been three years and I still struggled to adjust to *insert northern European country*. I wonder if you ever have made a podcast on the effects of stepping out of the nomad life into a developed and stable society. It takes more energy to adapt to this quote boredom and life is always looking the same to me. Then the adapting and coping I did for 20 years with the unexpected. Any hints or tips? Thank you.”

All right, this was so wonderful to get this question and it is something I hear actually from a lot of people, especially individuals who are in binational relationships, they met their partner either abroad or in a rotational life, moving country to country every two to four years for work. And all of a sudden you leave this life, which is defined by transition, which is defined by uncertainty and you go toward something that looks like stability. Which,...