The following considerations are a summary of the most frequent issues clients discussed in our sessions.

Step One: Making the decision: To stay or to go?

Find out your motivation behind your decision: 

• Do you want to get away from it all and be somewhere else?
• Are you looking for a new professional challenge?
• Do you want to earn more money?
• Are you interested in the country you will be working in?
  

      Step Two: Looking at the consequences this move will have on your personal and professional level: 

As a Single:

• Will you be having a long-distance relationship with your current partner?
• Is this your first time living abroad alone?
• In which areas (i.e. life style) are you prepared to be flexible and which areas (i.e. professional rôle) need to be clearly defined and adhered to so you feel comfortable?
• Who supports you in your decision?
• Who could undermine your decision making and will you allow this?
• What are you looking forward to?
• What is difficult to leave behind?

As a Couple:

• Are both of you happy with the decision to relocate?
• Does the accompanying partner have to put his/her current career on hold?
• What do both of you expect from the years living abroad?
• What do you plan to do together regularly once you have relocated?
• How is your respective parents’ health? Will they need your support while you are abroad?
• Do you have any commitments important to you that you need to resign from or will you continue in a different function. 

• How many children do you have? If you have more than two children estimate the considerable monthly funds you need to maintain a basic expatriate life style (and then add 10%).
• How old are your children? They will need support in saying good-bye to friends and school mates.
• If your children are adolescents: are they willing to come along?
• Does one of your children need special support at school? Is this available at your destination?
• Does one of your children have a condition that needs medical support? Is this available at your destination?
• What do you plan to do regularly as a family at your destination?
• How will you share the parenting, schooling matters and home organization at your destination?
• Who will manage money matters?
• How much time will you set aside regularly for just the two of you?

Step Three: Transitioning into the new environment and the first few months

• Slow down: take one day at a time and do not expect everything in place and working quickly.
• Look around: explore your new home and venture out on your own or with your family
• Be here, at your destination. It is unique and cannot be compared to anything else.
• Keep an open mind: things are different, not better and not worse.
• Which old routines do you want to continue? Can you give a new spin to them at your new place?
• Are there new routines you would like to introduce?

Step Four: Your new life

• Finding new friends: start with describing your ‘ideal friend’
• What gets you out of bed in the morning? What is the highlight of your day?
• What do you do for yourself to feel good?
• What do you do as a couple to strengthen your relationship?
• What do you do as a family to maintain harmony and accord?
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Step Five: Pause and take stock

Take time for these thoughts on a regular basis:

• What are all the good things in your life now? Make a list.
• What have you learned since arriving at your destination?
• If you could change one thing what would that be?
• What do you have that you would like more of?
• Name three aspects you particularly appreciate about your partner and your children (tell them).
• In which area do you think you have grown?
• Are you still on the right track professionally or do you consider a change in direction?
• Are you in favour of renewing your working contract or prefer to move on?

Step Six: Relocate again or returning home

Relocating:

• Go through the previous steps again
• Can you see a difference in this relocation from the previous one?
• What will you do differently?
• What did you find useful and will continue?

Returning Home:

• How have you changed since leaving your home country?
• How has your home country changed since you left?
• Will you go back into the rôles you left behind or re-define them?
• What are your expectations for yourself back home?
• What do you want to change in your life and what do you want to stay the same?
• What are you looking forward to coming back?

Call +852 9043 9914 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for an appointment to discuss your best approach for a successful relocation.