Letter from the editor

Hey,

I’m so happy to have you inside the Survive and Thrive community.

I’m also excited to share with you insights and lessons from years of surviving and thriving in different countries.

How to read these journals?

  • Skip sections and read only what’s relevant. Or read the full version.

  • When something resonates, feel free to reply. Or even better, share it with others.

  • New issue gets released every two weeks (or occasionally).

career and personal growth

How to reinvent yourself after a career burnout

Want a career change, but worried that you’ll lose a high salary or even lose the right to stay in a country because of your work?

Or do you simply want to upskill and level up in your career growth?

After doing the same work for years, it’s normal to feel burned out or tired of it all.

So, how can you see your work in a new light?

And how can you turn your career into something that enriches you, instead of draining you out?

My 4-step plan—a repeatable system that worked for me every time I did a career transition.

  • Look inward. – Discover what fuels you and what version of yourself you’re aiming for.

  • Evaluate your options.— Create a list of possibilities, and select what’s most suitable to you in your current season.

  • Act on your fears. – Become aware of the biggest fear that’s stopping you.

  • Plan and think long-term. – Taking action begins with a good plan and some goal-setting.

What’s your plan to reinvent yourself without losing financial security?

Join me in a guided group coaching session that will help you walk away with concrete, actionable steps to engineer a happy and fulfilling career reinvention.

This session is best for experienced expats in Belgium (regardless of age/nationality). Share with a colleague/friend you know.

Download my 4-step framework here. Or sign up for the group coaching on 16 Oct here.

quick tips for everyday life

Focus on things you can control.

Surviving the first 90 days in a new country is crucial.

In Belgium, in particular, language is a barrier.

Belgians have their own circle of friends (and it’s hard to get in!)

Question: Do you even want to?

Instead of worrying, focus on things you can control.

Such as planning when to visit your commune (to have yourself registered), and how to start learning Dutch or French.

What you can’t control?

When the police would visit, and how your colleagues would react when they hear you speaking their language.

To thrive in a foreign country, you need to develop a thicker skin.

And a habit for nonchalance, i.e., I know. But I don’t care.

It’s even more important to have a thicker skin while working.

In a professional setting, you’ll face an entirely different culture.

Belgians like small talk.

But no long breaks and chit-chats (except with the French-speaking Belgians).

Belgian-Dutch are serious, no-nonsense co-workers; the Belgian-French are casual and have no sense of urgency. (These came from personal impressions and there might be exceptions.)

What if you don’t get along with either of them?

Yes, situations you haven’t faced before can cause you to fight or take flight.

I went through that phase too.

But before you pack your bags and regret the move, give yourself a fighting chance.

What’s the smallest thing you can do to go from survival stage to thriving mode?

Join me in a guided group coaching session that will help you walk away with a concrete plan, while gaining support (and an initial network of friends) with those who are in the same shoes as you are.

This session is best for newly arrived expats in Belgium (regardless of age/nationality). Share with a colleague/friend you know.

Sign up here before 9 Oct. Limited to 6 spots only.

About the picture: Grand Place, Brussels. During my first 90 days in Belgium, I explored the main tourist spots on my own. The Grand Place (one of Brussels’ main spots) is usually crowded with people. But because it’s pandemic when I arrived, I was privileged to see most sites minus the crowd.

If you’re aspiring to experience life in another country and you want to know what it’s like to live and work abroad, read my e-book “Survive and Thrive: The Beginner’s Guide to Living and Working Abroad.”

Member spotlight

Coming soon!

Who or what inspires you?

Do you have an interesting story or know a fellow expat/migrant you want to spotlight? Or simply shoutout for?

If you’re an entrepreneur/expat/migrant with a mission, this is also the space to share about your story.

“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Got a story/person/business in mind?
resources/events round-up

New “Survive and Thrive” Toolkit + group coaching and mastermind sessions

The new “Survive and Thrive” Toolkit is now available. I created this for anyone aspiring to live and work abroad (or move to a different country).

Check out the full toolkit here.

Upcoming events

Join from Belgium:

  • Group Coaching for Newly Arrived Expats in Belgium (90-Day Survival Plan)

    9 Oct | 12:30 PM CET | 6 spots only | Reserve your spot here.

  • Group Coaching for Experienced Expats in Belgium (Career Change Plan)

    16 Oct | 12:30 PM CET | 6 spots only | Reserve your spot here.

Join from anywhere:

  • Money Matters Abroad: Financial Wellbeing and Resilience (Mastermind session)

    23 Oct | 12:30 PM CET | 6 spots only | Reserve your spot here.

  • From Idea to Action: How to Kick-start Your Entrepreneurship Journey (Mastermind session)

    30 Oct | 12:30 PM CET | 6 spots only | Reserve your spot here.

Key take-aways

  • Career: Look inward. Evaluate your option. Act on your fears. Plan.

  • Integration: Focus on what you can control.

  • Finance: Start taking good responsibility over money-making.

  • Events: Join group coaching for Belgium-based expats, and mastermind sessions (expats anywhere).

P.S. Like what you’re reading? Forward this newsletter to a friend or colleague, and invite them to subscribe.

PPS. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome. Reply to this email if you have some.

Tin here, your coach-guide. I help you gain money and time to be happy.

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