Another year is coming to an end – and quite a strange one, we may say. 2020 has surely tested many of us; it hasn’t been an easy year and it left many feeling exhausted and drained.
So I understand that you may not feel as euphoric and motivated about a still uncertain 2021 or about making bold New Year’s Resolutions right now…
And yet: there’s such momentum about starting a new year – and I consider MOMENTUM a key ingredient to making positive changes in your life. Two other key ingredients being Clear INTENTIONS and Consistent ACTION.
Today’s Guest
For this special New Year’s episode I interviewed Sonya Sigler: a former expat, Business Strategy Consultant, Executive Leadership Coach, published author and triple boys’ mom.
Her focus lies on building confidence and helping women who feel stuck, uncertain, or frustrated break through the glass ceiling!
You’ll find out:
Some hacks to always be ready and confident for new opportunities
Why and how your should create a “requirements roadmap”
How to avoid decision fatigue
Why you should create a Vision Board
How to pursue your goals even though you’re not being supported
How to create your own support team
Remember: just as there’s always an excuse, there’s also always a possibility to pursue your goals and dreams.
The holidays are around the corner and while it may be the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be a time of added stress, conflict and – in the case of us expats – nostalgia, which makes us feel quite touchy and sensitive.
This episode is a little different, as I’m sharing my personal toolbox for navigating stressful times that bear conflict- and “burnout” potential!
Especially as an expat mom a great deal of the burden lies on us so it’s important to be prepared. After all, we all long for that holly jolly holiday time with our loves ones and feel bad when things don’t go as planned or when we can’t be at our best.
The answer?
D stands for Delegate
I know, I know. We all dream of the perfect holidays and would love to do it all:
Decorate the home beautifully, cook and bake the perfect Christmas menu, spend quality time with all our family members, always be in a good mood… (and look great and fresh all the time)! 🙂
But the truth is: life happens and gets in the way of our ambitious plans. Real life does not look like an influencer’s Instagram feed and as expat women and moms we know it can get messy!
So before the holidays start I want you to think about: What tasks can you delegate and outsource throughout the holidays? How? To whom?
And if you’re not sure, think about what tasks will take a lot of time and effort at the cost of your holiday spirit? And who could help you out with those?
A stands for Anticipate
Having too high expectations is often at the root of burning ourselves out, creating conflict with our loved ones and ending up disappointed.
So how can you set more realistic expectations and avoid stress and conflict?
By trying to anticipate what could mess up our holiday spirit, we can mentally prepare, plan to avoid these situations from happening or deal with them in a better way.
I came up with this concept back in March / April of 2020 when we had the hardcore lockdown here in Spain; the schools had closed but we weren’t allowed to leave the house. So between the kids, work and the home I was just swamped.
Everyone was talking about practicing self-care, but in really busy times this can actually sound more like another thing on your to-do list!
Of course, you can’t pour from an empty cup and over-giving and over-stepping your own boundaries will only lead to depletion and resentment.
Enter: Micro-Moments of Self-Care. They will literally just take a few minutes of your time and will grant you some relief, peace of mind, nurturing, unwinding and re-energizing.
In this episodes I share several strategies that will be a total game-changer for you!
I want you to see yourself like the captain of your ship. YOU steer the ship into the direction you want it to go. You steer it towards the calm waters and away from the icebergs. You’re in control of your ship.
How is this important?
Firstly, because of everything we mentioned already. A good captain knows what and how to delegate, she anticipates and she can remain calm and centered (thanks to micro-moments of self-care).
But this metaphor can also help you navigate uncomfortable questions and unpleasant conversations with loved ones we sometimes have during the holidays.
>>> Listen to the full episode to learn about the 4 conversation techniques I teach my clients to remain in control of the conversation and navigate uncomfortable and intrusive questions.
I sincerely hope this episode has been of value to you and I wish you a magical holiday season – wherever you’re spending them in the world!
*****
Christmas Gift Ideas for expat / multicultural families:
Some of my followers and Facebook Group Members have created great products for the expat community! While I have not personally read / purchased them all, it’s my pleasure to compile this list for you:
This week Im honoured to interview Lisa Mitchell on Financial Empowerment for expat and diplomatic spouses.
Lisa is an innovative Global Executive and Consultant with over 25 years’ experience in Sales, Marketing, and Business Development in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Lisa has held Senior Leadership roles in the Banking, Financial Services, and Global Education industries within Fortune 500 global organizations.
Leveraging her Living A Global Lifestyle Brand, Lisa uses her global experience and diverse skillset to curate content and craft workshops to provide the tools and resources for people to understand how to manage their finances and live successful lives abroad.
What you’ll learn in this episode
Why you should never fully rely on anyone else to be in charge of your financial security
The importance of pre-departure planning and having a worst case scenario exit strategy
Why you need to have the “Money Honey Conversation” (and what that entails)
How to become financially empowered even if you currently don’t have your own money
How to manage your assets and investments back home
Things to look out for regarding finances when living a global lifestyle
My key take-away from this episode:
If you don’t have a basic knowledge and understanding of finances you can’t ask the right questions. Education leads to Empowerment.
Did you know that the topic of “financial empowerment” is the reason I started The Empowered Expat Wife Podcast?
Seeing many women give up their career, their support system and everything they’d known to follow their husband abroad for work (or move to his country of residence); dedicating years to the family and the home (which we all know requires an extra effort abroad).
But then, finding themselves depending on their spouse fully and not having a financial back-up or retirement plan to fall back on.
Let’s be real: things can happen. We don’t like to talk about this of course, but have you thought of worst-case scenarios like separation / divorce, health problems, the inability to work, or God forbid death? If you were on your own tomorrow: could you and your children get by financially?
I’m by no means a financial expert but my interest in this topic has led me to read several books (listed below). So drawing on these authors’ expertise, let me ask you 6 questionsyou should be able to answer! (Listen to the full episode for further explanations, inspirations and details.)
1. Do you know about your family’s money situation?
Including: Investments, real estate, assets and liabilities, mortages, debt, monthly spending etc
2. Do you know what you spend each month?
Pull up a bank statement and take some time to go through the list. Ask yourself: – Did I really need this? – Does this expenditure make me feel light, expanded and happy? (or did you feel pressured into buying it and kind of regret it?) – Where am I overpaying?
3. Do you have a retirement account or emergency fund? How could you create one?
It’s not ideal to be financially fully dependent on anyone – not your partner, not his employer (or his ability to generate income), not your parents… You never know what life may bring and I’ve seen and heard of many women who couldn’t get out of very unpleasant situations because of financial reasons.
4. Do you have a consumer mindset or an investor mindset? (Tony Robbins)
A great question to ask yourself each time you’re about to spend money. Think long-term and remember: by saving only 10$ a day you can accumulate a nice some of money over the years, with little effort on your part.
5. What are your values around money, investments and finances?
– What would truly bring you joy? – What matters to YOU? – Is what you currently spend money on really in line with your personal values and financial goals?
Figuring this out will help you make better decisions around money.
6. How can you teach yourself about finances?
Apart from reading financial news and encouraging / participating in more conversations about finances, I’ve enjoyed reading the following books:
‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki
‘Money. A Love Story’ by Kate Northrup
‘Get Rich Lucky Bitch’ and ‘Chillpreneur’ by Denise Duffield-Thomas
‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill
‘The Secrets of a Millionaire Mind’ by T. Harv Eker
‘Smart Women Finish Rich’ by David Bach
‘Master the Money Game’ by Tony Robbins
Do you have any tips, course or book recommendations around finances? Please share them with the community!
And if you enjoyed this content make sure to tune in next Thursday where I’ll be interviewing an expert on Expat Finances so that you can take inspired action towards your own financial empowerment!
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@ Copyright Camilla Quintana – The Empowered Expat Woman 2024. All rights reserved.
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