Expats and goal achievement – or, why you might have given up on your New Year’s resolutions.

Recently I was re-reading one of my favourite books about goal achievement (by Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson) and was struck by the thought that expats - especially new expats - have things stacked against them in achieving their goals.  

What are some of the things that research shows are helpful for goal achievement?  A supporting routine, grit /will power, and support from others around you. 

Three things that many expats might have difficulty finding at the beginning of their assignments.  In this post I’m going to focus on routine –or the absence of it!

Researchers report the importance of placing behaviour change into our routines.   

Most of us have routines that we do without stopping to think.  Getting up at a certain time, making coffee, checking emails, doing the laundry –even showering or brushing our teeth are embedded in routines.  We don’t stop to question –we just do it.  So if we want to change behaviours to support a new goal it helps to embed those changes within our current routines –to create a habit for the new behaviours.  We add stretching to our exercise routine, or a walk to our route to work, or meditation to our morning cup of tea.  When it comes to successfully adopting new behaviours -routine trumps goal setting. 

Researchers looking at these aspects found that performing habits is easier on our brains than goal setting. If we are performing habits we don’t have to consciously think about it, we don’t experience as much stress - we can just do it!

But what if our whole routine has been altered?  Habits respond to environmental cues –place, time and even season. What if a new location means we have very little routine established?  What if we have arrived in a very different environment or season? We have no regular activities that we automatically do at certain times each day.  No convenient gym or place of exercise, or no babysitters available for time out. 

For some people the lack of routine and established relationships or patterns can be a liberating possibility.  It can provide the opportunity to explore new habits that are in line with their values and support the way they want to be.  

For others the ups and downs of moving and the demands of the new job or lifestyle often mean they fall into ways of operating without thinking. They adopt the patterns of those around them; meeting for drinks instead of exercising, or fitting in with the demands of a challenging workplace without stopping to ask if they are working in the most effective way, or if this is in line with their values or the lifestyle they want to build. 

Reflection

Take a look at the routine you have adopted and consider how it supports or contradicts your values. 

If you want to build a positive habit how could you build it alongside your current routine?

Suggestions

It can help to use Heidi Grant Halvorsen’s If – then concept. 

If the alarm goes off then I will get up and do my stretches. 

If I am getting my first coffee of the day then I will take 10 minutes to review my schedule and highlight my top priorities.

If it is too cold/hot/polluted to go for a run then I will run on the treadmill / swim indoors etc.