<ul><li>A weakness is an activity that makes you feel weak. Even if you’re good at it, if it drains you, that’s a weakness.</li><li>There is a difference between a weakness and a nontalent. A nontalent only became an issue/weakness when your performance depends on tapping into it. Otherwise, you could ignore it for your entire life.</li></ul>

What a weakness is

Understanding why something is a weakness is essential before making any decisions about what you’re going to do about it. Dig deeper to identify root causes. For example:<ul><li>You lack skills, knowledge, and experience. This can be addressed and remedied.</li><li>You are afraid. This is more challenging to overcome than simple skill acquisition, but it is possible to push through fear to get to the other side.</li><li>You are missing the required talent, trait, or capability and will never have it. Trying to address a weakness that has this root cause will only result in frustration and misery.</li></ul>

Why is it a weakness?

When you’re considering what to do about a weakness, start with your assessment of how much it matters in your life. Some weaknesses may be harming your professional development. Some may be interfering with achieving happiness in your personal life. But, some issues will mean absolutely nothing to you.The strategic approach you take with a weakness varies based on how important it is for you, your future, and if something valuable is waiting for you on the other side of it. It’s valuable to work on areas for improvement when it serves you well.

Assess the areas a weakness impacts

If a weakness is getting in your way, you don’t necessarily have to get better at it. You can leverage different strategies to manage it and make it a nonissue.<ul><li>Restructure your processes to work around the weakness.</li><li>Set up a support system to help you manage it (e.g., my calendar reminders help me when I get so focused on a task that I might miss a meeting).</li><li>Hire an assistant to handle that task.</li><li>If you can, delegate your weakness to someone much better at doing that task.</li><li>Partner with someone who complements you and balances your strengths and weaknesses.</li></ul>

Manage the weakness

“ Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.“

First, understand what it means to call something a weakness. Then, uncover why something is a weakness. Finally, assess what fixing that weakness means for you.

Stashed ideas

T he old school of management training must have told young managers to knock the weaknesses out of their employees. I experienced my fair share of this style of management in the early years of my career.

I was mostly given a list of weaknesses that my manager thought I should address. I was frequently reminded of failings that I had to overcome.

Even when a boss doesn’t tell us to foc us on our weaknesses, most of us will do it independently. In <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.shrm.org/about-shrm/news-about-shrm/Pages/CMS_020889.aspx" rel="noopener nofollow">employee polls several years ago </a>, workers were asked if they thought that they should build their strengths or fix their weaknesses to be more successful in their jobs.

Only 37% of them said that focusing on their strengths would help them be more successful. 63% said they should fix their weaknesses first, instead.

In another survey, employees were asked: “ When you talk with your manager about your performance, what do you spend the most time talking about? “

I don’t remember being coached to double down on my strengths until much later in my career. One of my managers (thank you, Justin!) gave me a book by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman called <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E7M6INO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_02X1C2PVTYZZJB0ZG8DH" rel="noopener nofollow">First, Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently </a>. One chapter talks about how great managers focus on their employees’ strengths, not their weaknesses.

While this strengths-based approach is a better way to manage a team and yourself, you can’t completely ignore your weaknesses. Eventually, they may need to be addressed in one way or another.

Now, the million-dollar question posed by this newsletter is: Should you fix a weakness?

The answer is, “It depends.”

It starts with understanding what it means to call something a weakness. Then, you must uncover why something is a weakness for you. Finally, you have to assess what “fixing” that weakness means for you.

We talk about strengths and weaknesses so much that I don’t think we give a second thought to what they really mean. But, let’s take a minute and think about what a weakness is.

Buckingham says “… a weakness is an activity that makes you feel weak. Even if you’re good at it, if it drains you, that’s a weakness.”

There is a difference between a weakness and a “nontalent,” as Buckingham refers to it. A nontalent only became an issue/weakness when your performance depends on tapping into it. Otherwise, you could ignore it for your entire life.

I can think of many, many things that I’m not good at doing and never will be. I also don’t care about most of those missing talents and skills. But, I know that some of those items were moved into the “weakness column” when I was an employee.

It comes down to a mismatch between expectations and reality.

Thinking back on my time as a corporate manager and leader, we have a set of performance and behavioral expectations for our employees based on their role, level, and experience. When a specific employee can’t meet those expectations, we identify the associated activity as a “weakness” or an “area for improvement” (i.e., the new and improved way to refer to weaknesses).

Some managers want their employees to address their weaknesses simply because they exist. They represent a gap between expectations and execution. They want a specific level of performance; therefore, the employee must address the issue.

Of course, our perceptions of our weaknesses don’t only exist in the workplace. You may identify a specific weakness as a mismatch between your personal goals and the reality of your performance.

For example, maybe you love playing basketball, but you see your 3-point shots as a weakness. You have higher expectations for yourself than you’re able to deliver on the court.

Is anyone born with a natural strength at 100% of its potential? Even the most talented people have practiced for years to develop their skills, so they look like amazing strengths now.

There is a difference between a weakness and an undiscovered talent. Something that might be labeled as a weakness may simply be a talent you’ve never bothered to explore before.

Similarly, an “area for improvement” looks a lot like an undeveloped strength. Is it really a weakness ? Or, is it just a skill you need to develop or knowledge you should acquire?

Understanding why something is a weakness is essential before making any decisions about what you’re going to do about it. Dig deeper to identify root causes. For example:

<ul><li>You lack skills, knowledge, and experience. This can be addressed and remedied. </li><li>You are afraid. This is more challenging to overcome than simple skill acquisition, but it is possible to push through fear to get to the other side. </li><li>You are missing the required talent, trait, or capability and will never have it. Trying to address a weakness that has this root cause will only result in frustration and misery. </li> </ul>

Given that you will most likely see a larger ROI by leveraging a strength vs. trying to improve a weakness, you have a critical question to ask yourself first. What lies on the other side of “fixing” this weakness?

Ask yourself:How does addressing this weakness serve me? Not my boss. Not the company. Me.

It’s valuable to work on areas for improvement when it serves you well. When something valuable that you want is on the other side of fear, it’s worth investing in removing that obstacle. When a weakness blocks something that will help you achieve your goals — and you can actually do something about it — it’s worth working on it.

However, sometimes you are asked (or forced) to work on a weakness purely for your employer's benefit. It doesn’t come naturally for you, it will never feel like a strength, and you don’t want to do it. But, your job description requires you to overcome that weakness or risk being terminated.

If an employment situation sets you up for focusing on your weaknesses and not leveraging your strengths, you need a new job.

It’s miserable to work for someone who does nothing but focus on your supposed shortcomings and is constantly trying to get you to change. Many people are unhappy because they are stuck in jobs that don’t tap into their potential and force them to struggle with their weaknesses every day.

I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that <a dir="ltr" href="https://blog.smarp.com/employee-engagement-8-statistics-you-need-to-know" rel="noopener nofollow">81% of employees </a>consider leaving their jobs when 70% of them <a dir="ltr" href="https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/162953/tackle-employees-stagnating-engagement.aspx" rel="noopener nofollow">aren’t working to their full potential </a>.

So, when you’re considering what to do about a weakness, start with your assessment of how much it matters in your life. Some weaknesses may be harming your professional development. Some may be interfering with achieving happiness in your personal life. But, some issues will mean absolutely nothing to you.

The strategic approach you take with a weakness varies based on how important it is for you, your future, and if something valuable is waiting for you on the other side of it.

I should probably say, ignore the nontalent. If you lack talent, skills, or knowledge in a specific area, but you absolutely don’t care about it, then it’s not a weakness. It’s certainly not a weakness worth improving.

We all have thousands and thousands of nontalents. Ironically, one of my sons brought up one of my “nontalent areas” this evening.

He said that I wasn’t tall enough to qualify to be a Division 1 college volleyball player. He’s applying to colleges, so I guess he was looking into it?

Guess how much I care about my height “weakness” when it comes to qualifying as a volleyball player? Absolutely zero.

I’m sure you have weaknesses/nontalents that you don’t care about, as well. Don’t waste a single minute thinking about them.

The best leaders help their employees intelligently manage their weaknesses while focusing on getting the most out of their strengths. Some skills or behaviors aren’t part of the core job description, but they can become annoying distractions and derail progress when they struggle with them (e.g., attending meetings on time).

You can do this for yourself, as well. If a weakness is getting in your way, you don’t necessarily have to get better at it. You can leverage different strategies to manage it and make it a nonissue.

<ul><li>Restructure your processes to work around the weakness. </li><li>Set up a support system to help you manage it (e.g., my calendar reminders help me when I get so focused on a task that I might miss a meeting). </li><li>Hire an assistant to handle that task. </li><li>If you can, delegate your weakness to someone much better at doing that task. </li><li>Partner with someone who complements you and balances your strengths and weaknesses. </li> </ul>

In some cases, it is worth reducing or eliminating the negative impact of a weakness. You can’t ignore it. You can’t work around it. You know you can’t turn it into a strength. But, you can “sand off the rough edges.”

I’ll give you an example from my professional life. I’m very introverted, and my networking skills are a weakness.

That type of social activity doesn’t come naturally to me. When I engage in typical networking, I feel drained and require days of solitude to recover. I wish I were exaggerating, but I’m not.

However, I run my own business, and professional networking is a must for me. When I force myself to be more social, it helps me attract new clients. When I withdraw, which is my natural tendency, my business suffers.

Networking and being social will never be a strength for me. It simply isn’t my personality. But I can’t ignore it or fully delegate the activities either.

So, I strategically engage and use various techniques to connect with people to reduce the negative impact of my weakness as much as I can.

When someone else tells you what your weaknesses are, you lose power. When you try to mask a weakness that you’ve given more importance than it is worth, <a dir="ltr" href="https://newsletter.invinciblecareer.com/p/how-to-overcome-impostor-syndrome" rel="noopener nofollow">you suffer from impostor syndrome </a>.

My weakness of being too compassionate as a corporate executive became my strength as an <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.brilliantforge.com/private-leadership-coaching/" rel="noopener nofollow">executive coach </a>. I decided to embrace it instead of trying to eliminate it. I claimed it instead of trying to hide it.

I took away the power from a few of my past bosses, who told me that my kindness was a weakness. I redefined my career and changed my role in the world to play to my strengths.

Maybe it’s just my belief, but I think the world has enough cruel people running around. What the world needs is more people who care. We need more people who are trying to help others. So, I chose a new path.

One day, you may find that you are tired of managing a weakness so that you can fit into a job that is no longer serving you well. You may choose to lean into it, accept your so-called “weakness,” and create a new path that unleashes your full potential.

I think we also have many “weaknesses” that are actually undiscovered talents and undeveloped strengths. They are only weaknesses because we’ve never bothered to explore what would happen if we invested in them.

I did this with public speaking. In my case, I had avoided it because of my fear. Fear of failure. Fear of judgment. Fear of looking foolish.

I decided that this was a weakness that I had to fix. I could tell that it was holding me back in my professional career.

I looked on the other side of fear and saw how much public speaking could transform my life. I witnessed successful leaders calmly taking the stage and happily engaging with audiences. I watched people’s careers take off because they were comfortable presenting.

So, I stopped hiding from it, avoiding it, and working around it. Initially, I thought that I would slightly improve my weakness so that I could tolerate speaking in front of others. But, a funny thing happened along the way.

I fell in love with public speaking. Over the course of a few years, I transformed a weakness driven by fear into one of my most valuable strengths.

Perhaps the latent potential had always been there, but I had never tapped into it? I don’t know. But I’m glad that I did.

I saved this section for last because I think there are times that you can invest in something that you may have incorrectly defined as a “weakness.” You have an opportunity to turn it into something great.

But, only you can see the potential of making that investment. You’re the only one who truly understands what lies on the other side of your fear.

“ Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.“

― George Addair

📫 Check out the <a dir="ltr" href="https://newsletter.invinciblecareer.com/" rel="noopener nofollow">FREE career advice I share in my weekly newsletter </a>that can help you make more money, do more of what you love, and take control of your work and life!

Larry Cornett is a <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.brilliantforge.com/" rel="noopener nofollow">leadership coach and business advisor </a>who runs a supportive <a dir="ltr" href="https://the.invinciblefreedom.community/" rel="noopener nofollow">online community </a>. He lives in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with his wife and children, and a gigantic Great Dane. He’s also on <a dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/cornett" rel="noopener nofollow">Twitter @cornett </a>.

Originally published at <a dir="ltr" href="https://newsletter.invinciblecareer.com/p/should-you-fix-a-weakness-issue-251" rel="noopener nofollow">https://newsletter.invinciblecareer.com </a>.

Does Your Weakness Really Need Fixing?

Beauty is nothing tangible, it only exists in our heads as a pleasant feeling. If we'd have to define it, we perceive something as beautiful if its color, shape, form, or proportion are somehow appealing to us.Beauty is a very human experience that has been with us for millions of years: it seems that early humans shaped their tools into teardrops only because they liked them better that way, for example.

Beauty: A Very Human Experience

Self Improvement

Throughout history, the definition of beauty and beauty ideals have changed a lot. But there are some patterns that remained: the golden ratio, symmetry, or fractal patterns can be found in art and architecture from our beginning until today.Beauty patterns that resisted in time come all from nature:<ul><li>Fractal patterns: snail shells, flower heads, waves, or clouds. Identifying the patterns and assessing was vital for our survival: Do these clouds mean rain will come? is this water safe to swim in? </li><li>Symmetry: in nature, it means everything is as it should be. Because it is so common in nature, it is extremely familiar to our brain and it helped our ancestors identify danger.</li></ul>

Beauty Patters

Our sense of beauty probably evolved from pattern recognition, but it goes beyond that now.&nbsp;Research shows that we have the lowest common denominator when it comes to beauty. We have a hard time pinning down what beauty is or what is based on, but we somehow recognize it when we see it.

Recognizing Beauty

We left the natural world behind and created our own. We made the objects that surround us. And in doing so, we often neglected beauty in favor of functionality, cost, or efficiency.But humans don't like monotony. Research shows that we keep focusing on details and ornaments in architecture while brushing quickly over black walls. They are no fun to look at and they actually make us miserable.Surroundings that are aesthetically pleasing to us can improve our well-being, behavior, cognitive function, and mood.

Beauty And Monotony

Studies that looked at the main factors influencing the happiness of adults revelead that besides things like good health in a harmonius family life, individual happiness is affected by how beautiful you find the city you live in.&nbsp;Beauty scored even higher than safety and cleanliness

Beauty As A Happiness Indicator

It’s hard to define what makes something beautiful, but we seem to know beauty when we see it. Why is that and how does beauty affect our subconscious? This video was a collaboration with the creative agency Sagmeister & Walsh as a contribution to their upcoming Beauty exhibition at the MAK Vienna from October 23rd onwards. If you want to learn more about the impact of beauty and see tons of gorgeous installations and multi-media objects, go check it out on https://www.mak.at/en_sagmeister_walsh The Beauty exhibition will also be shown in the Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt from May 11th till September 15th. Sources: https://sites.google.com/view/kgssourcesbeauty/startseite OUR CHANNELS ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ German Channel: https://kgs.link/youtubeDE Spanish Channel: https://kgs.link/youtubeES HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US? ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ This is how we make our living and it would be a pleasure if you support us! Get Merch designed with ❤ from https://kgs.link/shop Join the Patreon Bird Army 🐧 https://kgs.link/patreon DISCUSSIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Reddit: https://kgs.link/reddit Instagram: https://kgs.link/instagram Twitter: https://kgs.link/twitter Facebook: https://kgs.link/facebook Discord: https://kgs.link/discord Newsletter: https://kgs.link/newsletter OUR VOICE ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ The Kurzgesagt voice is from Steve Taylor: https://kgs.link/youtube-voice OUR MUSIC ♬♪ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 700+ minutes of Kurzgesagt Soundtracks by Epic Mountain: Spotify: https://kgs.link/music-spotify Soundcloud: https://kgs.link/music-soundcloud Bandcamp: https://kgs.link/music-bandcamp Youtube: https://kgs.link/music-youtube Facebook: https://kgs.link/music-facebook The Soundtrack of this video: Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/2ytFTlY Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/2PM9H3N Facebook: https://bit.ly/2GIoZlH 🐦🐧🐤 PATREON BIRD ARMY 🐤🐧🐦 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Many Thanks to our wonderful Patreons from http://kgs.link/patreon who support us every month and made this video possible: ﻿Colm Foley, Simulation, AndreasEngl, JenDorris, VladFaust, IvanAracki, JackLaw-Warschaw, agadmators_bitch, SamuelBryan, TristanBurgener, CharlotteRobinson, CristiánMéndez, jasonrini, HamishMcDonald, RyanJudy, Quintthekid, MayteeChinavanichkit, GerardoVeltri, EthanCussatt, TheBoomguy64, TillKrüss, MouscadetBenjamin, BalázsSuhajda, GuyStrauss, NathanFish, ArtemChubaryan, HetalSagar, LaurenAtkins, TheBestPessimist, ZdeněkSklář, AxelEssbaum, GeorgeEilender, RohinrajAravindakshan, JackGado, Nicholas, ValentinDuval, LukášHána, IvanHarasymchuk, MarcHadel, OhadRavid, NathanielShafou, TomBristol, MariusTîrcă, MinhHiếu, MisterWow, AlexisHevia, MichaelRootare, SörenPeters, IlkkaSavilampi, Crypton, MassimoFrieri, RyanBrown, johannestoale, WilliamPham, JosephFraser, Dave, ThomasBraud, NevenPintarić, Josiah, Enderchangling, Semnodime, IanHecht, LexSteers, IMysteryI, AndrewBoyer, RyanMcDaniel, LewisZiebarth, Chirag, RamseyElbasheer, DaichuanWu Help us caption & translate this video! https://www.youtube.com/timedtext_cs_panel?c=UCsXVk37bltHxD1rDPwtNM8Q&tab=2

Why Beautiful Things Make us Happy – Beauty Explained

Before you move on to clothes, shoes, and other stuff, double-check your documents, such as:<ul><li>Passport</li><li>Driver’s license</li><li>Visas</li><li>Diploma</li><li>Birth and marriage certificates</li><li>Medical records and health insurance documents.</li></ul>

Moving Abroad: Packing Documents

Bring some medicines, just in case you'll need any of them during your international relocation or right upon arrival to your new home.You need to be prepared even for the worst-case scenario, so do pack some medicines that might come in handy in case you catch a cold or have a headache. If you take some medication regularly, bring at least a two months’ supply in case you can’t find those particular drugs in the new country.

Make Sure You Pack Some Essential Medicines

Maybe you have some preferred cosmetic products, and you want to take a large supply of those to your new country in case you can’t find them there. However, that’s not a good idea.&nbsp;These products take a lot of space, space you’ll need for more essential items. Plus, most of the toiletries are temperature-sensitive, so they are likely to be ruined during your travel.

Bring Only Basic Toiletries

<ul><li>Only the stuff that is essential or those that have special meaning for you should find a place in your suitcases when relocating overseas.&nbsp;</li><li>When it comes to clothes and shoes, you should bring enough for the first couple of weeks or months. Once you settle in and explore the area, you’ll be able to buy everything you need there, too.</li><li>The golden rule is to leave everything you haven’t used in over a year.</li></ul>

Bring Only the Things That You Can’t Do Without

Consider these questions:<ul><li>How long are you going to stay in your future home?</li><li>What is the weather like there?</li><li>Are you relocating to a smaller home?</li><li>How are you going to ship your stuff?</li></ul>

How to Decide What to Pack when Moving Abroad

You can’t seem to figure out what to pack when moving abroad? This can be a tricky task, but with this list of most essential things to bring, there should be no problem.

Your relocation date is getting closer, yet again, you still don’t know what to pack when moving abroad . If you’ve moved only within the country borders, do know that relocating abroad is more complex and requires more careful planning than even a long-distance relocation. You are getting ready to leave everything behind and go to another part of the world. But how do you prepare for such a significant step in your life?

Various questions are running through your head, such as How should I pack for an international move? What do you need when relocating abroad? How do I move my belongings to another country?  and so on. Luckily, we are here to answer all these questions and help you decide what to bring to make the packing process a breeze. Let’s begin.

Primary Items That Should Be on Your Packing List for an International Move

Packing can be somewhat chaotic. You are supposed to gather all the necessary<a dir="ltr" href="https://schmidtmovers.com/services/boxes-moving-supplies/">  </a><a dir="ltr" href="https://schmidtmovers.com/services/boxes-moving-supplies/">boxes and moving supplies </a>, figure out the easiest way to wrap all your stuff, cancel your cable, and so on. During such a hectic period, it’s easy to forget something, and that’s usually something essential, which can make the entire process even more stressful.

To avoid any additional stress and pressure, you might want to consider hiring professionals to provide you with<a dir="ltr" href="https://schmidtmovers.com/services/packing-services/">  </a><a dir="ltr" href="https://schmidtmovers.com/services/packing-services/">packing services </a>. Another essential thing you should do is make a  list of the most important items  and put them in your suitcase them first. Among others, that list should include the following things.

Double-Check Whether All Your Documents Are There

You can’t even get started with your overseas move without all the <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.roamright.com/travel-insurance-blog/travel-documents-checklist/">necessary travel documents </a>, let alone actually move to your new home. Thus, before you move on to clothes, shoes, and other stuff, double-check your documents, such as:

<ul><li>Passport </li><li>Driver’s license </li><li>Visas </li><li>Diploma </li><li>Birth and marriage certificates </li><li>Medical records and health insurance documents </li> </ul>

Speaking of medical records, you should also bring some medicines, just in case. Naturally, you wouldn’t want to need any medicine during your international relocation or right upon arrival to your new home. Nonetheless, you need to be prepared even for the worst-case scenario , so do pack some medicines that might come in handy in case you catch a cold or have a headache. If you take some medication regularly, bring at least a two months’ supply in case you can’t find those particular drugs in the new country.

We understand that you have some preferred cosmetic products, and you want to take a large supply of those to your new country in case you can’t find them there. However, that’s not a good idea. These products take a lot of space, space you’ll need for more essential items. Plus, most of the toiletries are temperature-sensitive , so they are likely to be ruined during your travel.

You are about to travel to a whole other part of the world. Even when you travel a short distance, it’s easier to get the job done with fewer items to take care of, let alone when you’re organizing an international move. Let’s see how you can arrange your stuff  to make the entire process less complicated.

Bring Only the Things That You Can’t Do Without or the Items You Can’t Replace

Only the stuff that is essential or those that have special meaning for you should find a place in your suitcases when relocating overseas . In addition to some items you need on a daily basis  for personal hygiene, these also includefamily heirlooms or any other thing that has sentimental value.

Bring Enough Clothes for a First Month or Two

When it comes to clothes and shoes , you should bring enough for the first couple of weeks or months. Once you settle in and explore the area, you’ll be able to buy everything you need there, too. Why would you bring too many clothing items to another faraway destination when you can buy everything you want there? You could probably find even better brands and choose your favorites there.

Remember This – Decluttering Will Save You Precious Time

When relocating overseas, the golden rule is to leave everything you haven’t used in over a year . Yes, you can ask for<a dir="ltr" href="https://schmidtmovers.com/services/storage/">  </a><a dir="ltr" href="https://schmidtmovers.com/services/storage/">storage service </a> and leave some of your stuff there, but that doesn’t mean that you should bring everything you own to the new home. Not only will your international move be more expensive the more items you have, but it will also take you more time to organize the relocation. So, keep it simple and use that precious time to be with your friends and family instead of dealing with your stuff.

If you’re having trouble deciding what to bring to your new home, here are some things to consider  to help you make up your mind:

<ul><li>How long are you going to stay in your future home? </li><li>What is the weather like there? </li><li>Are you relocating to a smaller home? </li><li>How are you going to ship your stuff? </li> </ul>

The matter of shipping can play a crucial role here as there might be some restrictions depending on whether you choose<a dir="ltr" href="https://schmidtmovers.com/services/international-moving-by-air/">  </a><a dir="ltr" href="https://schmidtmovers.com/services/international-moving-by-air/">international moving by air </a> or<a dir="ltr" href="https://schmidtmovers.com/services/international-moving-by-sea/">  </a><a dir="ltr" href="https://schmidtmovers.com/services/international-moving-by-sea/">international moving by sea </a>. There also might be some restrictions posed by your chosen country . Don’t forget to take these into consideration, too.

When you’re getting ready to relocate abroad, you have a long list of things to take care of, so do what you can to make at least packing as simple as possible . Focus on essential items such as your travel documents, and don’t bother with anything you can replace when you get to the new address. You should be able to enjoy your travel to the future house, so don’t let preparation spoil the entire experience.

What to Pack When Moving Abroad

We are full of emotional bedrooms and dust and waste. Once in a while, we need to take some time to clean the dark corners of our soul from the growing dust particles.
Cleaning up an emotional house is different for everybody. For some, elements of movement and personal freedom brings them to a special place.

Cleaning your emotional house

Changing the workout in our headspace to simple movement can help us find solitude.
Going on long walks or leisurely pedalling your bike to spots where you can enjoy the view can bring comfort to your soul.

Movement can bring comfort

<ul>
<li>Listening. Cleaning our emotional house means listening to the world breathe - listen to the birdsong, water melting of roofs, conversations outside on the sidewalk.</li>
<li>Finding colour. Get out there, find the colour in the sky and describe the world on canvas (even if your art seems terrible).</li>
</ul>

Listening and finding colour

<ul>
<li>Slow down. From the minute we wake up, we are often in a hurry. Take a mental break to slow yourself down, for example, walking slower or getting your lunch ready slowly.</li>
<li>Keep your rituals. Writing, Painting. Trivia on Tuesdays with your friends. Rituals are small promises that we&#39;re doing things to keep our emotional house clean with joy.</li>
</ul>

Slow down and make time for rituals

Brittany Chaffee writes about ways we can scrub out our emotional insides until they feel like new (or at least like gently used) again.

How to Become a Plant Person When You’re Super Busy and Kinda Lazy

As previously seen on <a aria-label="Wit &amp; Delight (opens in a new tab)" dir="ltr" href="https://witanddelight.com/2019/04/how-to-clean-your-emotional-house/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wit &amp; Delight </a>

Editor’s Note: We wanted to share this article Brittany Chaffee penned last year, on the cusp between winter and spring, because it’s exactly the thing so many of us need right now. (I mean, I don’t want to speak for you, but I personally would like to take my emotional house, shake it up upside down, and empty it allll out, like a coin purse but the human equivalent.) In this piece, Brittany writes so eloquently about ways we can scrub out our emotional insides until they feel like new (or at least like gently used) again. We hope you’ll take her words to heart. Have a good weekend folks.

“BURN! BURN! BURN! FEEL THE FIRE INSIDE OF YOU! DO YOU FEEL IT?”

{voice  softens }

“You’ll see, when you feel that fire burning in your stomach, it will break down barriers. Anything you couldn’t deal with before. You can. You can now.”

It was a Tuesday. And I was crying in yoga again. Shaking and sweating in extended side angle pose. My hands were pressed against each other and close to my heart. My eyes were closed and they trembled with determination. I was there, in a room with fifty strangers, breathing through my nose and out my mouth. I was completely still. I could feel every limb on my body, even my middle toe, which I hadn’t noticed in quite some time. And my insides felt like they could lift a building. I like to refer to this emotional yoga attack as “cleansing my emotional toilet.” All of the bullshit goes away and I’m left spread in savasana feeling like a human piece of butter on toast. Or like I got hit by a glorious dump truck. Or both.

I like to refer to this emotional yoga attack as “cleaning my emotional toilet.” All of the bullshit goes away and I’m left spread in savasana feeling like a human piece of butter on toast. Or like I got hit by a glorious dump truck. Or both.

This happened once in cycle class, too. Cycle is an interesting place for me. The first time I tried strapping myself to a bicycle for forty-five minutes, I thought I was going to pass out while bound to a stationary object. I surpassed emergency but most times I have to take precaution and start slow. Near the end of the class, the instructor gave us three minutes to dedicate our workout.

“What does it mean to fight?” she asked.

“Put all of your energy into this moment.”

I envisioned my heartstrings pumping energy into my ankles.

“This is your five minutes.”

Somehow, my emotions rose with my energy and I felt like a human match lighting a firework.

“This time is yours.”

What I’ve learned here is that apparently, the combination of intense movement and inspirational yelling makes me FEEL SOME STUFF. In the moments above, I did some emotional spring cleaning. I cleaned my emotional toilet. I cleaned my emotional linen closet. I cleaned my emotional underwear drawer. ( Writer’s Note: why do I have so many dryer sheets in there? ) I cleaned my emotional bookshelf. I cleaned my emotional house.

I have to clean these things often because I’m a messy emotional person. But, just like anybody, I’m human. And feelings are okay. We are full of emotional bedrooms and dust and garbage. Most importantly, we deserve to take the time to clean those dark corners every once in a while. Have you seen the back of a toilet before? Whatever dust particles are growing in there can sometimes grow in our soul corners. And Clorox doesn’t clean up that mess.

We are full of emotional bedrooms and dust and garbage. Most importantly, we deserve to take the time to clean those dark corners every once in a while. Have you seen the back of a toilet before? Whatever dust particles are growing in there can sometimes grow in our soul corners. And Clorox doesn’t clean upthat mess.

Cleaning up an emotional house can be different for everybody. It took me thirty years of my life to discover yoga, for example, and how the elements of movement and personal freedom brings me to a special place. Yoga became my emotional equivalent to discovering Pine-Sol for the soul.

Here are some other key ways I like to clean up my emotional house:

I hate the pressure of working out. Which is probably the reason I rage-ran on the treadmill all throughout college to get it over with. And waited until I was three decades old to try yoga. I’ve never been a stationary person but since I’ve changed working out in my headspace to simple movement , I’ve found solitude in its practice. Going on long summer walks. Cruising on leisure bike rides that have little to no hills and many spots I can stop along the way and enjoy the view. Visiting the barn where I ride horses, and moving with them.

I think about yoga and it gives me an extreme sense of personal place. Setting. A place with good, raw feeling. I want to go back to that place. A place not necessarily a physical room with yoga mats and candles. The place is a comfort couch in my soul. Good emotional movement that sets me carefully down into an inner room I want to re-access always. One I want to open the door to every day.

Music is one thing; the world around us is another. Every spring, sometime at the end of April, I hear the geese come back north. I hear water, melting off roofs and down drains. I hear birdsong. I hear how water sounds whooshing off car tires. I hear conversations outside on the sidewalk through my bedroom window. Much of the time, cleaning my emotional house means opening the windows and listening to the world breath.

Every spring, sometime at the end of April, I hear the geese come back north. I hear water, melting off roofs and down drains. I hear birdsong. I hear how water sounds whooshing off car tires. I hear conversations outside on the sidewalk through my bedroom window. Much of the time, cleaning my emotional house means opening the windows and listening to the world breath.

Adult coloring books and those wine and painting classes stress me out. I’m not particularly sure why. Perhaps the distant pressure to find color and make art is too much for me. I’d rather roam around Michael’s and buy some paint, a canvas, and make something horrible while sitting on a picnic blanket outdoors. If we can explore the world, look up into the sky, acknowledge its existence, and <a aria-label="flush it back through the world in art (even if it’s horrible) (opens in a new tab)" dir="ltr" href="https://witanddelight.com/2020/01/7-ways-to-up-your-creativity-this-year/" rel="noreferrer noopener">flush it back through the world in art (even if it’s horrible) </a>, it’s really something. Take one of my favorite quotes by <a aria-label="our queen Anne Lamott (opens in a new tab)" dir="ltr" href="https://blog.ted.com/12-things-i-know-for-sure-anne-lamott-at-ted2017/" rel="noreferrer noopener">our queen Anne Lamott </a>for example, “My pastor says you can trap bees on the floor of a Mason jar without a lid, because they don’t look up. If they did, they could fly to freedom. Instead, they walk around bitterly, bumping into glass walls.” So, the lesson here is look up. Get out there. Find the color in the sky. Describe it to the world.

I am always in a hurry. And honestly, it gives me hives. The minute I wake up, I’m on my phone checking Twitter, CHOWING down a piece of toast and butter, rushing out the door, checking my Waze App to see how long it’s going to take me to get to work in traffic, refilling my tank like someone that’s going to murder me is close behind, and slamming down the gauntlet to respond to every email I receive in less than ten minutes. It’s… unhealthy. When I <a aria-label="take a mental break (opens in a new tab)" dir="ltr" href="https://witanddelight.com/2019/07/6-ways-to-take-a-break-before-you-break-down/" rel="noreferrer noopener">take a mental break </a>, even in the middle of the day, to slow myself down, I am washed of the stress. I am clean. Things like physically walking slower to the bathroom during work, or physically getting my lunch ready slowly. It sounds a little ridiculous typing it out now, but when I physically move slower, slug-mode style, I feel exponentially better.

Travel. Writing. Painting. Volunteering. Hiking. Trivia on Tuesdays with your friends. Treating yourself to Starbucks on Saturday morning. We all have rituals. And we should keep them. We should make more of them. My rituals make me happy and they promise routine. I thought about referring to these as “hobbies” but those seemed less functional than rituals are. Rituals are tiny promises that we’re doing things to keep our hearts full and emotional bedrooms clean with joy.

<ol><li>Go on a walk. </li><li>Listen to the nature around you. </li><li>Look up at the sky. </li><li>Paint or write about it when you get home. </li><li>Make all of this part of your daily routine. </li> </ol>

Taking care of your emotional house isn’t just about showing up to clean. Personal care is a lifestyle. It’s about being in the here-and-now of your soul makings. It’s about accepting who you are. Burn, burn, burn. Feel the fire inside of you. It will cleanse and open up your heart .

How to Clean Your Emotional House - Wit & Delight | Designing a Life Well-Lived

Most productivity or business books, podcasts, conferences or TED talks have the same solution to being more successful and happier: meditate for twenty minutes once or twice a day.
But meditation as a practice doesn&#39;t always work with where we currently are in our lives. We may be too excited and optimistic to sit still or even too young. There are also other ways to ensure we are not always in a reactionary mode.

Meditation Anxiety

<ul>
<li>Consciously decide to have &quot;No Podcast&quot; moments while commuting, cooking, cleaning or exercising. Letting your mind wander while focusing on a repetitive task isn&#39;t a bad thing.</li>
<li>Go to the movies alone, where you focus on a film and nothing else.</li>
<li>Going to the sauna is the closest feeling to a long meditation session.</li>
<li>Take a weekend break alone. Focusing on the scenery, observing the people and being aware of where you are is very calming for the mind.</li>
<li>Play a videogame. It can help you into an intensely focussed, meditative state.</li>
<li>Draw or paint.</li>
<li>Write.</li>
<li>Play music.</li>
<li>Exercise.</li>
</ul>

Alternatives to Meditation

I get it: every successful person meditates. People who don’t meditate are just hamsters on a wheel, living a life of reactionary, mindless chaos. People who don’t meditate can’t enjoy living in the…

I get it: every successful person meditates. People who don’t meditate are just hamsters on a wheel, living a life of reactionary, mindless chaos. People who don’t meditate can’t enjoy living in the moment , hell, they can’t even enjoy food or vacations because they’re already thinking about what they’re going to do next.

“When (Tim) Ferriss sat down with more than 200 executives, leaders, and other people at the heights of their fields for his new book, <a dir="ltr" href="https://toolsoftitans.com/" rel="noopener nofollow">Tools of Titans </a>, he found that 80% had “some form of guided mindfulness practice.

About two years ago I finally caved and gave med itation a go. Like many people I started with Headspace, a beautifully simple guided meditation app narrated by Andy Puddicombe, a man with the most reassuring voice i’ve ever heard. I managed to use the app for 3 months straight, meditating almost every day. The crazy thing is it actually worked. I found myself feeling more calm, less reactionary and overall happier. Here’s the thing though: after the first 3 months I started missing a day here, a day there and eventually completely fell off the bandwagon.

Two years later, i’m still a subscriber to Headspace but I very rarely use it. Why don’t I unsubscribe? Why am I still spending over $70 per year? Because I have Meditation Anxiety, that’s why!

It seems like every productivity/business/entrepreneurship book, podcast, conference or TED talk I look at today has the same solution to being a more successful, happier, saner person, it’s easy really: Just meditate for 20 minutes once or twice per day.

It’s not that I don’t believe in the power of mindfulness, it’s simply that meditation as a practice doesn’t fit with where I currently am in my life! I’m too excited, too optimistic and enthusiastic to sit still… maybe even too young.

Over the last few months I’ve come to terms that meditation is just not for me right now but I still need ways to make sure i’m not always in a reactionary mode.

Have “No Podcast” moments while commuting, cooking, cleaning or going to the gym

I’m a podcast freak, I’m subscribed to about 50 podcasts and never run out of content to consume. I rarely have a gym session or work commute without a podcast blasting information into my head. I love it. Here’s the problem though: podcasts also act as a great “thought numbing” device. The noise stopping you from being in the moment, from really focussing on what you’re actually doing.

I’m not saying to quit listening to podcasts, but to try to consciously decide on having ‘no podcast’ moments while cooking, for example. You’ll find that letting your mind wander while focussing on a repetitive task really isn’t such a bad thing.

Going to the movies alone, no matter how crappy or average the movie actually is, puts my mind into an interesting, almost meditative state. The first thing I noticed (and i’ll mention this later again) is that going to the movies alone puts you in this weird 3–4 hour zone where you simply don’t talk. Of course, when you’re at home, not talking is entirely normal, but being somewhere with a potentially large group of people focussing on the same thing but not talking is a very foreign feeling.

People, especially those who need constant distraction watch less and less movies. Instead they spend the same amount of time or more watching easy-to-digest, low commitment content like TV Shows or Youtube videos. Even when they do watch movies they’re distracted by their phones or laptops. Being able to really focus on a movie and nothing else is the key here.

Now, the ease of access to a good sauna really depends on where you live of course. I live in Berlin, Germany where great saunas are on every street corner. The feeling of blood pumping through my system after taking an ice cold plunge or shower following an intense sweat session is the closest I’ve come to the feeling you get after a long, successful meditation session. My mind is focussed only on the physical sensations, thoughts essentially disappear for a few minutes and then come rushing back with an amazing intensity. I genuinely believe that my best ideas came from sauna sessions.

Take a weekend break, away from home, alone

One of the most productive and ‘mindfull’ weekends of my life was a 2-day lone visit to Amsterdam. I hadn’t planned on being there, but I decided to extend my trip after a running a workshop during the week and realising that I really wanted to explore more of the city.

I spent 2 days just walking around, buying books, reading and walking some more. I didn’t visit anyone, didn’t make plans, just walked around alone. I’m not saying this is anything comparable to meditation, but if you, like me, are rarely alone, the whole experience of essentially not talking for 2 days is something extremely calming for the mind, even if it’s very strange at first.

I would suggest, if you’re going to try something like this, not to listen to podcasts or music as you walk around. Just focus on taking in the scenery, observing the people and really being where you are. In general, i’m starting to get the feeling that podcasts, even though I love them, are secretly killing our ability to be comfortable with quiet moments with no input.

Sure, video games are a waste of time, but what about those 3 hours you spend on social media and browsing BS on the internet? Playing a good Videogame can be the ultimate way to get into an intensely focussed, meditative state. (Even if that focus is extrinsic rather than something like your breath.) Playing something with an engaging story or game mechanic can be extremely absorbing.

For those who don’t play games, there are plenty of low-barrier to entry games that anyone can get going with, play for 40 mins, then get on with what they were doing. Like a cold shower or a sauna, it’s a guaranteed mind-state change.

Game recommendations:

<ul><li>Journey (Beautiful, meditative, emotional, simple to play) </li><li>Inside (Dark, disturbing, intelligent puzzles) </li><li>Mario Kart 8 (A quick burst of challenging fun ) </li> </ul>

This one’s pretty simple but takes some courage. At the end of every shower, turn the water to the coldest setting and stand underneath for about 20 seconds. Much like the sauna, you’re mind will focus 100% on physical sensations and your brain feels like it hits the reset button. The cold shower is an excellent way to reset your mind after a long, stressful workday… or a terrible hangover. It’s an almost guaranteed mind-state change.

Get a piece of paper, a few pens, and start drawing. Don’t know what to draw? Find something you’d like to copy and start trying to draw that. I do recommend listening to some music while drawing (A band called Dreyma are a nice pick). Drawing puts me in a hyper-focussed state, my mind is thinking of nothing but how to draw what’s on the page. It doesn’t matter if you suck, or have never sketched something before, just give this one a try and see how you feel after 30 minutes.

Omar King