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I am trying to move to Europe as well! What is holding you back? I am currently interviewing with companies over there. The market is rough but there will always be excuses not to do something.
Many also do this during retirement or when they accrue enough savings. There is no set timeframe, and you may even have a significant other to share this journey with later on, which is an even bigger plus.
This large trip can act as motivation to save up for, and you can go before having kids or once they're grown.
Alternatively, if you really want to do something now, what about fully exploring the country you're in now with some personal time off and a giant roadtrip/backpacking adventure?
Writing a novel here because I am so very familiar with this feeling, and I have successfully worked through it before (fair warning, it comes back for different things, but knowing how to deal with it is extremely helpful).
You have either a self-acceptance problem (letting it go while being okay with yourself), and/or a purpose problem (you haven't truly made the trip your goal). I had both. Let's talk.
-- On the Topic of Self-Acceptance
We can't do it all in one lifetime. I get it. If you're beating yourself up for not accomplishing it over and over though, you have a self-acceptance problem, and you're your own worst enemy. There are some levels to this that can be obtained with practice.
At the first level, you need to be on your own side. Many people don't discover this notion until they're on the edge of suicide, but then, at the edge, they stop and pick up the phone. That feeling that makes them reach out is exactly what I'm talking about. You can intentionally switch that feeling on -- and in fact you've already done it by asking for help here. Great job! Now just make a habit to do it sooner in the cycle. Get some practice at that and move on to:
The second level, which is you need to be willing to experience with denial or evasion that you think what you think, you feel what you feel, you desire what you desire, you have done what you have done, and you are what you are. The facts don't change, but your _willingness_ to experience it is probably very low, so you go to distraction to run away from the emotion. It's okay! Feel it, stay with it, fully experience the emotion, don't run from it, give it space. Take deep slow breaths and wait for it to subside, then reward yourself with a walk outside or a youtube video or something else you enjoy. You are not your emotions! You are the watcher and steward of them. Develop a tolerance for unpleasant emotions and you'll work through them more easily.
At the third level, you're being a "friend" to yourself, understanding _why_ you made a mistake or made a bad decision. This makes peace with it. You cannot forgive yourself for an action you haven't acknowledged having taken.
Lastly, the worst thing you can do, if you are, is disowning your positives. You can repress the memory of actions for which you are proud. You can deny your own intelligence. You can refuse to accept your potential. You can disown your own mind. You can run from your bright side. You can also do the exact opposite.
TL;DR If you're your own enemy, you'll attack yourself until your happiness disappears. Be on your own side and you'll feel a lot better about your current self and results, THEN you can start on improving them.
-- On Topic of Purpose
It's totally possible to pull off. A family member did this recently, and she's a few years older than you with no grad school. She's at EY, made a two-year savings plan, and communicated the intention to her team to travel around the world for a year. They laughed a bit
*continued: at first, as one would expect. Then she diligently followed the savings plan over the two years, while budgeting and exploring ways to keep expenses low across the destinations. She reminded her team of her progress, and as the day drew closer, she announced she was following through with her intention and leaving her position. They were so impressed with the diligence and discipine (and good performance on the job) that they promised her a job when she got back. The coronavirus unfortunately disrupted the trip, but she was able to make it back to the States before it got too bad, and is now spending the remainder of her sabbatical road tripping across the country.
If you make it your conscious purpose to go on that trip, you can definitely get there. I have some questions that I run through to make sure the goal's going okay: What am I trying to achieve? How am I trying to achieve it? Why do I think these means are appropriate? Does the feedback from the environment convey that I am succeeding or failing? Is there new information I need to consider? Do I need to make adjustments in my course, strategy, or practices? Do my goals and purposes need to be rethought? What consequences does this action project into the future? What consequences does the action bear in the present?
TL;DR -- you need to _make it your goal_ to go on the trip and take the many necessary steps to get there, monitoring your progress, but then the day arrives and you just go!
(Based on my own notes and application of The Six Pillars of Self Esteem by Nathaniel Branden)
This is my dream as well. I’m trying to figure out a pathway to make it happen.
OP - why couldn’t you move? There are always options - might just need to get creative! If you share some more stats, perhaps we can help you brainstorm?
OP I’m on the exact same boat. 24, debated about grad school, nervous about GRE (never a good test taker), low self esteem. Covid gave me an excuse not to go to grad school just yet so I choose to apply for jobs in London- Im determined to do one of the two this year.
Not gonna lie it’s pretty rough out there. I’m competing with millions of desperate unemployed talents. Got 2 rejections already. One of which I spent countless hours on their take home project, and was one of the finalists. I was crushed because the it was an amazing opportunity. But it was a good practice I got some really useful feedbacks from them.
At the same time, I’m trying to not to stress too much as I fear my depression might come back. I push myself to work out daily. I told myself that as soon as I feel the blues again I will stop the job search immediately.
I know how you feel and it’s definitely not easy. Just know that you are not alone