MOTIVATION : ARTICLE FROM EXPAT ACCOMPANYING PARTNER

The following is a "return on experience" from an Expat Accompanying Partner.

"When my family closed the door in the morning to head off to work and to school, I would relentlessly throw myself into tidying up the house. Once this was done, I would ask myself “what next?”

There was always something to do; have a coffee or lunch, go shopping, see a movie or visit somewhere new. This was all fine for a while, however, deep down, I was frustrated and felt like something was missing. Slowly my motivation level started to decrease and I felt like I wanted my days to pass differently. This was a new phase for me and an important one as I realized that I needed to understand why I was feeling like this and what should I do, to change this situation.

I asked myself what I really wanted to be doing and what motivated me. I began to do new things that had a sense to my long-term aspirations and which I wholeheartedly enjoyed. I liked to study and gain new knowledge, so I did online learning courses. Soon afterwards, I stopped asking the question “what next?”. I was again motivated and confident. I no longer felt empty or guilty because I didn’t have a job to go to in the morning.

Also, the new knowledge and diplomas acquired via online learning helped me to find a new job".

Thanks to this Expat Accompanying Partner for sharing their experience. Their motivation was acquiring new knowledge and education as part of their long-term aspirations. For others, it can be something different. An upcoming article on the blog will look at what drives our motivation: why we are passionate and enthusiastic about some things rather than others and the reasons behind this.