(The Reasons Why I Move)
Living a familiar place that I’m used to is actually a big risk for me. Staying in a place for six years gave me comfort and peace. At first, I never imagine that I will stay for more than a half decade in this country since I planned to only have a couple of year experience. That for me is more than enough to gain a good foundation as a starter in the industry. Little did I know, God has another plan for me in this country. Within these years that I’d been here, a lot of things happened that changed my life for the better. I met a lot of people, gain knowledge from professionals, experienced other culture, discover different places and achieved a lot of goals that I set for myself. Looking back, I can say that it was worth of the whole experience. The journey that I’d been through became a big part of who I am today. My mindset changed and I became more mature compare to my past self. This decision has been doubted by many even my closest friend. Most of their questions are:
Why you need to move in another country again?
In this blog, a lot of you may ask why did I take risk once again in another country where I need to restart everything on my own. To tell you honestly, it took me a long period to come up in this decision since I need to compromise a lot of things. One of it is I need to be away with the people that I love like my partner and my cousin who are staying here with me for so many years. I literally cried every now and then and seek advices from them. Gladly, they both supported me and cheer me up in this decision. Finally, my mind is now ready to take risk and I overcome the fear that’s been bothering me. I believe that this is the right time for me to look for opportunity beyond my limitations. I want to go beyond it and challenge myself in a new place. Especially in my career, it is important to gain a cultural exposure in order to strengthen my credentials. After working in three companies within six years in the same country, I think that I’m ready to go for something beyond my comfort zone. In the tourism and hospitality industry, it is important to have more experiences in well-known destinations and companies. By getting that opportunity, it can be my edge for my ultimate goal which is to be a director. Maldives is a country well known to everyone. It has been a top luxury destination by different countries around the world. Although I got an opportunity in other country like Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, I chose Maldives since I want to gain luxury experience in a well-known country.
Why you didn’t ask for promotion instead?
Even when I started working, I’m not the type of person who brought myself up. I believe that the people who will see your worth doesn’t need you to claim on things you deserve. Rather than working on things that I can’t control, I will choose to do something that I can do for myself. For me it’s simple, if there’s no opportunity then I can just make one for me. Others may say that there’s a right timing for everything, but to add something with it, we need to do something while waiting. We need to be very efficient especially we are not getting younger anymore. At 26, I’m in a period in which I want to discover my potentials and go beyond my limitations. I want to keep doing what I can rather than to regret everything later on. I will never beg for something that I deserve because for me, there will be another better place that is waiting for me.
Why do you keep wanting more?
“Time is limited to everyone so might as well live a life that you want for yourself.” This statement is what I keep telling to myself. In order for me to achieve my ideal lifestyle, I need to do something today in order to have it. Although regrets are inevitable to experience, I believe that I can lessen it by means of taking an action as early as I can. For me, it is still early to settle for the things that I have right now. I know that I can be more than what I expect for myself. I still have more potentials that are waiting to be discover and I need to work on it now.
What inspires you to go out from your comfort zone?
Growing up, I’d been very inspired from the success stories of the people that I watched in TV. It makes me think that anything is possible if you put your heart on it. Regardless of your current situation, you can change anything in your life as long as you are willing to do so. That’s how my mindset focus on growth. I don’t let negativity and failure stop me from achieving something. Every time I failed; I always think that it is a redirection to something bigger. Rather than focusing on my mistakes, I always take that opportunity to learn from it so that I’ll become stronger and capable in handling next challenge that may come. For me, staying in my comfort zone is something that I will only consider if I know that I already achieve a lot of things and there’s no need to aim for something. At 26, I believe that it is too early for me to settle or else I will miss a lot of opportunities awaits me. I know that I still haven’t reach the epitome of my potentials. I can be more than who I am today so within this period, I will let myself strive more. I want to treasure this time that I have and use it on doing something that I will remember for the rest of my life.
I know that I will encounter more questions in my decisions, I may receive it from my loved ones, closest friends and others. That’s why I need to learn filtering the things that I need to listen in order for me not to doubt myself. Because what I realized is not everyone will be happy to your success. They can easily say words that you may think will be a great help for you but in fact, it is something that they wanted to tell for you to doubt your own choice. I personally experienced it but I chose to see those negative comments as my motivation to work harder in the choice that I made. The more people questioned me, the more I feel that it is the right choice. The only opinion that I can count on is my whole family and my partner, no one else. So now, to give you an idea on the things that help me to decide here are the things that I considered during that period:
One thing I learned after watching inspirational blogs and reading self help books is that we all need to aim for continuous progress on ourselves. Every single day is an opportunity for us to learn something new. In this generation, we can easily get any information that we need online. Everything is available and what’s left to do is taking initiative to learn. There’s no excuses now. Unlike before where you need to go on a library and use a card catalog, you can now avail it online and there’s also an option which you need to use search engines such as google. As long as you have Wi-Fi connection, all information is an arm reach for you. Personal development has been neglected by many once there in a situation where they think that it is enough for them. In my case, I have this pro-active approach in everything. I always aim for a productive day full of learnings, experiences and activities that helps me to accomplish my goals. That’s why I always plan out everything so I can make sure that all my tasks are done and the day won’t be wasted.
Moving outside my comfort zone will push me to be stronger. Now that I’ll be alone again, there will be for sure a great adjustment for me. During this period, I need to handle everything on my own from challenges, problems and environment. I believe that even though I’m already six years in the industry, I still have a lot of things to learn and experience. Given this opportunity, I know that it is God’s way for me to grow and be better. Not all are given this kind of opportunity, so rather than regretting not to do it, I will grab this chance and enjoy every single moment I’m there. At 26, I’m beyond grateful of all the things that I’m experiencing right now. That’s why I don’t want to waste any opportunities present for me especially if it will help me to achieve my goals. Another reason that I chose this path is that I want to inspire others to do the same. Like them, I also have worries and insecurities about myself. There’s a lot of times I keep doubting my decision but in the end of the day, I still choose to go for it. I’m know that a lot of us missed a lot of opportunities because of our own self-doubts. Everyone is experiencing it even me. That’s why, I hope my journey towards my goals be an inspiration to others.
Time is so precious to everyone. So as long as you get a good opportunity, go for it and get rid of your doubts. It’s ok to worry sometimes but don’t let it stop you from doing something that will greatly help you. The younger you are, the more you need to keep looking for something that is beneficial for you. Comfort zone is like an addiction that you need to avoid. No one even in the history became successful by staying on that place.
As I grow older, my priorities in life changes as well. Now that I’m preparing to have my own family, I think that it is the right time to take an action in order for us to be secured in the future. For the first couple of years, my focus is on myself, that’s why my goals are more personal. This time it includes different aspects of my life such as for my own family, future family, self and a lot more. In order for me to motivate myself, I always make a yearly goal which serves as my guide in everything I do. This year, I made my goals bolder and higher. Since I will have more means this time compare to the previous years, I need to thoroughly plan out things so I can make most out of my contract there. What I planned is within two years, I need to achieve as much as I can. This period will solely be intended for achieving my goals, discovering this country and making unforgettable memories.
Even before, making goals has been my practice. This is my way to push and motivate myself because I realized that time passes by so fast. In order for me to have a productive time, I need to carefully plan out things so I can organize my priorities. With all the things that I achieved today, I believe that it is all because of the plans that I made throughout the years. If I will look back to all the things that I did, I will not be in this position without setting goals for myself. That’s what I actually learned from the interviews of professionals that I watched online and I applied it in my life. Another thing that I also learned from them is that, we all have opportunities. It is not about luck because everything requires hard work and effort. Those successful people right now experienced a lot of failures in their journey, but it didn’t stop them from setting goals rather it became their motivation to strive more.
With this great opportunity, I don’t want to waste it by not having any plans during this period. I’, happy that I am in the right track towards my goals, and like what I did in the past years, I will continue doing it for this year.
Take chances.
Set Goals.
Make an action plan.
Assess it.
I’m a very goal-oriented person. Ever since I’m studying, I’d been setting goals to myself. Meeting successful people throughout my journey inspired me to be like them. So even when I’m still young, I keep planning my future in order for me to achieve my goals. Working overseas has been one of the options that I planned for myself and thankfully it made a big impact in my career. I know that not all are granted with the same opportunity. That’s why, I’m very grateful for it and didn’t take it for granted. Looking back, I know that I did well and at the same time learned a lot of things. Together with proper planning, I was able to achieve this position that I’m really proud of. Even though I still have a long way to go, I am confident that I can make it happen little by little.
In Qatar, I’d been in three companies starting in an entry level position and now a supervisory. After six years of working in that country, one professional I met share an advice to me. He said that I need to be more culturally exposed in order for me to have a stronger credentials. After that conversation, it inspired me to go beyond what I just think is enough for me. I sent my resume across the globe and aim for a higher position. Even though I’m skeptical to do it because of my worries of leaving this country that I spent for more than a half decade, I still ended up pursuing that option. It’s now or never for me. After weeks of trying my luck, companies started to reach out. After a while I got an opportunity in Maldives and the offer is quite well compare to the rest. Other than that, I feel like this is a great option since it will be a total cultural change for me. I believe that big adjustments are worth to discover. So, with all the options that I have that time, I finally chose to seek career growth in Maldives.
The country of Maldives has been known to many. If I get a chance to work here, I believe that it will greatly help me on my career growth and at the same time my financial goals. Based on my research, Maldives is ideal for hospitality professionals who aims for career growth. Since tourism is their main source of income, hospitality professionals can expect higher engagements. Although there’s a peak season, I can rest assured that I can still enjoy this country by means of exploring different resorts. Now, the fear that surrounds me has been change into excitement. One thing I know is that I will have a great adventure in this new country that I will surely remember for the rest of my life.
One thing that I love in Maldives based on my research, is their service charge. Unlike in Qatar, there’s no service charge and you can only rely on your basic salary and benefits. Upon getting the offer in Maldives, the basic salary that I got is higher than I’m expecting. On top of that, the service charge that will be paid monthly will be around 500 USD in average. Anyone can also expect more during the peak season (Holiday Season). That’s one of the reasons why I want to explore opportunities in this country because there’s a big opportunity to save up for my future. Since I’m only left with four years before I turn 30, I want to maximize my investment potential in order for me to focus on having a family. Based on my research as well, there’s a lot of OFW in that country who’s been working there for so many years. It just shows that the employment opportunities there are great and Filipino’s choose to stay in that country.
The day I signed the offer letter, me and my partner talked about our plans for the next years. This is for us to ready our budget for it and prepare things for our future. We decided that this is the period for us to save up and achieve our personal goals before we move on to our family plans. In my case, I will be focusing more on having passive income investment such as real estate and business. Since my income may differ from time to time due to service charge, I made a budget guide for me which will serves as a reference. In order for me to carefully manage my finances during these years, I need to continue keeping a tracker of everything and also make a quarterly assessment of my funds. Although I have a lot of ideas right when it comes to investment, I still wanted to carefully choose the best one that will be fit for my current situation. Of course, I don’t want to end up having a big liability just because I failed to do my research.
This year, I will not only prepare my funds but at the same time carefully plan out everything. I will start doing business plan, marketing research, reviewing the current trends and a lot more things that I need to consider before deciding. I also reach out to my friends whom I think will be reliable and knowledgeable in this aspect. I believe that at this age, it is ideal to start something that will help us to be more secured other than our current job. Although we still have a lot of time to do so, I will make it sure that we can somehow start something in this year.
To achieve my life goals, I believe that I need to make a big change in this year 2023. After six years in a country where I found comfort, I am now be moving in a country alone. I need start everything on my own but this time my experiences in Qatar will help me to be successful in the end. Now that I’m about to start another story in this new country, this blog will remind me how everything started.
I will keep in mind all the things that I experienced and all the people that made a great impact on my life. It will be another wonderful experience for me once again and rest assured that I will share my journey in this blog. Like how Qatar became a part of who I am today, I believe that Maldives will be a place that will give me a lot of stories, inspiration, experiences and goals that I will remember for the rest of my life.
“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.” – Steeve Jobs
Get new blogs delivered straight to your inbox.
Working employee wherein blogging became my side hobby.
Creator of Living Her Own Life which aims to touch people’s heart and inspire them to achieve their own goals in life.
Writing has been my passion for almost 15 years. Last 2020, I made my very own website where I can share all of my thoughts and stories in life.