The Power Of Changing Your Environment

The week of publishing this article marked 4 years of living far away from home. In 2019 I moved out of the environment I grew up in to break the rhythm and explore new things.

I did not decide to move to the neighbouring village but to move to the other side of the world.

I love The Netherlands, I’m super close with my family, and have 2 awesome friend groups.

Surprisingly, I’m fitter than ever, I have 10x my net worth, run 2 small businesses, live in an awesome house with a pool, I’m in control of my time, my relationship is thriving, I’m working on fun projects, and I’m, to be honest, the happiest I’ve been.

Why is that? Is that not a huge insult to my country, family and friends? Was I unhappy with my country, family and friends?

No, let me explain.

Problem

When we’re born, our brains are empty hard drives. As we start living our life, we collect information from our environment along the way.

What shapes our environment?

The physical location where we spend our childhood, such as a specific city or town.
The family and community in which we’re raised.
Cultural norms and values, such as religious beliefs, political views, and societal expectations.
The educational opportunities and resources.
Social networks and relationships: family, friends and other people around us.
The level of exposure to diversity and different perspectives that we experience in our environment.
Access to healthcare.
The level of safety and security in the environment.
The natural environment and climate of the area, such as urban, suburban, rural, or coastal regions.

Throughout our youth, we start forming our beliefs and ways of doing things. We develop our “normal”. But at the end of the day, what’s normal?

For most, it might be normal to work 40 hours a week in an OK job, go for a workout 2 times a week, watch the news followed by Netflix at night and look forward to that one holiday a year in a sunny part of the world. Because that’s what most of modern society does.

When they reach retirement age at 65 (or maybe even 67) they get a handshake and bouquet of flowers from their boss as a thank you for spending so much of their time building his life’s work.

The problem is that we accept this life as “normal”. Because we have nothing to compare it to. You have not experienced anything else.

Did you ever have that moment a few years into your first job after you graduated when the excitement wore off and thought “Is this it?” is this me for the next 45 years? Well, I did.

What if the decision I made when I was 14 with no life experience to do a technical education was not the right choice? Maybe a professional athlete, astronaut or pilot suited me better?

If I hear someone answer “it pays the bills” to the question “how’s work” it makes me think, is it not time to find something you’re excited about? Something meaningful? Something that aligns with your values and mission? Something that makes you have a sense of purpose and is bigger than yourself?

We normally won’t change because the unknown feels unsafe. Let’s just continue what’s “normal”.

Research

What can happen if we do not move away from the environment we grew up in?

Staying in the same environment can lead to a repetitive routine and can lack personal growth.
It can limit exposure to new cultures, perspectives, and ways of life.
This can result in a narrow worldview and a lack of empathy or understanding for people who are different.
Opportunities for career growth can be limited by the industries and job opportunities available in our current location.
Staying in one place can limit a person's ability to develop resilience.

When I moved away from my home, I had to take responsibility for everything: cooking, visas, new bank account, learn the language well, make new friends, learn taxes, etc.

You learn to be very independent fast which gives a great feeling of freedom.

Design

Moving out of your comfortable environment is uncomfortable and scary, but it skyrockets personal growth. Here is how I suggest doing it:

1. Start Small

You don't have to make a big move right away. Start by trying new things in your current environment, such as taking a course, joining a club, or volunteering for a new project.

For some people changing their environment is just not meant for them and some people can feel overwhelmed and can get discouraged. Trial this but keep an open mind and know it is just uncomfortable for a while.

2. Make a Plan

If you do decide to move to a new place, make a plan. Research areas that look appealing to you, explore job options, consider joining a sports club (that’s what I did with rugby) and make a simple budget. Having a plan can help you feel more in control and less anxious about the move.

3. Embrace Change

Change can be scary, but is also very exciting. Embrace the unknown and look at the move as an opportunity for personal growth and development.

Get excited to make new friends and meet new people. Get excited to explore what else the world has to offer to make new memories for life.

Speed, Quality, Price

Use the priority triangle to figure out what’s most important: speed, quality or price. The idea is that you can only prioritize 2. The 2 you choose will negatively impact the 3rd.

Truly experiencing a new environment and learning from it takes time. This cannot be rushed. I’m sorry, but a 2-week holiday with your pals on the Spanish Riviera will not teach you much.

I’d say move away for a minimum of 6 months. Rent a place. Get a temporary job to learn, not particularly to earn.

The formula for this option: quality + lower price = less fast

Build

When to take this big step and move away. Quitting your stable job might be hard and saying goodbye to your family and friends (for a little while) is hard. But exciting times will be ahead.

Remember, if you move away nobody knows you. Nobody expects you to take a certain job just because you studied for it and that’s the modern life path to take. Nobody will judge you because you wear different types of clothes that you always wanted to wear but you didn’t do it to avoid silly comments.

You can basically design your life from scratch. Just to try. Like when we were kids. We all did random stuff right? Fun stuff. We failed lots and learned lots. We did not care who was watching. Changing your environment gives you back this freedom, you can re-enter discovery mode and find out who you actually are, outside of others’ judgement or preconceived ideas of “who you are”.

Use the time away to:

Experience new cultures and perspectives. This can broaden your horizons and give you a new view of the world. You may learn new things about yourself and the world around you that you never would have discovered if you stayed in your comfortable environment.
Learn to be independent. Moving away from your home environment forces you to become more independent. You have to learn how to navigate a new city or town, make new friends, and take care of yourself without the support of family and friends. This makes you grow as a person.
Explore new career opportunities. This can open up new career opportunities. Maybe you find a job in a new industry or with a new company that you never would have discovered if you stayed in your home environment. This can lead to increased job satisfaction and career growth.
Develop resilience. Moving to a new place can be stressful and challenging, but it can also help you develop resilience. You learn how to adapt to new situations and overcome obstacles, which can help you handle future challenges with greater ease and confidence. This is perfect if you would like to get yourself ready for entrepreneurship.

In short, explore lots. Do fun stuff.

Review results

Regularly check in with yourself about how things are going. Do you like exploring new cultures and new ways of doing things? Are you taking advantage of being free from expectations?

Try not to get discouraged early. Adjusting to a new way of living life takes time.

Maintenance

Stay in touch with your family and friends. This is important and fun. It prevents getting homesick (for me at least) and keeps you excited to keep doing exciting stuff.

Technology is so good these days, I mainly use WhatsApp and Instagram. Exchange photos of your journey, you’ll be surprised by how supportive and interested people will be in your journey. Because it’s not “normal” 😉.

Don’t worry too much about missing out on stuff, you’ll likely find that not much changed when you return.

Conclusion

Staying in the same environment can lead to a lack of personal growth and limit exposure to new cultures and perspectives. While moving away from our comfortable environment can be uncomfortable and scary, it can also be the key to personal growth and exploring what you actually like.

Ultimately, we should strive to find something that aligns with our values and mission, something meaningful that gives us a sense of purpose and is bigger than ourselves.

I never had the desire to be an entrepreneur. But by building small projects and getting paid for them I developed a passion for it. I love what I’m doing with Madeway.

I was never interested in self-education. Now I take courses, read books and listen to educational podcasts because they help me reach big goals.

Do I miss my family and friends? Of course. Will they be there when I return to The Netherlands? Yes. But I gained a huge amount of experience, clarity on my goals and incredible memories.

After experiencing other cultures and environments you can now make very confident decisions about your life’s direction. Even if it is returning to the “normal” or creating your own hybrid life, now you know what else is out there and have chosen your path - which is incredibly freeing!