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Most blogs would talk about the “why” and the “how” of immigrating from one country to another “greener pasture”, but few people talk about what it really takes for someone or a family to become really successful immigrants (this is only my opinion and based on studying those who have been successful immigrants). In this blog, I will talk more about the mindset every immigrant (whether a family or solo) should have before moving to Canada.
READ ALSO:
7 Things International Students/New Immigrant Must Do – The First Two Weeks in Canada.
1. Begin with an end in mind.
The first important mindset to become a successful family immigrant is to think ahead of where you want to be (for yourself and your family). Having a clear vision of where you want to be as a family over a short term (one to two years) and over a long term (five to 10 years down the road) is very important.
You can’t fall into a trap of following the “bandwagon” or simply because you know some people or friends who have immigrated and they talked about how life is so much better in Canada than in “so country” because every immigrant has unique situations in life.
As they say, “don’t see your life in the same way as the life of others you know”. Therefore, it is equally important to have the mindset of “begin with an end in mind.”
Also, having this kind of mentality will force you to have a goal, a strict, reasonable and achievable plans to pursue and those are important milestones for yourself and your family.
Lastly, by having a clear image of the “end goal” you want to pursue would prepare you and your family physically, mentally, emotionally and spirituality and in so doing, you have more strength to face the challenges that will come along the way. You won’t easily give up and you won’t easily break down.
2. Be willing to adapt as quickly as possible.
By the time you’ve decided you want to take action on immigrating, you’ve already done the rigorous research of what it would look like to live in Canada. Things like, monthly expenses, career prospects, and the procedures of how you can obtain the permanent residency and so the next essential mindset that every immigrant should have is the ability to adapt easily to the new environment.
This is beyond adapting to the cold weather or the harsh winter you will face in Canada. This mindset is more about your ability to take an effort to get to know the new culture in the place you will immigrate to, the willingness to observe and adapt to the ways people do things , say things and have that conscious effort to have a realization why certain “local people” behave that way or “the other way”.
The old saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” sets a great bearing for anyone who want to be successful immigrants.
Once you have deeply rooted to the culture, you can then think of ways to contribute and make a positive impact to the community you chose to live. Aim to give back to Canada, aim to give back to the people who have helped you along the way and aim to give back to the people you have left behind in your home country. Actually, you can start doing these things along the way.
3. Be strategic in your action plans.
Being strategic means, you have a goal, an action plan and you are also considering possible scenarios (consequences and outcomes) for each action plans you want to take.
Why is it important? I am a big believer of “if you don’t write it down, it is just a wishful thinking” – it simply means it doesn’t exist.
Immigrating to a new country or new place is a huge undertaking. So why not be very serious in your approach. Treat it as though your life depends on it which seriously, your life (and your family’s) really depends on it… and they depend on you too.
Here I list down an example of strategic table of goals and outcomes if you are seriously considering to immigrate to Canada:
Goal 1: Finish the Post-Graduate Program in Accounting by 2022
Goal 2: Land an Accounting Job with at least median salary by March 2023 (for instance)
Goal 3: Become a Canadian Permanent Resident by mid-year of 2024
Goal 4: Own a house in a nice and friendly neighbourhood by 2026
In the sample table/worksheet below, list down the action plans you need to take to achieve the goals. It is important to write down the consequences for each action. This way you have a clear view of what could happen for each action you will take and will then have a clear perspective of the best outcome that could arise as a result of that action and also the best pathway to take which will then aid you in making a better decision.
| Action 1 | Action 2 | Action 3 | Action 4 | Action 5 | Outcome/Best Pathway to take/Decision | |
| Goal 1 | ||||||
| Goal 2 | ||||||
| Goal 3 | ||||||
| Goal 4 |
Lastly, I can’t stress it enough here. If you are serious in immigrating to Canada then you owe it to yourself to not just be very cautious of your plans but to approach it in a very strategic way.
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
Conclusion:
Immigrating to Canada takes more than preparing the required proof of funds and getting ready for the cold weather. It entails more than rigorous research and constantly updating to the news and reading reviews on immigration forums. It requires one to have the right mindset to become a successful immigrant and those mindset are:
- Begin with an end in mind
- Willingness to adapt quickly
- Be very strategic in achieving your goals
READ ALSO:
7 Things International Students/New Immigrant Must Do – The First Two Weeks in Canada.
