My 3 goals and a big decision for 2026
- Patricia Abarte
- 17 hours ago
- 4 min read
At the start of a new year, I always feel a mix of excitement and honesty settling in. This time, that feeling found me in Mexico City — a place that instantly reminded me how alive life can feel when you’re in the right environment. As I welcomed 2026, I realized how deeply I’ve been reflecting on my expat life decisions — not just where I live, but how I want to live.
This year doesn’t feel like a continuation of the last. It feels like a turning point.
In this post, I want to take you behind the scenes of how I’m approaching my goals for 2026, why I made the decision to leave The Hague, and what this season has taught me about making big expat life decisions without having all the answers.
Listen to the episode here:
Timestamps:
00:48 - Introduction: Recording Live from Mexico City on My Workation
01:36 - Why I'm Sharing My Goals Publicly This Year
02:53 - My Goal-Setting Philosophy: Goals as Identity, Not Just Targets
04:06 - Goal 1: My Ambitious Revenue Goal and Why I Set Stretch Goals
10:28 - The Copilot Program: My Signature Focus for 2026
13:44 - Goal 2: My Bicontinental Life Goal and What That Means to Me
15:13 - Goal 3: Becoming the Hottest Version of Myself
20:35 - My Big Decision: Leaving The Hague for Good
26:35 - The Constellation Story: Realizing I Was Frozen Waiting for Life to Move
30:30 - Closing: Join My Copilot February Cohort and Final Encouragement
Why Expat Life Decisions Aren’t About Logic Alone
For a long time, I believed that the “right” expat life decisions would eventually become obvious. That clarity would arrive once I had enough information, certainty, or external validation.
But that’s not how it works — and deep down, most of us know that.
Expat life decisions are rarely purely logical. They’re emotional, embodied, and deeply tied to identity. You can build a life that looks stable, responsible, even successful on paper — and still feel a quiet sense of dissatisfaction underneath it all.
That was my experience in The Hague.
Nothing was dramatically wrong. I had good moments, routines, and a home. But over time, I noticed a pattern: every time I traveled, I felt more like myself — and every time I returned, something in me shut down again.
That contrast was information. And eventually, I had to listen.
Setting Goals as Identity, Not Checklists
I don’t approach goals as resolutions or boxes to tick. For me, goals are about identity — about who I’m becoming through my expat life decisions.
That’s why I only choose three goals each year. Not because I want to limit myself, but because focus creates depth.
One of my goals for 2026 is financial, one is about how I structure my life geographically, and one is about how I show up in my body and energy. On the surface, they look unrelated. But at their core, they all ask the same question:
Who do I need to become to live the life I actually want?
This approach has changed everything for me. Even when I don’t “reach” a goal exactly as planned, I still win — because I’ve already become someone different in the process.
That’s something I wish more expats understood: expat life decisions don’t need to be perfect to be powerful.
The Decision to Leave The Hague
One of the biggest expat life decisions I’ve made recently is choosing to leave The Hague.
This wasn’t impulsive. It wasn’t dramatic. And it wasn’t sparked by one bad moment.
It came from years of small signals I kept explaining away:
Feeling relieved every time I left
Feeling heavy every time I returned
Realizing I was putting band-aids on a deeper truth by traveling more instead of changing my base
The moment that shifted everything was hearing myself say out loud, “I’m really unhappy here.” Once I said it, I couldn’t unhear it.
What surprised me most was the relief that followed the decision. Even without knowing the “how,” my body already knew the answer.
That’s something I see again and again with clients: clarity doesn’t come from certainty — it comes from movement.
Choosing Movement Over Waiting
One of the most common patterns I see with expat life decisions is waiting.
Waiting for:
The visa
The relationship
The perfect plan
The moment when fear disappears
I’ve done this too. I waited for circumstances to change so I could respond to them — instead of realizing that sometimes you have to move first.
What I understand now is this: when everything feels frozen, the most powerful thing you can do is create motion. Once you do, life starts responding.
I don’t yet know exactly where I’ll live next. I don’t have every logistical detail figured out. And that’s okay.
This chapter isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about trusting myself enough to take the next step anyway.
If You’re Standing at a Crossroads Right Now
If you’re currently questioning your expat life decisions — whether it’s about staying, leaving, moving again, or choosing a completely new direction — know this:
You’re not behind. You’re not failing. And you don’t need full clarity to begin.
You need honesty. You need momentum. And you need the courage to listen to what’s already trying to get your attention.
This year, I’m choosing movement over stagnation, alignment over comfort, and trust over waiting. And I’ll be sharing that journey openly — not because I have it all figured out, but because I know how powerful it is to see someone choose themselves in real time.
If this resonates with you, you’re not alone. And you don’t have to navigate your expat life decisions in isolation.
This is what I dive into in episode #96 of This Expat Life.
Listen here:
If any of these notes resonated with you, and you would like to explore more of yourself, my programs are the right containers for you to accelerate your growth or your next chapter:
My online program The Co-Pilot (starting mid-October)
Comments