Setting Your Family's Global Goals: Finding the Right Balance for Your International Journey

2025 Expat Family Goals

When dreaming of life abroad, it's easy to get caught between two extremes: "We'll move when everything is perfect" or "Let's sell everything and leave next month!" Let's talk about finding the sweet spot that actually gets your family abroad.

The Two Types of Expat Dreams

Some families take the careful SMART approach:

• Specific: "We'll move to Portugal"

• Measurable: "When we have $30,000 saved."

• Achievable: "After the kids finish this school year"

• Relevant: "Because it matches our lifestyle goals."

• Time-bound: "By summer 2026"

Others set "stretch goals":

• "We'll be living abroad within 6 months!"

• "We'll be fluent in Portuguese by next year!"

• "We'll start a successful business our first month there!"

Which Approach Works Best for Expat Families?

I've learned this through my own family's journey: Your approach should match your family's personality and circumstances.

Our move to Copenhagen was SMART—carefully planned around school timings, savings goals, and business transitions. But our move to Doha was more of a stretch goal. We embraced the opportunity when it appeared, trusting our previous expat experience to help us navigate the quick transition.

This mix of planned and flexible approaches taught me something valuable: Sometimes, you need a careful strategy, and sometimes, you need to take a leap of faith. Having experienced both, I now help other families find their own perfect balance between preparation and action.

Finding Your Family's Sweet Spot

Here's how to set goals that actually work:

1. Assess Your Current Situation

• Are your kids at natural transition points?

• How stable is your income?

• What's your risk tolerance as a family?

• How does your partner feel about change?

2. Set Different Types of Goals for Different Areas

SMART Goals Might Include:

• Monthly savings targets

• Language learning milestones

• School application deadlines

Stretch Goals Could Be:

• Timeline for the move

• Career transition dreams

• New business ideas

3. Make Success Achievable

• Break big goals into smaller steps

• Celebrate progress, not just completion

• Allow flexibility in your timeline

Real Family Example:

The Andersons set this SMART goal: "Move to Portugal by September 2023 with $40,000 saved and remote work secured."

Their stretch goal: "Build a location-independent business that doubles our current income within the first year abroad."

They achieved their SMART goal and hit 70% of their stretch goal - a complete success!

Your Action Plan

1. This Week:

• Have a family meeting about your international dreams

• Write down both SMART and stretch goals

• Identify your first three action steps

2. This Month:

• Start your savings plan

• Begin researching schools

• Explore remote work opportunities

3. This Quarter:

• Connect with families in your target country

• Start language learning

• Research visa requirements

Remember: The perfect balance isn't about choosing between careful planning and bold dreams - it's about knowing when to use each approach.