How to Become Someone Who Follows Unconventional Paths

"One snowy weekend, the YouTube algorithm suggested a video to Heidi. It was a condo tour and interview with a woman who had moved to Thailand under a new visa for remote workers. Heidi was hooked, and spent the weekend watching ten more similar videos. Duncan spent his weekend the same way. Both felt a pull to do it themselves, and both met the criteria of being remote workers. Six months later, Heidi was looking out the window"

"Let's assume they both faced the same barriers and opportunities, but one of them followed that pull, and the other didn't. Most of us have been Duncan more often than we've been Heidi. Most of us don't act on the things we're drawn to, even when nothing is really stopping us. How can we become someone who acts on these pulls, rather than letting them pass us by?"

Heidi and Duncan both discovered the possibility of moving abroad for remote work; Heidi followed through and Duncan stayed. Small, initial actions such as partially filling visa forms create momentum by making the idea tangible. Sequential micro-steps — joining local housing groups, checking airline miles — can be stacked to nudge further commitment without heavy obligation. Social environment matters: surrounding oneself with people who model the desired choice increases follow-through. Low-stakes progress and deliberate exposure to enabling social influences convert curiosity into real change and make large transitions feel achievable.

Read at Psychology Today