There’s a single key difference that separates people who w​ant ​to study abroad from people who actually go.

The willingness to try again.

That’s it! Sound simple? It is.

Sadly, the unwillingness to try again keeps most of the people who want to study abroad from ever traveling.

If you ask them, people who didn’t study abroad will give you every answer in the book:

• I couldn’t afford it.
• My advisor said classes wouldn’t work out.
• My parents said I couldn’t go.
• I didn’t get my application in on time.

Notice that each of those (and every other excuse that people use regarding goals they have given up on) is a matter of being unwilling to try again. It’s not something to be ashamed of, and it’s not bad. It definitely happens.

Sometimes certain goals just aren’t worth the work success requires. If we don’t acknowledge that the real problem is our unwillingness to be persistent, we’ll never know how to fix it.

You won’t ever be spontaneously able to study abroad. If you’re persistent and you dedicate yourself to the idea of studying abroad, you will be more willing to try out many different avenues.

Eventually, there’s a good chance you’ll find a way if you keep trying.

Those who give up easily won’t find a way to get paid to study abroad, simply because they aren’t willing to try until they find what works.

Is it okay to give up? Sure. But acknowledge that studying abroad wasn’t worth the effort of trying again. Don’t say it was impossible.

I f  i t  i ​s  ​w o r t h  i t  f o r  y o u ,  k e e p  t r y i n g .  I  k n o w  y o u ‘ l l  f i n d  a  w a y .

If you liked this and you’d like a few more pep­ talks and some of the best resources in the world to help you study abroad, check out my online course: T​he World’s Best School: Travel​­​. There you’ll find everything you need to secure grants or scholarships and study abroad whether or not you think it’s possible now.