You are listening to the Your Land Life Podcast, and in today's episode I talk about the biggest and most challenging question that ship crew face when wanting to leave ships and how to overcome it.

 Hi, I am Alex Benmore and I spent two decades working on ships, and now I'm living my lane life where I get to wake up every day doing what I love and loving what I do. If you are still working at sea and feel the time is near for your lane life, stay tuned as this is the first podcast for maritime crew who are ready to change.

And I'm here to share strategy, mindset, and the real world. Know how to help you discover your next job and build a land life that truly fits. Let's jump into it. 

 Does it sound like you? You're back home, you're on vacation, and you have the thoughts. I think I'm ready to leave ships, but then the thought hits. Well, I don't even know what I can do next. And then just like that you feel stuck, overwhelmed, frustrated. You close the laptop down or you put your phone down and you tell yourself, maybe I'll figure it out later.

Or are you on board and you're just fed up with a routine or the rules and the regulations, perhaps you're just over management or , in your heart is just not there anymore and you start to think. Let me leave ships, and then suddenly, a few minutes later, the realization that you don't know what you can do online comes rushing it in and trying to figure it out just seems too big or too impossible.

Does that sound familiar? If so, we are gonna discuss that today, so stay tuned.

Now welcome. So this one thought which keeps so many ship crew on ships much longer than what they would like. I don't know what I can do next, and how do I figure it out? It keeps so many ship crew from moving forward. And it's not because you're not capable. It's not because they don't know where to start.

But today I wanna show you why that thought isn't the truth and how to move through it even if you have no idea what comes next. I remember when I left ships, even though I knew I wanted to start my own business, I still had these moments of panic like. What else could I do if this doesn't work out?

And it was in that moment, or moments. 'cause it wasn't just one time that I stopped and I was like. Like a little frozen because I knew I was capable and I knew that working in the ship environment had taught me incredible skills. Even if at that time I could not name what they were, I just knew that good.

So, looking at that, I knew it couldn't be 'cause I couldn't do anything. I just didn't know how to see clearly what it is I could do and how that path looks like. And I know that this is a story that is so familiar to man ship crew. Like many I've spoken to have been on board for five years, 10 years, 15 years, and longer.

It is challenging and you share the same thoughts I. Um, you feel good about yourself, about your strengths and about your stamina and what you do, and you live in the ship environment and then you balance between ship world and line life world and you go back and do another contract where everything feels good 'cause it's familiar, but then you start to feel like that small thought comes bouncing back in or.

Well, I should be able to figure out what I can do on it, and it should be easy. You hear folks on online, they change jobs all the time, and then if they can do it, I certainly must do it. You then get fired up. You get that moment of energy where you start job searching online or you update your LinkedIn account, or you tell yourself, this time I can really make it happen and I'm really gonna put in all my effort and do it.

For it then to come to a stop and then you tell yourself, it must just not be the right time, or, let me just do one more contract and then I'll figure it out after that. And this constant loop that you stay in is mentally exhausting, is what it's doing, is it is telling yourself that perhaps you don't have what it takes to work on land.

As you can't seem to figure out what it is you want, and if you are going through that loop, then I really want you to take a deep breath and let it all out. 'cause what I'm gonna share with you and what is really going on is gonna make you feel incredible. So there are three reasons why this question is so challenging for ship crew to answer.

And the first reason is you are asking yourself a question, what can I do next? And then thinking about how can I figure it out? And so you're asking yourself a question, but my friend, it's not a question that you're actually answering yourself is actually a loaded question and you are not aware. 'cause what is also going on in the background when you ask that question is thoughts of, can I make it?

Will I get paid enough? Will I be able to settle? What if they don't like me? What if I don't like them? And all these questions and all those thoughts like that. They're running in the background as well as. Or what can I do on that? So you're not actually just asking a question. That's what I'm saying.

It's a loaded question. There's so much more going on because it runs into reason number two is the environment that you are in. For many of you listening, we all do have variation in our contract lengths ranging from three months, four months, six months, eight months, and while we're on board in that time, we're in our ship environment.

How much do you see people changing jobs and changing careers in the environment that you live and work in for 24 hours a day? You don't, unless you work in the HR office, you probably don't whatsoever. And so you don't actually even get to see how it can be possible or get to see the tools and resources needed for job or career change because of the environment that you're living in.

And the third reason is. You've got to get clear on what it is you actually need, as well as want. When thinking about what can I do next, and it's one of three answers, the first answer will be, I just want a job. So I can get off ships, and if that's the answer, that means I just wanna get a job that will pay my bills while I'm off, while I'm living on land, I'm living at home.

Or your answer will be, I wanna have a job. But yes, it's gonna pay the bills, but I'm gonna probably, but I wanna have some type of job satisfaction in it. Or number three, your answer will be, I wanna have a job that will pay my bills, have some type of job satisfaction and will match the type of lifestyle I wanna be living.

And until you get clear on which of those three answers is you. Then you're not gonna be able to figure out the question, what can I do on land? Because you don't know what it's you need. So it's like you're staying stuck in the, I don't know, problem when. All you need to say instead is, I don't know yet, but I'm gonna go find out and by gonna find out now, releases any type of pressure where your next step is gonna be, or what do I need?

Is it answer one, answer two, or answer number three. What situation is it for you? And it doesn't matter which one it is because we all have different reasons why we wanna be leaving ship life and living on land. And that's all you need to do is get clear on what that is. And it doesn't mean you can't change and evolve through those different, um, different answers either.

But until you know what you're actually dealing with, you're not gonna be able to get the answer or shall we say the right answer.

And then from there, all you need to do is then ask the question, get the answer, and then go, what's next? And it is that simple and that easy. So let's break it down. For example, you are saying. I just need to get off the ships. I just need to find a job that's gonna pay me money and cover my bills. If that is your answer, then you need to find out how much your bills are, and I'm not, meaning when you're on vacation and things like that.

Mm-hmm. It's a different story when you, when we live on land, we're. Living on land, and then we would have a vacation. And so you need a, I'm gonna say look, kind of like write out a budget, and this doesn't mean how much power, how much does your power cost each week or each month, or how much does your rent or your mortgage payment.

No, this is going in and doing a deep dive because the worst feeling is when you are living on land and you did not budget properly, or you were not aware of how much things are gonna be. I. And then you've had to dip into your savings a little bit more, or you don't have any, it's a terrible place to be in.

And what if all you needed to do was take some extra time to just really get clear on that?

And this is where. If you haven't already, I would highly recommend downloading my free guide. Seven Things you must Know before You Leave Ships. And inside of that is the finance is one of the points is finances. And it goes deep into where you need to look at. Aside from the normal things we need to, shall we say survive.

Is if you're gonna get a job on land, how are you gonna get to your job? Are you gonna ride a bicycle? Are you gonna walk? Are you gonna take public transport? Are you gonna drive a car? All of those options, all will involve some degree of money. Okay. Walking, probably just with some nice shoes maybe, right?

But biking. Do you have a bicycle? Do you have a helmet? Do you have the lock? Do you have lights? Do you have bike gear? If you are gonna take public transport, how much is your public transport gonna cost you each month or each week? If you're gonna drive a car, how much is that petrol? How much is parking?

Even? You'll then be looking at, all right, if I'm gonna get a new job and I currently wear a uniform here, do I have clothes at home that will be. Correct. For maybe a type of job working on land, or am I gonna have to go out and buy new clothes? So that's like a setup cost. It's not a living cost, it's a setup cost, but it's still a cost.

And once you get to then really write out what it takes to pay the bills, one to live, to set up, to live on land, and then two, be living on land, then you are in an excellent position because you then now know what type of pay you need. And all you need to then do is go find a job that pays that amount and or more and apply for it and get it, and you're done.

So now you've now answered that question, what can I do on land? Is any job that's gonna pay me more than that? You're done. Right. If your question, if your answer was number two, one, you now know how much you need, but two, you then need of course, work out, well, what is it that I, that I like to do? What, like brings me joy?

Like in my last role, like I spent 20 years on ships and my last position I worked in as future group sales, and the main part about my job that I loved was talking on stage and giving presentations. That was my thing, and so I would be like, oh, well, if I can get any type of job that gives me that type, same type of satisfaction.

Not saying that I need to get a job, that means I'm talking on stage and giving presentations, but what does that feeling give me? What does that moment of doing that gives me? And then I will have a level of satisfaction. I may not enjoy every other aspect of my role, but at least I've got one aspect in there that I do.

And what you can do is you can just take a little dive into what you do today. Is really have a look at what you do, whether you are a bar waiter, whether you work in the restaurant, whether you work in the shops, whether you work in housekeeping, whether you work front of house, you work back of house. It doesn't matter what position you have, there will be some element of your job that you do actually enjoy.

You just may not know exactly what it's, and for some that might be, working with people, working in a happy, thriving team, growth orientated environment that you're part of a project. It could be for others where be like, I just need to be alone, and I just like working on a computer and being given tasks to do.

There are so many different ways to look at this, and if you can just answer that by taking a look at your daily job now on board and really breaking down the task that you do and what does each task give you? You can be like, each task gives me a great feeling, a medium feeling, or don't like it, feeling.

And then the ones that give you a great feeling, then just ask a little, ask yourself a little bit more about those. What is it exactly about that? That gives me that good feeling? And then you'll start to get clearer on what some, and what some tasks are that are so satisfying. I. And then of course the third answer is, well, I wanna find a job that pays me while is satisfying and also supports the lifestyle I wanna be living.

And again, my friend, all it is, is taking a look at, well, what is this lifestyle that you wanna be living? You see, there's many of us ship crew who. We're one of two ways when we spend our vacation. You are on vacation and when you go home to wherever your home is and whatever that looks like, you either have, shall we say, some version of land life already set up.

You might have activities that you do when you're on vacation, like hobbies or sports and activities, and you're already part of that group kind of thing, and you slot back into that. You might already have a house that you've bought and you are just paying off the mortgage, or maybe you've paid it off, you might already have a family.

You might already have a good healthy circle of friends. You might have a partner. Things like that. So when you've got those things really going on, you're already moving into a lifestyle that's already kind of set up a little bit, right? Then there's other ship crew where, um, they don't have that, or maybe they only have one of those elements, and that means you then need to be looking at, well, what is my lifestyle?

What do I want it to be? Like, do I want to be living near the ocean because I love looking at the ocean and being next to it every single day. I. Or am I a city girl or a city person and I wanna be in the city? Do I wanna have access to X, Y, Z? You know what is important for the lifestyle that you wanna be living?

It doesn't mean you need to be alone figuring out and going, and that's it for the next 20 years. No, but you do need to know what's important for what you wanna have around you and what you are doing. And so now when you start to hear, and I ask you the question, well, what do you wanna do next? I do hope it should start to be feeling a little easier and not so loaded that I do hope it should start to feel more of, oh, I can see that there can be possibilities now.

Because the only thing you need to be doing is figuring out, well, what is my situation for what I wanna do next? Is it I just wanna get a job that pays me the bill so I can just get out of the ship environment for whichever reason why you wanna leave? Then that reason doesn't even matter. I mean, it matters to you, but it's not needed as part of this answer.

Or is it I wanna get off and find a job that pays my bills where I have some level of satisfaction in the job I do?

Or is it the whole lot, the trifecta. I wanna find a job that pays my bills, has a level of satisfaction, and also supports the lifestyle I want. And all you need to do is just answer that question because then once you get the answer, you're on your way. And all you need to do next is then answer the questions that, support, that, support that, and that I should hope now starts to make you feel, huh?

This is a lot more possible. Because it is, everything is much more possible when you can look at it in the right way and ask the right questions. So with that, what are you gonna do today? What's the next step that you are gonna do? I know for some of you living, uh, listening right now you live and you have a very busy role on board and that might mean that this will needle wait until you get home on vacation and that's completely okay.

And for others. Listening to this right now is the thing that you needed to do today. Knowing that you next only need to answer that question. Whatever the thing is that you need to do next, take that one step and that is all you need to do. Take that one step to get closer, to be able to answer that question and get one of the answers out of the three, and you are on your way.

Thanks for tuning in.

 That's it for today's episode. Thank you for being here. If today's episode helps you feel a little more certain and a little clearer, share it with someone else who needs it. Join us next time and remember, your next chapter is possible and it's ready for you.