Soft Landing NZ

A first‑person guide to mindset, planning, tiny wins, discipline, and paying it forward

By Brett Corlett | Soft Landing

Why I Wrote This

Immigration is tough. Even after the first year or two, many of us still wrestle with belonging, purpose, and day‑to‑day pressures. I’ve been there, more than once. In this post I’m sharing the exact steps I’ve used to steady myself, rebuild momentum, and keep going. None of this is about perfection; it’s about practical actions that compound.

Real Life Doesn’t Pause When You Move Countries

Over the last couple of years in New Zealand, our family has faced grief, legal guardianship responsibilities, tight finances, and job uncertainty. We’ve navigated restructures, adoption processes across two countries, and the roller‑coaster of starting again. If you’re struggling, you are not alone, and you CAN take back control in small, meaningful ways.

Step 1 — Take Back Your Mind

Everything starts in the mind. I picture it like a garden: whatever thoughts I plant and water will grow. So I deliberately plant gratitude and possibility, not blame and doom. Here’s what I do:

• Morning reset: drink a glass of water, then name three things I’m grateful for.
• Evening reset: before sleep, I pray/reflect, give thanks, and visualise the life I’m building.
• Shower planning: I use this quiet time to outline the day’s focus in my head.
• 21‑day habit rule: I commit to repeating the above until it feels automatic.

Step 2 — Clarify Your Purpose, Vision, and Mission

Purpose is the ‘why’, vision is the picture of your future, and mission is how you’ll get there. I wrote mine down and review it regularly. To make it actionable, I use a Wheel of Life—health, family, finances, work, personal growth, friends/community, fun/leisure, and home environment, and set one or two small goals in each area. Reflect regularly, and RAG-rate yourself (Red/Amber/Green) to track progress.

Step 3 — Tiny Wins, Every Week (Kaizen)

Big changes are built from tiny, consistent improvements. Instead of trying to fix everything at once, I aim for one improvement per week—52 improvements a year.

• Example – Health: build from one gym session a week to three; add walks and track on Strava for accountability.
• Example Learning: listen to audiobooks/podcasts on walks; choose books/people that build you up, not break you down.

Step 4 — Routines and Discipline (Make It Stick)

Discipline is just a series of choices made easier by routine. I block 30 minutes each morning to plan the day, and I protect my exercise and family time like appointments. When I miss a day, I forgive myself and start again tomorrow.

• Morning 07:00–07:30: plan the day and update the diary.
• Fixed gym slots: three times a week; walks x3 with audio learning.
• Quarterly review: quick ‘RAG’ self‑check (Red/Amber/Green) across my Wheel of Life.

Step 5 — Pay It Forward: Share, Serve, Help

Serving others helps me just as much as it helps them. That’s why I create how‑to guides, videos, and resources, so we can all settle faster. Don’t wait to feel ready. Share what you’ve learned and give someone else a softer landing.

Practical Tools I Lean On

• Gratitude prompts (AM/PM) and simple breath work.
• A living ‘Wheel of Life’ plan I review each quarter.
• Strava (or any tracker) for health consistency.
• Budget templates (tack control of your finances).
• Checklists for the first 30/90 days in NZ.
• Community: the Soft Landing Inner Circle app — “support in your pocket”. “Coming soon”

If You’re Struggling Right Now

Breathe. Pick one tiny action for today (send that email, take that walk, write those three gratitudes). You don’t have to fix everything, just move the ball forward. You’re not behind; you’re on your way.

🎬Watch Full video

➡️ https://youtu.be/Sh7Z7uvkz8U?si=CwQJ1ATjhX8-SfFk

📢 Stay Connected

I’d love your help.
The Inner Circle App is coming soon — a free space for migrants to connect, learn, and belong in New Zealand. We’d love your input! Help us shape it so it truly supports your needs.

https://forms.gle/FuTEd7cMwv7jzSK56

Follow my Soft Landing podcast and subscribe to my YouTube channel @softlandingnz for real stories, walkthroughs, and practical tips for newcomers to New Zealand. 
📍 All links & platforms: https://linktr.ee/softlandingnz