Should a Type A Personality Move to Costa Rica?

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Are you a type-A personality or a type-B personality? A move to Costa Rica is not for everyone. Maybe it is not for you?

Moving to any other country is not for everyone, and indeed, if you have a Type A personality, you have two options:

1. Think about your move twice
2. Work hard to become a type B personality

Why? A person’s personality can dictate who will succeed in making Costa Rica their home and those who won’t. Most of the time, I can tell if they will make it or not after the first or second email.

A good sample of an email sent by Julia from New York that I found in my mailbox on January 1st (a holiday) at around 11 a.m. – yes, I slept late on that day! This email was sent by Julia on New Year’s Eve at 7 p.m. (also a holiday):

“I’m planning to move to Costa Rica in the next five years and need to make a decision soon. Send options for a house with a view ASAP”.

Consecutive emails at 9 p.m., 11 p.m., and the next morning at 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. all said

“I have not heard from you yet; please reply to my emails.”

The Type A personality

“On Wikipedia, the personality theory describes a Type A individual as outgoing, ambitious, rigidly organized, highly status-conscious, impatient, anxious, proactive, and concerned with time management. They push themselves with deadlines, and hate both delays and ambivalence.

I can find six characteristics in a Type A personality that don’t match the Costa Rican culture and way of life:

1.    Rigidly organized
2.    Impatience
3.    Want other people to get to the point
4.    Obsessed with time management
5.    Deadlines
6.    Hate delays

The Challenges for Type A Expats

For a type A person, Costa Rica’s laid-back bureaucracy and informal culture can initially be a shock. Processes like opening a bank account, getting a driver’s license, or securing building permits may seem inefficient or illogical. The concept of “mañana” — not necessarily tomorrow, but “not today” — can test the patience of anyone used to high-speed, tightly organized systems.

Professionally, the Type A work ethic may not always align with local standards. Meetings might start late, goals may be more loosely defined, and the pace of business is often less aggressive than in more corporate, high-pressure environments. For some, this can feel frustrating or demotivating.

How to save yourself from disappointment

Don’t think you’re Superman or Superwoman; many have tried to get locals to adjust to their behavior, moods, and attitudes because of their type-A personality. I have written a few blogs about patience and Tico Time, which will give you a good idea of what I’m talking about. Unfortunately, if you want a whole nation to adjust to your behavior pattern, you’re in for a big disappointment.

You should do yourself and us a favor by looking for a short-term furnished rental and paying by the month first. In all my years of working in Costa Rica real estate, I have had a few Type A personalities succeed in adjusting to living in Costa Rica, so it’s all possible.

The Type B personality

In my experience, people with a Type B personality will thrive after moving to Costa Rica, and they will be “happy in paradise.”

“Wikipedia says that people with a Type B personality by definition generally live at a lower stress level and typically work steadily, enjoying achievement but not becoming stressed when they do not achieve. When faced with competition, they do not mind losing and either enjoy the game or back down. They may be creative and enjoy exploring ideas and concepts. They are often reflective, thinking about the outer and inner worlds.”

Your solution

If you are a Type B personality and plan to move to Costa Rica, contact any of the GoDutch Realty agents now. Without getting personal, if you are a Type A personality, I beg you to contact any of our competitors.