As mentioned previously stepping into retirement hasn’t been about slowing down to stop, it’s been about slowing down to start living differently. After years of constant movement, I wanted something deeper, more intentional, and more present.
One of my big goals (BHAGs) has been to embrace Slow Living. But to make it more than an idea, I’ve used the V2MOM framework as a tool to help turn vision into action.
My Slow Living V2MOM
Vision
To live a slower, simpler, and more intentional life that values presence over productivity. A lifestyle rooted in quality, community, connection, and care where daily rhythms reflect what matters most.
Values
- Intention over impulse
- Quality over quantity
- Local over global (where possible)
- Simplicity over complexity
- Presence over distraction
- Joy in the ordinary
- Creation care and ethical choices
Methods
- Create intentional daily and weekly rhythms
- Build in time for cooking, rest, reflection, relationships, nature, creativity, and exercise
- Shift consumer habits
- Prioritise ethical, high-quality, long-lasting items over cheap convenience purchases
- Embrace slow food principles
- Cook more meals from scratch with seasonal, local ingredients
- Reduce reliance on tech and screens
- Set boundaries for screen time and reclaim presence in daily conversations
- Choose active, local travel where possible
- Use the bike instead of the car when possible
- Grow some of our own food
- Focus on easy wins like herbs, salad leaves, and tomatoes
- Spend time in nature daily
- Get outside in the Peak District air, even for short walks or garden moments
- Simplify the living environment
- Move toward a decluttered, more organised, calming home where everything has a purpose and there’s less chaos and visual noise
- Declutter my digital life
- Tidy up email, photos and other digital assettsnd to reduce that overwhelming feeling when logging any device – reclaim focus
Obstacles
- Habits formed during years of busy working life
- Social pressure to be productive or always connected
- Convenience culture making slower choices less accessible
- Subtle digital dependency that constant urge to check news, WhatsApp, or always be available
- Energy dips or life interruptions (e.g. weather, health, visitors)
- Internal voice that says “you should be doing more”
Measures
- Fewer impulse purchases and more thoughtful, values-aligned buying
- Regular home-cooked meals using local ingredients
- Established rhythms for screen-free evenings and quiet mornings
- Bike used regularly for errands or leisure
- More time spent outdoors and less time scrolling
- Growing portion of food harvested from garden
- Living space feels calmer, more intentional, and less cluttered
- Decluttered one physical area and one digital space per month
- Feeling of calm, connection, and purpose in daily life
Laying the Foundations: The June Focus
Of course, it’s tempting to take on everything at once. But that’s not Slow Living that’s just pressure in a different disguise. So for June, I’m focusing on what I’m calling my Foundations, those habits and choices that will support everything else over time.
Here’s what I’m looking to set in place this month:
1. Set Daily and Weekly Rhythms
Creating a new flow for our days: meals, exercise, rest, reflection. Not rigid schedules just intentional structure that supports health, peace, and joy.
2. Declutter Physical & Digital Spaces
Looking to bring space and structure to cupboards and inboxes alike. Simplifying the environment helps clear the mind, reduce stress, and make space for presence.
3. Grow Some of Our Own Food
The veggie beds are in! This month, we’ll plant, learn, and (hopefully) harvest something. So we are starting small with herbs and salad leaves.
4. Get Out Into Nature Every Day
No excuses. A short walk, a ride on the trails, or just coffee in the garden. The Peak District offers its beauty freely and I want to receive it daily.
Optional #5: Set Screen Boundaries
This one’s a work in progress, but I’m aiming for no screens after 9pm and one screen-free day each week. Not for productivity, but for peace.
🌱 Final Thought
Slow Living isn’t something you ever “complete.” It’s not a project but a way of being. But by grounding it in vision, values, and daily action, I’m giving priority to what really matters.
If you’re curious about a similar shift, I hope this post gives you something to ponder or even a place to begin.
Great2Live 
Leave a comment