Last week, I mentioned I was making just one New Year’s resolution for 2026. Making it was the easy part. The hard part is already happening: getting motivated when its -9c outside (welcome to my Monday). showing up in February when the excitement fades; doing the hard yards in April when life gets busy and in August when progress feels slow. I know these times are ahead. And that’s why most New Year’s Resolutions die. Not from lack of ambition, but from lack of accountability.
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Three months ago, I wrote about wrestling with hypothetical worries while dismantling my old working life. I was anxious about whether we’d have enough resources for a safe and fulfilling retirement.
Well, the office sold. Then we sold the family home too.
It’s taken months of sorting, selling, waiting and finally signing. There were moments when it felt like the transition would never end. But at last we have made it: both sales are complete, and the long process of closing out the old life is finally behind us.
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Welcome to the fourth and final blog in the series resulting from comments received about the Weekly Rhythm Template. This blog is focused on Prioritising that most precious resource – Time.
(more…)When I shared the Weekly Rhythm Template, it sparked some great conversations including one thoughtful comment left on the blog last week:
“love this take on being intentional, wonder how those of us still in the working world could use this weekly rhythm too! Maybe it’s more like a monthly rhythm?”
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When we started dreaming about a slower, more intentional life, the vision was clear: simplicity, space, nature, and time to live with purpose. But turning that dream into reality? That’s where things got… unconventional.
We quickly realised that many of our Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs) weren’t just about mindset, they required a shift in where and how we lived. And that meant making some big, counterintuitive decisions.
When Conventional Wisdom Doesn’t Fit the Vision
Conventional retirement advice says:
But we found ourselves longing for things that didn’t fit that model:
The trouble was… buying a place with all of that was well out of reach.
A Radical (and Rational) Shift
So we flipped the script.
We sold our house. And moved into a rental.
On paper, that might seem backwards. But in practice, it gave us:
Most importantly, it allowed us to live in alignment with our values, not just the market.
When Values Drive the Strategy
Every BHAG looks great on paper but real life needs fuel.
Sometimes that fuel is money. Sometimes it’s courage. Often, it’s both.
Selling our home wasn’t about giving something up. It was about releasing what we no longer needed to make space for what we deeply wanted.
Yes, some people raised eyebrows. But that’s okay. Not everyone has to understand your priorities, the important thing is that you do.
Final Thought
If you’re dreaming of a different kind of life but feel stuck, maybe the question to ask isn’t “what should I do?” but: “What would I do if I stopped needing to follow the script?”
You don’t have to be reckless. But you can be brave.
Sometimes the best next step looks strange from the outside. But on the inside? It feels like freedom.
We found the place that ticked all our boxes: rural, peaceful, close to church, space for veggies, and nature on the doorstep. We moved from the city into our new home in January. Yes there’s still work to do, but for the first time in a long time, we know we’re exactly where we need to be.
We’ve chosen a life we can build around what truly matters. And that, to us, is worth everything.
For a while now, I’ve been trying to define what matters most in this new chapter of life. After burnout, career shifts, and a slow walk back to health, I’ve realised my biggest goals no longer involve achievement in the traditional sense. These days, one of the boldest visions I can imagine is to be simpler and quieter: to create a sanctuary in nature.
Not a retreat from life, but a return to it.
I don’t just want a rural home I want a place that brings life. A home surrounded by nature, where the pace is gentler and the rhythms deeper. A place that’s calm, beautiful, and decluttered, where we can grow a few vegetables, listen to the soothing sounds of nature, and share a pot of coffee with a friends and neighbours. A place that helps us and others breathe again.
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In this new season of life, I’ve found myself drawn to something deeper than just a to-do list. Retirement, for me, is no longer about filling time it’s about living with intention. That’s why I’ve started shaping some BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) into bold, personal visions for what a meaningful, well-lived life could look like.
But naming a BHAG is just the start. The real challenge? Turning that dream into action.
That’s where the V2MOM framework comes in.
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I’ve spent more paper—and more time—than I care to admit trying to figure out my personal BHAGs. You know, those Big Hairy Audacious Goals that are meant to push you out of your comfort zone and into some grand future.
But the more I wrestled with it, the more I realized this chapter of life isn’t about doing more. It’s about being more. Not in a passive or shrinking way but in a deeper, more present, more meaningful way.
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What’s a BHAG — and Why Might You Need One?
You might not have heard the term BHAG before, but it’s one that can totally reframe how you approach your future — especially in retirement. BHAG stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal. It’s not your average to-do list item. It’s bold, inspiring, and just a little bit scary (in a good way).
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When I first heard the term “BHAG” (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) it was in a business context. I was in leadership at the time, and the idea was to set bold, long-term goals that inspired action and kept the company moving forward.
But after retiring (abruptly, following burnout), I began to realise something surprising: the need for bold, purposeful direction doesn’t end when the paychecks stop.
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Great2Live 