Great2Live

Category: life design

  • From Intention to Action — Introducing the V2MOM Tracker

    Welcome to the third in the series of blogs exploring weekly and monthly rhythms – small, repeatable ways to bring more intentionality to our days. This blog considers how you stay connected to your bigger hopes over the long haul,

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  • A Monthly Rhythm Template To Help You Focus

    We previously explored how living with rhythm and not rigid rules can help create a life with more flow and less overwhelm. We shared a Weekly Rhythm Template, but a thoughtful question came up:

    “What if you’re in full-time work and your weeks are mostly fixed?”

    That sparked something bigger: perhaps what’s also needed is a Monthly Rhythm Template. A tool that helps zoom out, notice what’s needed, and bring intentionality to a longer stretch of time.

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  • How We Got Here: From Weekly Rhythms to Living with Monthly Focus

    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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  • Thinking Outside the Box: Funding a Values-Driven Life (Even if It Looks a Bit Weird)

    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:

    • Own your home
    • Keep things stable
    • Don’t rock the boat

    But we found ourselves longing for things that didn’t fit that model:

    • A rural location in the heart of the Peak District National Park
    • Space to grow our own food: vegetable beds, fresh herbs, homegrown tomatoes
    • Rides and walks from the doorstep: not something we had to “go to,” but something woven into daily life
    • A home close to the church community we’re part of
    • A calming, decluttered sanctuary that supported reflection, rest, and purpose

    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:

    • The freedom to relocate to the rural setting we truly wanted
    • Flexibility to explore, to adapt, and to live without being tied down
    • Less stress and maintenance, fewer responsibilities, more space to breathe
    • The ability to invest some of the capital to support the life we’re building now, not just someday

    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.

  • Slow Living Starts Here: A Vision, A Framework And Four (May Be 5) Foundations for June

    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.

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  • Not Sure What You Value Most? This Will Help.

    There are lots of books out there that talk about living with purpose, but sometimes it’s hard to name what your individual purpose actually is. Before setting goals or making big life changes, it helps to pause and ask: What really matters to me?

    It’s a surprisingly tough question — especially in a world that’s always rushing us toward the next thing. But if we want to live intentionally, especially in retirement or during a life reset, we need to slow down and get clear on what drives us at a deeper level.

    That’s where the Personal Values Discovery Worksheet comes in.

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