Great2Live

Category: Retirement Life Planning

  • From Flat to Focused: What I Learned on a Slow Saturday

    The other Saturday morning I woke up feeling flat, de-energised, and if I’m honest… a little fed up.

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  • “Retirement Scares Me” – Why This Conversation Stopped Me in My Tracks

    The other day, I caught up with a former colleague. We were chatting about life after work when he said something that’s stuck with me ever since:

    “Retirement scares me. I’d have nothing to get up for in the morning.”

    It was brutally honest and it stopped me in my tracks.

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  • 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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  • 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.

  • Monthly Update 0525: Living the Dream… Mostly

    After a few months of pondering I finally decided to start documenting this journey into retirement. The blog isn’t just a hobby it’s my anchor. A way to stay on track, avoid drifting into the tempting world of procrastination, and share both the highlights and the hiccups with anyone walking a similar path.

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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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  • Create A Sanctuary In Nature – The First V2MOM

    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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  • Redefining My BHAGs: A Slower, Wiser Kind of Audacity

    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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  • Intro to BHAGs In Retirement

    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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