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My daughter turned 8 today.

I know it’s a cliché, but it really does feel like yesterday we brought her home from the hospital.

In those 8 years, so much has shifted. I’ve changed jobs twice, moved house, and started my own business. We’ve lost two beloved dogs. My mother-in-law passed away and a surrogate father-in-law.

And now my son is getting ready for senior school.

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Time doesn’t pause for reflection. It just keeps happening.

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Some life events you plan for. Others come naturally with the passing of time. But either way, they arrive. Often faster than you expected.

And no matter how financially successful we are, time is the one thing we can't buy more of.

So here’s the real question:

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Are you being intentional with your time?

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In my 30s, it was all survival mode.  It was raising young kids, keeping work going, just getting through the days. I wasn’t thinking much beyond the next week or two.

But since turning 40, something’s shifted. I find myself asking bigger questions:

• What’s next?

• What do I want the future to look like?

• What kind of impact do I want to have?

These aren’t questions I would’ve asked in my 20s, when life revolved around the weekends. But now, they feel important.

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Midlife isn't a crisis. It's an opportunity.

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Here’s the beauty of your 40s:

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Time is still on your side.

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You can still make changes, big or small. Whether that’s in your career, your health, or how much time you spend with the people you love.

But the challenge is carving out the space to actually think. Deeply. Honestly.

You might already be having these thoughts but are you truly exploring them?

Because if you're not intentional with your time, the future will still happen… just maybe not the one you wanted.

You could spend another 5, 10, even 15 years on a path that no longer fits. Simply because you didn’t pause to question it.

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Design a life that doesn’t need an escape plan

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I often say: don’t just plan for retirement - design a life you don’t want to retire from.

That doesn’t mean ignoring your finances. It means letting your values, not just a spreadsheet, guide your decisions.

Yes, build your wealth and plan for later.

But let’s also design a life that feels aligned now.

One that matches your values, priorities, and purpose.

The truth is, we live in a time where you can create almost any life you want.

Work 4 days a week? Take a sabbatical? Shift your business model? All possible.

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You can create a life by design. But you have to start with the decision to live on purpose.

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So what’s stopping you?

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Chances are, it’s not time or money.

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It’s mindset.

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Fear of stepping back. Fear of missing out. Fear that if you pause, it will all fall apart.

That’s why clarity is the first step.

• What does your ideal lifestyle look like?

• What do you value most today?

• Are your current choices aligned with that?

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Once you’re clear, you can start to explore what’s holding you back—and how to move forward.

It might take 6 months. It might take 10 years. But that’s OK. Because it’s intentional.

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Start here:‍

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Ask yourself:

• What would need to change in my life to live the way I really want?

• What challenges am I currently facing?

• On a scale of 1–10, how aligned am I with my ideal future?

• What’s one small step I could take this week to move closer to it?

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Time is limited but your options aren’t.

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You can continue down a path that once made sense, but no longer feels aligned. Or you can pause, reflect, and begin living with intention.

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Life moves fast. But you don’t have to drift.

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Start asking not why you can’t… but how you could.

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It all starts with being intentional.

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If you’re asking these questions and want space to explore them, let’s talk. That’s exactly what we do at Work to Live.

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