When The Life List came out, the timing was perfect for me. As a woman going through a time of transition, The Life List resonated. I was about to turn 55. I had lost my dad and my father-in-law. My kids had moved out. And all of this forced me to focus on what time I have left and to look at my life differently. To re-prioritise. I figure I have about 12,000 days left to live and I kept thinking – How do I redesign the professional life I have known for the last 30 years?
And so, I walked away from the daily grind of being a highly paid financial planning executive to live the life I really want.
Something Kate asks in the book –Â how do you reframe your goals? –Â kept coming back to me. I loved identifying my Go Big Goals and my Go Small Goals. But I got really excited about the Go Now Goals!. As financial planners, we are always projecting ahead 2-5 years. But I wanted to bring my focus into the now.
The first part of semi-retiring for me was to give myself permission to say: Actually, there’s nothing I need to hang onto. It’s OK to take the next 12 months to see what lands in my world. It’s OK to take the time to explore what I have been missing.
Next I looked at my non-negotiables – what do I really want for the next 12 months? And it’s simple –Â fun, travel, and community. The people piece has been critical for me. If I’m going to look at the next chapter of my life through a different lens, I need to surround myself with different people.
Financial Advisors go to a lot of development events. As a speaker myself, and media commentator and financial authority, I decided to do a deep dive into working in the events industry. I am on the Advisory Committee for the Inside Network and I had a conversation with them and they said – come on board!
And so, I have pivoted. I am travelling widely, meeting new people, and delivering incredibly amazing events across Australia and Asia. As Community Director, I curate content and invite the right people in the door.
I’m a planner. It’s important to get your foundations right. I have the financial foundations in place that have allowed me to make choices for the life I want to live, now. I’m also focused on my health and family and ensuring our home life is running beautifully and harmoniously. I have vitality and energy.
If you are doing what you love, you are in flow. Energy comes with that. I am living what I value most. It is a moment in time and I’m savouring it.
