Have you ever had that feeling of disbelief, surprise and awe that comes when a decision you made previously, even though unrelated, has set you up for something you didn’t anticipate? This happened to us recently. We have been pondering our next move after selling our farm late last year. To date we have been focussed on moving to a smaller property somewhere around the Southern Highlands. We still want to be able to grow veggies, be reasonably self-sufficient and be able to commute to where we live now (as we have some bricks and mortar businesses here). We knew that we would need to sell our farm in order to be in a position to buy something when it became available and we didn’t want to rush that process. We also wanted time in the city to really focus on and grow our businesses.
So, we did just that. We sold the farm, bought an apartment that stacks us well as a rental and moved in – comfortable for a few years but not comfortable enough to stay! And we’ve started looking around for an idyllic country home.
But now we’ve seen our potential forever home! The one we can grow old in, the one we can close up and go travelling and the one that is located where we live but in a once in a lifetime location. The first sod of soil was turned this week and it won’t be move in ready for another 12 months. If we buy it, it will stretch us financially and take every bit of resourcefulness we can muster. And, there won’t be an idyllic country house and lifestyle. It’s something we’d never previously considered. It’s an option that’s come out of left field.
We’re still debating what to do but the point here really is that there are a series of decisions we have made that have led us to this point. Some big moves that have given us options and opportunities we didn’t even know where available to us. So, there was the first decision to sell up and move to the city. That was BIG and HARD and BRAVE but we had a vision for how we wanted to live and our farm and current commitments wasn’t fulfilling it. It was heartbreaking to leave but we didn’t want to compromise anymore. The second big decision came when we stopped looking at gorgeous inner north townhouses and decided to buy a property that stacked up for investment purposes, rather than for our own heart’s desire. I’d heard a podcast where the host posed the question – what are you prepared to give up, to get to where you want to go? This was our answer to that question!
Thirdly we made a decision to manage our personal and business finances differently. So, sitting in our bank account is enough for a deposit on the dreamy forever home and with 12 months before move-in date there is time and space to do what needs to be done to be ready to pay for it.
This whole series of events started with us evaluating where we were at and what we wanted from life. We asked ourselves some really hard questions but once we decided that what we had, as much as we loved it, wouldn’t take us to where we wanted to go it became easier to take the first step, and then the second and so on. So not only are we now in a position to pursue an idyllic country home but we also have the option of skipping straight to dreamy forever home – something we hadn’t previously contemplated.
What I have contemplated though and know to be true is that when I live with intention the possibilities become endless. My imagination lights up, I become curious, I question my beliefs and assumptions and I remain open to new things. I no longer worry what other people might think. I look for validation for what can be, and I find it. I am no longer scared of what seems impossible. Instead I am full of possibility and wonder. I replace “no” with “maybe”. I break things down into smaller manageable chunks. I fact check and I remain optimistic regardless of what is happening in the world around me. I recognise the fear when it rises, and I thank it, contemplate the risks then but pursue what is in front of me more informed and more confidently. In other words, I do the work. It can be hard; it can be scary, and it can be confronting but life is about the very next step. It’s the process of discomfort and growth. Of fear and faith. Of grace and surrender.
What decisions are you making today to get you where you want to be tomorrow?
PS. If you want to be more intentional about your life and live into the possibilities you imagine for yourself; I’ll be releasing the beta version of my course Life.Done By Design in August. This is an online course with live support and as a founding member not only will you help shape the course but with lifetime access you can come back to it time and time again, growing and evolving alongside the program and the community. You can learn about me, my experience and qualifications here. If this is something you’d like to hear more about you can register your interest by email at: info@donebydesign.com.au. I can't wait to welcome you!