Mortgage Free by the Sea

Simple Sundays

my creative side hustle

My New Creative Side Hustle

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It was so lovely to wake up in my own time this morning. No alarm, no need to rush, just the space to allow my mind and body to ease into the day.

To say that the return to work this fortnight has been tough would be an understatement, it’s been a baptism of fire. However, it’s made me appreciate my days off even more.

It’s also made me even more grateful that I chose to go part-time, a decision that I didn’t take lightly, but one that has opened up so many more possibilities in my life. Including the exciting side hustle that I’ve embarked upon.

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The Pop Up Business School – 3 Months On

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While going for my morning walk, I realised that it’s been 3 months since I attended the Pop Up Business School. Since then, my life has changed so much and the course was pivotal to that.

I’d initially heard about the Pop Up Business School on a Choose FI podcast featuring its co-founder Alan Donegan. And I recall rapidly checking their website to see if they were running any events near me.

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four before 40 - achieve your goals

Making Magic Happen: The Four Before 40 List

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Since turning 39 last Sunday, I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to focus on over the next year and I’ve come up with my four before 40 list.

I was going to list 40 things I’d like to do before I turn 40, but I know myself well enough to see that this would reduce my enjoyment of the journey, potentially turning it into a tick-list exercise. So I’ve decided to focus on just four things.

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birthday reflections

Birthday Reflections on a Transformational Year

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Today is my birthday so I’m writing this post a day early. I’ll be spending the day with my family doing lovely things.

Cake will be involved (those who know me know how much I love my cakes!) along with a delicious strawberry pavlova which is currently being made by my fiancee. As I write this, the air is filled with a delicate sugary sweetness.

In true English fashion, there’ll be cups of tea and maybe an alcoholic tipple or two. But overall, I’ll spend my birthday relaxing with my nearest and dearest.

Reflections on the year

The 38th year of my life has certainly been one to remember. In many ways its been tranformational.

It’s the year that I decided to prioritise myself and go part-time.

Saying “yes” to freedom came as a shock to some people. They couldn’t understand why I would take a pay cut. They also couldn’t comprehend what I would do with all of the free time I had. But I knew I needed to give myself time to work on myself and my dreams.

When your mind is so focused on the 9-5 grind, there’s very little time left to ponder the infinite possibilities of how life could be lived.

And although I can’t explain it, I felt that I was on the brink of transformation. I’d reached a crossroads where I could choose the safety of the familiar or I could open myself up to the unknown.

I chose the unknown.

Since then, I’ve set up my own business as a specialist tutor and dyslexia assessor. I’ve also set up this blog to track my journey and help others who are on the path to debt freedom.

Another wonderful surprise this year was when my partner proposed to me. A few weeks later, the whole country was in lockdown which put an end to our planned celebrations.

As we live apart, we weren’t able to see each other for a long time. However, it gave me more time to focus on my fitness, my blog and learn how to use Twitter – something which has eluded me for years!

I was also able to attend the Pop Up Business School online which helped me think outside the box about my financial future. If you’re interested in setting up a business, I’d highly recommend you sign up.

Looking to the year ahead

I’m not sure what my 39th year on the planet will bring. I’ll spend some time over the next week focusing on my goals for the year ahead.

I’m hoping that it’s the year where I become even more aligned with my true path. Maybe I’ll even contemplate doing a year of less.

Whatever I choose, I’ll be sure to leave some space for the magic of the year to take me by surprise.

Do you use your birthday as a time to reflect? Or do you have any special traditions? I’d love to hear about them below.

Image courtesy of Tatiana Rodriguez on Unsplash

the true cost of spending

The True Cost of Spending: A Secret Time Tax

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Whilst walking along the sea front this morning I contemplated the true cost of spending and the unconscious investments we make every time we make a purchase.

My mind wanderings were inspired by Jillian Johnsrud’s interview with David Cain on her Everyday Courage podcast.

The minute I heard David’s comment that many of us have more books on our bookshelves than we’ll ever read, I knew I’d found a kindred spirit.

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