DO IT NOW!

Don’t wait. Don’t put things off. Do it now. Start the business, book the holiday, get the dog, leave the job you hate… whatever you would like to do, do it now. You will never be this young again.

I could have waited………………

I had just taken redundancy from my teaching job. I had 4 small children under 8. Everything was going wrong at home, massive overwhelm and balls being dropped in all directions.

I had decided to use my redundancy to sort my chaotic life and had woken up one morning convinced that I needed to work outside again, in the woods.

Having booked on to Forest School practitioner training for the September, I had a whole summer with the children off school/nursery. Their Dad was building his business and time off for him was limited.

I had been brave, before marriage and before children.

Then I’d think nothing of flying across the world for an extended stay somewhere with no money, no friends, no back up and no mobile phones, no plans except to find work as soon as possible.

Marriage and children had made me fearful and full of doubt, guilt, shame….. all of the rubbish emotions.

That needed to change. I needed to be courageous enough to lead the children into adventures, so I took our second hand 8 man tent, bought a Eurotunnel ticket with Tesco vouchers and loaded us all into the van for an extended stay in France. Travelling from north to south pitching and taking down the tent as we went.

I had limited funds again. No fridge and not much food, no sat nav and not much French.

I could have waited. Until I had more money, until I had someone to go with, until I had un Frigidaire. I could have waited and stayed in the UK for the summer, doing day trips, losing the war of tidiness, having to hoover.

 I didn’t wait and I have never regretted the decision to go.

It was scary. When I had to refuel the van, I’d take all the children in the garage. One in a sling, one in the pushchair and two with their hands in my back jeans pocket.

Using the communal or service station toilets, we would all squeeze into the cubical together.

It was uncomfortable, pitching the tent alone, my daughter at 8 trying to motivate the brothers who were practically a feral pack of boyness, to help by holding it upright while I secured it.

It was a slog, I used to bag up dirty dishes, take all of the children to the washing up block and keep them in sight while I sorted out the kitchen pans. No washing machine, they wore swimming gear for most of the stay. Showering was an endeavour we attempted weekly.

I felt guilty, I was not able to buy them ice creams when they asked, instead we'd get a bumper pack at the super market and eat them all in the shade of the store.

Oh but we had so much fun. I’d sleep in the tent with them all cuddled up against me like squirrels keeping warm. I’d patrol the swimming pools, less Baywatch more wild eyed camper and we'd hang out in the parks until we could see the stars and planets. We’d forage. We scrumped warm damson plums in Burgundy, figs in the Herault and peaches in the Pyrenees. Like bears we ate berries and hazelnuts and the children found friends.

I could have lived like that forever, I only had to look after the children, no secondary jobs, nothing to straighten up, only one small bag of lego, 4 forks between the 5 of us.

Coming home was hard. For the years that followed, we'd do the long camping trip sometimes to our favourite sites and sometimes somewhere new.

They were the best days of my life. We were happy and free. I'm pleased I did it THEN.

So what are you waiting for?

You may never have someone to go with, you may never speak French and if you wait until you have enough money, there will never be enough.

You can make it work with what you have. If I can do it, then I am absolutely certain you can.

I am a Financial Adviser Qualified Coach and Educator, available for Financial Wellbeing Corporate workshops and one to one or couples’ money coaching. Leading people to financial wellness through education and awareness, plugging the financial advice gap.

My expertise is personal finance, money mindset and wealth creation.

Contact me directly if you think I can help you find funds to live a generous and adventurous life.