I have realised that those days I am becoming more aware to the concept of “buy back your time”. This 2nd week of 2025 has been a mix of excitement, domestic challenges, and continued focus on personal growth. As always, I’m sharing my reflections and actionable takeaways in the hope that they might resonate with you, spark a “haha” moment, or perhaps even inspire you on your own path.

Personal:

This week has been punctuated by some big personal milestones. On Friday evening, we received a request from the notary to transfer funds to a blocked account for our new property in the South West of France! This is the final step before signing the purchase agreement—so exciting! We’re now busy preparing to move our money next week. It’s a huge step for our family, and we’re buzzing with anticipation.

On the goal-setting front and following last week activity, I’ve been refining my 2025 plans. I’ve reworked my copy, streamlining the number of annual goals and top-level priorities. I’m also reviewing the indicators I’ll use to monitor progress and the related scorecard. I’m still pondering the “quality” of these indicators, ensuring they truly reflect what I want to achieve. It’s a work in progress, but it’s an important process to ensure I’m living life by design, not by default.

Family time was a priority this week, too. We enjoyed some great moments playing new board games and having cosy evenings watching Ice Age and Madagascar with our little one. It’s these simple moments that truly recharge me.

Another real highlight was seeing our daughter’s growing interest in reading and writing. It’s incredible to witness her enthusiasm as I show her how to write her name and trace letters. Moments like these make all the effort worthwhile.

Baby steps to buy back my time

Now, for a slightly less glamorous (but very real) part of life: plumbing! I spent a few hours this weekend tackling a badly done wastewater pipe in our kitchen. It was completely clogged due to a poor slope (it was basically going the wrong way!).

While fixing it, I was listening to Dan Martell’s videos about outsourcing low-value tasks. He suggests that if outsourcing a task costs less than a quarter of your hourly income, it’s worth it. Unfortunately, plumbing repairs currently cost significantly more than that for me, especially on weekends.

However, this has given me a very tangible goal: to increase my hourly income to at least four times the hourly rate of a plumber (which sits between £50 and £70 per hour) within the next 18 months. Considering the average number of worked hours in the UK is 1,524, this would mean a yearly income of at least £304,800. It’s a big goal, but it’s motivating! This is a clear example of how to buy back your time by increasing your income. I will feedback this into my 2025 goal settings too!

Professional:

Professionally, I had a fascinating visit to Safran Electrical & Power Pitstone, where they’re developing and industrialising electric motors and generators for future platforms. Even if this was not my first visit on this site, it was truly impressive and motivational to see the innovation happening there.

I’ve also been refining my CV and have started applying for job offers. I’m actively exploring new opportunities while also working with my HR department to see if there are possibilities to continue my journey within the Safran Group. Should you see some opportunities, let me know!

Inner:

On the inner front, I experimented with different meditation practices this week but haven’t found one that truly resonates yet. I’m open to suggestions if any of you have recommendations!

My sleep has improved slightly in quality, although the duration still needs work. I’ve been focusing on my evening routine, and it seems the first results are starting to show.

It’s been a very cold week (for the UK) with temperature going down as low as -6°C early morning, however sunny most of the days, which has been a welcome boost.

What’s on the Menu for Next Week?

The main objective for next week is to finalise the funds transfer for our new house. It’s a big step, and I’m eager to get it sorted.

I also need to write to HMRC about a potential tax overpayment. It seems I’ve been paying too much tax for several years, although I’ll only be able to claim back the last four years.

Conclusion:

This week with exciting personal milestones, practical challenges and continued focus on personal and professional development is a reminder that life is a constant journey of learning, adapting, and striving to live by design. Sometimes, that means fixing a clogged pipe; other times, it means setting ambitious income goals so that one day we can outsource such tasks, truly learning how to buy back your time. What are your reflections this week? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.