REALiving Coaching with Tracey Hancock

Knowing what you want for your life is useful. But then you have to do something with it.

It’s one thing to realise you want more time for yourself, more fun, more space, a different pace, a change in your work, or simply to feel more excited about your life.

But it’s another thing to make that happen when you’ve still got a business to run or a job to show up for, people who rely on you, bills to pay, commitments you’ve already made and all the usual stuff of life.

That’s where a lot of my work sits.

I help people work out what they actually want, look at what might be getting in the way, and make changes that work in their real life.

Sometimes that’s through one-to-one coaching, where we have the time and space to really get into what’s going on, challenge some of your thinking and work out what you want to do next.

Sometimes it’s through REAL, my membership, where we regularly make space to step out of the day-to-day, reflect on how life is going, and focus on what you want to change or create.

And sometimes it’s through the Live Well Life Planner. I created the first one ten years ago because I wanted something that did more than organise appointments and To Do lists. It helps you think about your whole life, what matters to you, and how you want to spend your time, attention and energy.

They’re different ways I help people, depending on what they need.

And they're all based on supporting you to live well now.

Every day, you’re making choices about where your time, attention and energy go.

Some are deliberate. But plenty aren’t.

You fall into routines. Say yes by default. Keep doing things because you’ve always done them. Put things that matter to you off until you have more time or energy.

And gradually, all the everyday choices add up to the life you’re living.

That’s why one of the ideas at the heart of my coaching is:

Live by design, not by default.

I don’t mean having every part of your life mapped out or knowing exactly where you’ll be in five years.

For me, it’s much simpler than that.

It’s about paying attention to your life.

Knowing what matters to you and noticing when the way you’re living doesn’t quite match that.

Being willing to change your mind about what you want.

Making choices that give more space to the things that matter, and less to the things that don’t.

And you're right, you can’t choose or plan everything that happens in your life.

But you can make conscious choices about how you want to live it.

That’s what living well means to me.

Paying attention to how you’re living and making choices that align with the life you want.

Maybe nothing is particularly wrong. Your life might actually be pretty good.

You’ve built a career or business. You’ve got people you care about. You’ve achieved things you once wanted.

And yet…

Maybe you’ve started wondering what you actually want.

Not what you should want.
Not what made sense ten years ago.
Not what everyone else expects from you.

What feels right for the person you are now?

I think that’s an important question.

Because you don’t need to wait until you’re unhappy, burnt out or desperate for something to change before you stop and take a good look at your life.

Maybe you want more of what makes you feel alive.

More space. More fun. More energy. More time for the people and things that matter to you.

And maybe you want less of some things, too.

Less stress. Fewer things crammed into your calendar. A To Do list that doesn’t seem to magically grow every time you cross something off.

Or maybe you’re not quite sure what you want yet. You just know you’re ready to start thinking about it.

If that sounds like the kind of conversation you want to have, you’re in the right place.

I’m Tracey Hancock, a life coach who helps people get clear about what they want and intentionally create a life that feels right for them.

Your life is happening now. Make sure it’s one you want to be living.

If I lose count while I’m working out, I have a rule.

If I’m not sure how many sets I’ve done and I guess it’s four, I have to say it's three.

If I’ve lost count of my reps, I have to go back to the last number I know for sure. So if I know I’ve done three, but now I’m wondering whether I’m up to six or seven, I’ve gotta go back to three.

Why?

Because I generally lose count when I’m annoyed with my workout, don’t like the exercise, or I’m finding it really hard.

And that’s exactly when my brain does its best to convince me I’m more done than I really am.

So I made a rule that takes the negotiation out of it.

Not every rule I have for myself is helpful.

But this one has been around for a few decades.

And it works.

What’s a rule you’ve made for yourself because you know exactly what you’re like?

Sometimes the perspective you need isn’t found by thinking harder. It comes from creating distance.

We understand this in business. We hold strategy days, planning sessions and offsites because it’s difficult to think strategically when we’re buried in the day-to-day.

But how often do we create that same distance from our lives?

When we’re busy living life, it can be difficult to get enough distance from it to see it clearly.

And nothing needs to be wrong for that space to be useful.

You don’t have to be exhausted. Burnt out. At a crossroads. Or desperately in need of a break.

Sometimes you simply need to step away from your everyday roles, responsibilities and routines long enough to hear yourself think.

That’s one of the reasons I’ve taken myself on self-retreats for years.

Sometimes it’s half a day. Sometimes a few days away.

I walk. Think. Journal. Rest. Eat good food. Reflect on what’s been happening and consider what I want next.

There’s no packed agenda and no requirement to come home with all the answers.

The value is in creating the space.

We understand the importance of stepping back to work on our businesses rather than always working in them.

Maybe we need to get better at doing the same with our lives.

If you’ve been meaning to make some changes this year but haven’t quite got to them yet, now’s a good time.

I get it. Life gets busy. You already have plenty of demands on your time and a long list of things that need your attention.

Change can feel like a lot. And you can count on fears, doubts and worries showing up.

They can feel like valid reasons not to make the changes.

But there’s a cost to that, right?

When you ignore the changes, there’s the stress and disappointment of knowing something isn’t quite right. And the constant energy it takes to think about doing something differently, then push it aside for another day.

September marks the start of spring. Longer days, new growth and a natural shift in energy. It’s a good time to reset, recommit and get moving.

Decide what matters most.

Then take the first step.

It doesn’t need to be big. Small, intentional actions build momentum, and momentum creates change.

Here’s to living well.

P.S. If you have a Live Well Life Planner, work through your Monthly Reset page and decide what you want to focus on this month. No Planner? A notebook will do just fine.

And keep an eye out for the 2027 Live Well Life Planner. Details are coming soon.