💡Building Life 2.0: The Art of Designing your life with purpose and intention

Weekly Lightbulb: How to take the leap into designing a life with meaning...

Jan 13, 2025

Hey Friends, in this week’s lightbulb, I wanted to share a bit of my personal journey and lessons in moving abroad to Costa Rica and starting a new life, as it originally didn’t go as planned. When I started my journey into sustainable land projects, building a retreat center, and intentional living, I didn’t realize I was stepping into a mirror. Every decision—every success and mistake—reflected not just my business skills, but who I was as a person. Over the years, I’ve learned that building a land project isn’t just about land, structures, or profits; it’s about alignment—between your vision, values, and the life you want to create. Let me share what this alignment looks like and how it’s reshaped both my work and my life.

The Philosophy: Life 2.0 is Built with Intention

For years, I saw people jump into projects with all the right tools but the wrong mindset. They’d focus on what the land could do for them—profit margins, aesthetic appeal, market trends—but forget to ask: What kind of life do I want to live here?

I help my clients pause and ask deeper questions before they start. What lifestyle do you want? How do you want to spend your mornings? Who do you want to share this space with? Your answers will shape everything—from the location you choose to the design of your structures. Building with intention creates not just a project but a foundation for your future.

The Fantasy vs the Reality: Getting Super Clear

Back in the day, I too thought I wanted to build ecovillages and retreat centers as do many of my clients, but what I was really yearning for was authentic community. I’m grateful that I have that now, and dedicate time into cultivating and maintaining that community, thanks to the help of Ronit Herzfeld and Leap Forward.

My clients who move to Costa Rica or choose to leap into a new life, are often not looking for a new destination but to escape the emptiness in their lives and find or create community. I will save you a lot of time and money, by telling you moving somewhere won’t fix it! You have to go within and find that driving “why,” that intention and vision that will propel you forward. Often times I spend more time life coaching, than I do building ecovillages and retreat centers for this very reason.

I’ve seen many people build land projects and villages that lack the invisible structures and relationships that community requires, and I’ve seen groups on zoom that have more of this than any land projects, so take this all with a grain of salt. Humanity is just evolving to the points we are learning how to cooperate and care for each other, let alone the planet. We’re simply not there yet as a species, but we’re getting there, and small groups of people are demonstrating it through committed effort.

The Approach: A Holistic Framework

Here’s how I guide clients through this process:

Start with the Vision - then marry a practical strategy and team to get you there.
Before we talk blueprints, budgets, or permits, we dream. What’s your ideal day? What values drive your decisions? I encourage clients to ground themselves—literally and metaphorically—on their land. Walk it barefoot. Listen. Feel.
Prioritize Your Well-Being - If you burn out in the process, so will your project.
Too often, people burn out because they try to do everything. I helps clients stay energized and connected to their vision while scaling down their busyness and life commitments. Sustainable projects require sustainable founders, and all to often people are doing a million things at once, and their land project is a side hustle. It’s better in that case to just build a house and be with your family.
Design with Purpose - Build things the world needs, not more Pinterest boards
Every decision should align with your values. For some, that means off-grid living; for others, it’s about creating a space for community gatherings. I use a mix of intuitive planning and practical tools to ensure every step feels right.

One Key Insight

Sustainability isn’t just about solar panels or permaculture; it’s about building a life that sustains you and doing so with the right people around you. If your project drains your energy or pulls you out of alignment, it’s not truly sustainable—no matter how eco-friendly or “regenerative” it is. Authentic community on the other hand…

Your Action Step

Pause and reflect: What kind of life do I want to create through this project? Who do I want to create that life with? Write it down. Use it as your North Star to guide every decision.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What’s one way you’re aligning your land project with your life vision?

To your thriving vision,
Ed

P.S. The truth is, no one builds a dream like this alone. Strong support systems aren’t optional—they’re essential. Let’s build yours together: schedule a chat!

Check out the LSA where we meet monthly as a community to discuss our land projects with a collective of project founders, experts on the ground, and investors.