Reinvention

Transform

Do you still enjoy what you’re doing? Are you passionate about things or people in your life?

Sometimes we can stagnate, other times we are afraid to fail. Frequently we even refuse to think we might have a chance or opportunity at things we want to happen.

Keep Showing Up, and look beyond the horizon. Humility, confidence and resilience will eventually help you to reach the other side of those challenges or goals. That doesn’t mean it will be easy. It also doesn’t mean you will get the job, partner, prize or pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (I got the silver…more on that later).

But one guarantee with time, is CHANGE. I’ve been trying to trust the timing of my unique unfolding, but of course sometimes I’m impatient.

One question I like to pose whenever I’m feeling stuck or disappointed is,

“Why should it be?”

This doesn’t mean I accept the answer or give up. Rather, it allows me to zoom out and reflect on my experiences, influence and next steps.

Sometimes that results in pain, sadness or upset. However, parts of this experience are necessary, it tells me that whatever ‘it’ is, there is a level of importance or significance to me. That’s something to explore.

Other times, the answer is get to work! Put in more time, discipline or effort. It might mean more care or communication. For sure it will require authenticity and congruence. But remember, this too will pass.

Reserve the right to reinvent yourself. Take the limiter off your dreams and aspirations.

Get after it

What energises you and what drains. Are you coasting along or are you flowing in the stream. The realism is that we never really stay in one particular state or direction.

Last year I returned to competing in BJJ after a 5 year hiatus. My first year competing at purple belt didn’t start off to a flyer (no podiums).

“You win or you learn” we love to say in Brazilian JiuJitsu. I did a lot of learning (and losing). But that is exactly what I needed. I’ve been fortunate to obtain high levels of success and achievement in sports throughout my life, so honestly on reflection, there was a healthy dose of reality needed to meet my delusional expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I actually think it’s important to have a healthy dose of delusion. Dream Big, don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done, but temper that with honesty, discipline and humility.

You have to learn how to lose before you learn how to win.

Kick the tyres, light the fires 🔥

National Masters BJJ Championships

It was great to be back on the competition mats again. The biggest battle is often in our own head, but I’ve worked on my mindset as well training hard this year. Big thanks to my Professor/coach Rick Young, as well as all the amazing training partners and coaches. Speaking of mentality and coaching, I have to shout out Sam Antonnen.

I took the opportunity to attend some of his workshops and coaching inputs. He’s coached several high level BJJ athletes (and other sports) and I have to say his delivery and concepts are excellent. Anyone interested in accelerating their competition performance check out: https://www.samantonen.com/

So overall, I’ve made loads of improvements from last year. I won my first match, then ended up facing the same guy in the final. I felt i had positional dominance, then moved from my normal game when i was warned for inactivity (although my opponent was also gripping me). I lost the final by 2pts to the sweep.

I learned some valuable lessons about positional progression and game management. In the specific rule set, you only get an advantage not points for certain attacks or positions. You have to understand the rules of the game!

Despite the ‘outcome’, I was so much happier with my effort and the ‘controllables’,

Loads more to come strategically and locking in my A-Game!

Importantly, I enjoyed the experience and looking forward to the next tournament.

Big up my man John Q who picked up the gold in his division. We had a great laugh on the road trip, and we’re already planning the next!

Transform

How do you transform yourself?

What does it actually mean to change, not just in circumstance or appearance, but in essence?

What is Self-Transformation?

Self-transformation is more than improvement or progress. It’s a profound process, an intentional reshaping of your thoughts, beliefs, behaviours, and mindset. It’s about aligning who you are with who you’re capable of becoming.

It requires awareness, courage, and honesty. And perhaps most importantly, it requires action.

As I’ve reflected on my own journey, I’ve come to see that growth is not just about doing more, but about being more. Sometimes that means letting go of old versions of yourself that no longer serve the person you’re becoming.

Lessons from the Great Guides of Change

Over the years, I’ve found wisdom in pages that have shaped the way I see the world and myself. Books like The Four Agreements, Atomic Habits, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Alchemist, and The Power of Now each approach transformation differently, yet they all converge on a common truth:

Change begins within.

• The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
  Ruiz’s Toltec wisdom is deceptively simple yet profoundly transformative:
  Be impeccable with your word.
  Don’t take things personally.
  Don’t make assumptions.
  Always do your best.
  These principles invite us to take radical responsibility for our own perceptions and energy to free ourselves from unnecessary suffering and ego-driven reactions.

• Atomic Habits – James Clear
  Clear teaches that transformation is not about giant leaps, but about small, consistent actions.
  Identity is shaped by repetition. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.
  The question isn’t what do I want to achieve? but rather who do I want to become?

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey
  Covey offers a principle-centred framework for growth: from independence (personal mastery) to interdependence (collaborative effectiveness).
  His ideas of “begin with the end in mind” and “sharpen the saw” remind us that purpose and renewal are continuous transformation is both a destination and a daily practice.

• The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
  A timeless fable about pursuing one’s “Personal Legend.” Coelho’s message is that the universe conspires in our favour when we follow our true calling, but we must be willing to risk comfort for meaning.

• The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
  Tolle brings it all back to presence. Transformation doesn’t live in the future; it unfolds in the only moment we truly have: Now. The more present we are, the more conscious our evolution becomes.

From ‘Shelf Help’ to Self Work

As an avid reader, I’ve filled shelves with ideas, insights, and philosophies on personal growth. Books can open our minds, but they can’t move our feet.

Over time, I realised that knowledge alone doesn’t transform, application does.
Without intention, action, and discipline, even the most powerful wisdom remains theory.

“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment.
Full effort is full victory.” — Mahatma Gandhi

True transformation happens when learning meets living. It’s in the friction between who we are and who we’re becoming. It’s showing up again and again, even when it’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, or unclear.

The Price of Ambition

“The price of ambition is sacrifice.”

This line has followed me for years. It’s not a warning, it’s a truth.

To achieve anything meaningful, something else must often be given up: time, comfort, familiarity, even relationships. The pursuit of growth can be isolating, because the road to transformation is rarely crowded.

Delayed gratification is the quiet cornerstone of this process. It’s choosing discipline over distraction. Long-term fulfilment over short-term relief. It’s understanding that sacrifice doesn’t mean loss, it means exchange. You trade who you were for who you’re becoming.

And yet, that exchange can be exhausting. It can be lonely. You can find yourself questioning whether it’s worth it.

But then, something shifts. A small win. A glimpse of progress. A deeper peace within the chaos. And you realise: this is what transformation looks like, not a single moment of revelation, but a thousand micro-decisions made with purpose.

Transformation is not a straight line. It’s a spiral, we circle back, revisit old lessons, and see them with new eyes.

And somewhere in that process, we grow lighter. Clearer. More ourselves.

Because in the end, transformation isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about becoming more fully you.

Reflections for Your Own Transformation

If transformation begins within, then awareness is the first step.
Take a few minutes to pause and consider the following:

1. What part of your life is calling for change right now?
   Is it a habit, a relationship, a mindset, or something deeper?

2. What do you need to release, to make room for who you’re becoming?
   Sometimes we must unlearn before we can grow.

3. What’s one small habit or action that could move you closer to alignment today?
   Remember: transformation rarely arrives in a single leap, it’s built through quiet consistency.

4. Where are you resisting the process?
   Notice the areas where fear, impatience, or control show up. What would happen if you softened into trust?

5. What does “success” mean to you right now?
   Allow that definition to evolve with you.

A Daily Practice for Transformation

Insight timer app is a great meditation tool. Guided meditations, sleep music tracks and talks led by the top meditation and mindfulness experts.

Here’s a simple ritual I’ve been using, feel free to adapt it for your own rhythm:

• Morning Intention:
  Ask yourself, “Who do I want to be today?” Choose one or two words (e.g., grounded, courageous, patient) and carry them through your actions.

• Midday Awareness Check:
  Pause. Breathe. Notice if your choices so far align with that word. If not, gently realign, no judgment, just awareness.

• Evening Reflection:
  Write down* one thing you did well, one lesson learned, and one thing you’re grateful for. Small wins compound.

  *I don’t always manage to journal, so I usually reflect when I’m lying in bed at the end of the day.

I recently set up an Insight Timer - Nike Oruh, Therapist Page , check it out.

We do not transform by adding more to ourselves, but by letting go of what no longer fits.

Keep showing up.
Keep shedding.
Keep becoming.