2021, Let’s Go.

December 2019. I was at Rio’s house, it was this lavish place. Football boots implanted in the see-through glass floor. In the first room, Champions League honours. Premier League honours. He came in, Gucci slippers. I mean, this is the house of a legend. This was some real MTV Cribs shit I grew up watching.

It is far fetched that I wrote about this man 10 years ago in this very blog and now it’s just me and him in the house, talking on the couch. 

Apart from this surreal ness and the opulence, it wasn’t intimidating. This felt right. This was just one of those moments I could experience after years dreaming about them. Sitting there, I was worth every second of what I was preaching, what I wanted him to listen to and do. 

It’s these kind of moments where you know you belong. That you’re on the right path for you. That nothing is stopping you. 

There have been moments in life now where I didn’t know what to expect or how I’d handle it but I knew I had to do it. 

It’s like Lose Yourself in real-life. “You only got one shot do not miss this chance to blow coz opportunity comes once in a lifetime”. 

It was the same when I was doing that public speaking event in Amsterdam. I flew there from London to give just one 20-minute talk. 

There was nothing that made me have more nerves but also as excited.. but if I blew it and choked, I’d be scarred for life. 

The organiser said they’d be 1,000 people there, but I was more calm on that stage than I’d be talking to a group of friends. 

The same has gone for multiple experiences in this blog that I’ve documented.  I’ve been thrown in the deep end and adapted. I’m proud of that.

But then, skip to next track, I hear the lyrics: “26 on my third GQ cover.”

I’m 27 now and ain’t even had a mention in GQ!

Like Rio is to many.. I want to be one of those idols. Why is that not now? I’ve paid my dues. Like Drake is, like Cole, like Richard Branson, like Gary Vee is for many, truly.. the inner me wants to be even more. It feels like that is where I belong and I’ll never feel satisfied until I am. 

And that brings me to my next point. Overthinking: how much further would I be if I thought less and did more?

What percentage of these “focused trees” were really necessary?

It’s my ambition and want to create something immortal and lasts forever. 

It’s that desire that leads to having a perfectionist outcome. Every decision has to be perfect. 

Balancing those decisions with happiness and contempt. 

Making sure that any decision you make is going to continue that burning passion inside.

When you have both of those variables plus one which is driving head first into unknown territory and no map, it can be a challenge to cope.

But writing this and thinking about it now, maybe the real challenge aren’t those variables, but the challenge of trusting your gut. 

Because my gut has served me right, most of the time.

My instinct has given me the compass of which way to navigate. 

And I don’t want to make slow decisions anymore. Like my Mum has said, I was raised to move like a turtle and that’s my weakness. 

I am in an environment now where speed matters.

It frustrates me more to look at all the plans, write ups in G Drive, and 90% of them not being executed on either due to overthinking, a lack of resources to execute with or both (and both are very solve able problems).

My favourite piece of content this year has been the Last Dance.. or just call it “The Michael Jordan Documentary on Netflix”

I’ve watched all 10 episodes, twice. 

I get it now. I understand why he’s an idol to so many. I understand why he’s been referenced so much in rap lyrics. Sometimes I wonder, did MJ ever overthink? 

How many times did he ever just sit there and think what could go right or wrong? When I look at him, this is a guy who just went out there and did it. 

I mean he played fucking baseball at the height of his career!

He knew what he wanted to be and what was important to him.

The world throw things at him and he just trusted himself with what he needed to do.

And that’s what I need to do too. It’s not a “need” anymore, it’s “that is what I’m going to do.” 

I need to be comfortable with following my map. I know that it’s in there inside of me. No one can see it. No one can feel it. Only I really know.

But the only thing that’s stopping me from moving through it are the what if’s. What if I don’t make it perfect? What if I sell myself short? What if…?

But I need to be comfortable in moving with speed. 

It excites more to make decisions and move than it is pondering over one medium-sized decision for 1 hour under the shower. 

Let’s move forward, let’s continue to move on the journey with great excitement. 

From this point forward with this new 2021 right here, I am going to consciously move in making decisions with my gut.

I will move faster. I will make decisions and never look back.  

Because we’re in the time to do, not to ponder. 

Because I am creating my OWN lane. I am NOT following anyone else’s and never have. 

I am the pioneer. I am the attacker. I am the explorer. I am the man in the arena. 

“Why would I think about missing a shot I haven’t taken?”

Michael Jordan

I’ve been playing C&C Rivals a lot ever since I got an iPhone 11 earlier this year. 

I love this game because it’s a game of real-time strategy. 

You go out with a game plan, and you see very quickly if it sticks. If it works, it’s phenomenal. If it doesn’t you try and adapt, and you could win or lose. 

I don’t remember those times where I lost though, I remember those times when the odds were way against me with a much higher ranked opponent and I out out-manoeuvred them with something unexpected and surprising. That’s the best feeling. That’s what you want to share on the replay reel. 

And that’s the same with MJ. Sometimes it went wrong. No one ever remembers that though… 

But the defeats certainly created all the lessons for success and in sport, you just move on game by game and go, you don’t really have time to think. 

And that’s a lesson in strategy for me. A lesson in leadership too. 

It’s being deliberate (like training), having character (something Janos said to me when I was 16), and sticking with it. 

No one admires wishy-fucking-washy. 

So from today, I’ve already started with MJ decisions. I’ll give myself a star ? if I’m Bold, Brave and Ask myself, what would a great one do? If I act in a way that doesn’t reflect that value, I lose the star. 

This all leads me to lessons in Patience. I feel like its going to take me 10-15 more years to experience all the lessons that I need to. 

As much as I want it now and early, I know if I’m gonna go where I want to be, I will have mishaps. 

And to my last point which.. is going to be interesting looking back 8 years from now: Corona.

In March, I was at the airport when they were closing the terminals. I went long on this. In that terminal I knew it was gonna be a while before I got back to London. I thought that things would pass and be back to normal by the Summer. No one expected this would last this long.  

Other than it feeling a bit like Groundhog day at times seeing the same people and doing the same things over and over.. 2020 is still the most productive year I’ve had (albeit, it will be 3x this in 2021 with my new-found mentality to life) and I’m only optimistic about the future.  

My feeling right now is that thing is gonna stick around for a while and lockdowns will be the new normal in 2021

I hope I get to be back in Australia this year but I also expect that it might not be possible for another year.  

Will there be an unexpected twist with the new vaccine? I don’t know man.. I’m expecting the unexpected but this Covid stuff is the least of my worries.

I’m only focusing on what I can control and there’s A LOT we’re gonna go out there and do this year and I’m ready for it. 

Let’s go.