Day 24 reflections: I wasted a whole year...

Jul '25 (edited) • GENERAL💌

I joined this group over a year ago after seeing one of Sifu’s videos on Instagram where he smashed that punching bag with such thunderous impact that I had to replay that video a couple more times just to make sure it was real. Don't know about you, but I could literally feel the power ripple through the screen. I remember thinking: “That’s some modern-day Jedi training.”

That moment lit something up in me. I got excited about learning Wing Chun, developing real internal power, and mastering the State. But I didn’t take much action other than joining the One Tao Family group and following Sifu on social media.

I told myself things like:

“What if I’m not good at it?”

“What if it doesn’t work for me?”

“I should probably save some money…”

So instead of joining the Academy, I stayed on the sidelines. I’d watch some of the training videos in the courses, the occasional clip on Instagram, skim a few newsletters, but I didn’t really commit.

A whole year passed like that with me watching from a distance while my excuses quietly won the mental battle.

Then a few weeks ago, something shifted. That same excitement returned when I got another newsletter talking about an online webinar on martial arts and a fun META DOJO event. At first, I brushed it aside and told myself I was too busy for all this stuff. But this burning feeling inside kept coming back. I found myself scrolling through the Skool platform more and more to check out what was happening these days.

Then one day, I just said: “You know what… fuck it! Stop overthinking it. Just show up for 30 days. No pressure. If it's not for me, I could walk away knowing I gave it a shot. I could always go back to my old life anyway, so what have I got to lose? Easy."

But here I am—24 days in—and so much has changed for me that I wanted to share with you.

I feel more energy in my body. It started with tingling in my hands that later spread to the whole body the more I showed up and did the training. I’ve had sharper insights at work and it's less stressful. I have clearer emotional awareness, and moments of flow I can’t fully explain.

Daily training has helped me feel more grounded and disciplined. It feels pretty solid to say I’d show up—and then actually do it. The live sessions, the daily reflections, the discipline of others in the Academy… all of it pushed me to raise my own standards

And the money thing? Honestly, I’ve spent way more in the past trying to impress people I didn’t even like and buying things I didn’t need. But this would be an investment in myself. And it’s already paying off.

I do kick myself a bit for giving power to excuses, doubt and delay. I lost a whole year due to hesitation.

But now I’ve made a commitment to myself and to this path. It's my path. I AM the path. If I am not going to commit to myself, who will do it for me? No-one.

What I’ve found is this: the more I put in, the more I get back—amplified multiple-fold through Sifu’s guidance and the insights from the community.

So instead of quitting after 30 days, today I signed up for the full year. Because I want to know what happens when I show up fully. And seriously, I’m genuinely excited to meet the version of me that exists one year from now, looking back at this moment and knowing that I made the right decision for my future self, and he thanks me for it. I am certain that the next 12 months will not be the same as the last 12 months. Hell, the next 10 years will NOT be the same as the last 10 years of my life. All because I made a simple decision, by taking small effective actions every single day, and letting the magic of the compound effect (which Einstein dubs the 8th wonder of the world) show me the return on investment I make in myself.

If any part of this resonates with you, just know this: you’re not alone.

And if you’ve been sitting on the fence like I was… maybe this is your nudge.

I wish someone had nudged me 12 months ago.

Let’s keep growing. Let’s keep flowing.

Together. 👊🌀

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