why meaningful achievement starts with self-mastery

Achievement can be a beautiful thing.

It can feel really motivating to set out a goal for something important or meaningful to you, and then hit said target.

For many it offers a time to finally exhale.

To know that something can be created into a form that previously didn’t exist.

There are countless examples of this like hitting a sales target, losing a certain amount of weight, learning a foreign language, or completing a book.

I’m sure something instantly can come up for you just upon reflecting for a moment on one of the most challenging goals you’ve ever accomplished.

Without much though, a few that comes up for me immediately as I write this are:

1.     Completing my first marathon

2.     Working completely for myself “aka starting my own coaching practice”

3.     Relocating to a foreign country

These were all goals of mine at some point that felt exciting on one end, while simultaneously scaring the living shit out of me on the other.

In high school I was about 30 pounds heavier than my current weight for most of it (and I’m not talking muscle).

In order to make the varsity basketball team there was standard put in place that each player would need to run under a 7-minute mile as a warmup before we started our practice session.

For my freshman and sophomore years I couldn’t hit that number.

The first mile we ran as a group, came in at nearly 13 minutes for me.

As time went on I got it down to 11 minutes.

Then 9 and half minutes.

However even at my then best those first two years, I wasn’t able to get it under 7.

After taking my nutrition a bit more seriously and letting go of sodas and pizza before nearly every practice, I got my mile time all the way down to 6:36.

I was elated as I remembered all of the times where I wasn’t able to accomplish that.

Looking back, the goal wasn't really running a sub-7-minute mile. It was learning discipline.

Learning that consistent action, repeated over time, can fundamentally change what we believe we're capable of.

Fast forward just over 10 years later and I was willingly running in my first full marathon (26.2 miles).

Running a mile, hell even 10 miles felt extremely effortless at that point.

While I switch up my forms of exercises every few months, presently I run anywhere between 20-30 miles a week (which my previous self would’ve outright laughed if my current self shared that with him 😂).

For my 2nd goal, I wanted to work for myself by the age of 30.

This at the time seemed the most unrealistic to me.

I had not only built a successful career within my corporate consulting role, I also was financially responsible for ensuring that a loved one was in a good spot too.

I spent a lot of time reading books and self-researching different possible careers I could move into that would align with my natural skills and values even more than my then current role.

Pretty early within that process I identified both writing and coaching as being something that I not only was naturally highly interested in, but to a certain degree was already living on nearly a daily basis too.

Whether helping clients solve complex business problems or see new potential opportunities to partner with my corporate organization, oftentimes our conversations would go much deeper than a traditional business transaction.

I knew about their families, what kept them up at night, and was always a curious learner who asked a voracious amount of questions.

In addition to this, one of the aspects I enjoyed the most about my sales role was the opportunity to mentor less seasoned reps so that they could be even more successful themselves (often skipping steps that I had been through myself and could speak more intelligently around).

While I knew I was going to eventually transition out, after attending a yearlong online coach training (while still employed), more and more seeds kept sprouting internally within my awareness of this being something I was meant to be doing.

Every cell and fiber of my being was lit up and consumed by all that I was learning.

I was studying before I would even go to work, during my lunch breaks I’d go to Whole Foods and continue studying, and then once home I would do the exact same.

It felt so energizing to me that even with all of the hours that I was dedicating to it, I felt more and more joy throughout the process.

All of this was on top of my corporate work responsibilities too.

I started working with 1:1 clients while still employed, in order to gain more experience and help support others in growing both personally and professionally.

At the beginning it was pro bono, but I didn’t care in the least bit.

I had zero experience and knew the only way to improve would be to get the reps in. Plus I was immensely energized by it.

I’d spend 2-3 late evenings each week having coaching sessions (on top of the 50+ hours I was working during the in my main job).

What I didn't realize at the time was that I wasn't just building a coaching business—I was building trust in myself.

Trust in my ability to follow what felt deeply aligned, even when there was no guarantee of how it would unfold.

I then reached a point where I proactively resigned from my corporate career.

While it didn’t happen overnight, I got to the point of leading trainings for the same professional sports industry that I had built my previous career around.

NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS – I’ve worked with leadership executives and teams within all of them.

AND, the majority of this being done while abroad.

Which brings me to my 3rd goal, which was around the desire to relocate to a foreign country.

After I transitioned out of my corporate career, I was fortunate enough to take off a complete year of working.

During that time not only went through different a multitude of different trainings that were of interest to me (including meditation, yoga, nutritional psychology, and holistic health). I also started attending group therapy around authentic communication too.

During this particular period of time I traveled to over 10 different countries throughout Europe and South America.

While abroad, more and more seeds began internally planting within me around the possibility of living outside of the US.

It was purely from a sense of inspiration.

From interacting with different cultures, experiencing a variety of cuisines that I wasn’t normally accustomed to, as well the fascination I had with foreign languages, proved to be a conjoining of not just visiting different countries, but creating the goal of truly moving abroad.

While there was immense fear around how I could make that work (as at the time I was living off of savings and hadn’t had one paid client), the vision for me was greater than the fear.

Four years from that particular time, I relocated to Costa Rica.

Over five years later, I’m still here.

Looking back, moving abroad wasn't really about Costa Rica. It was about learning to trust inspiration more than certainty.

To move toward what felt deeply alive, even when I couldn't yet see the entire path.

I’ve worked with coaching clients during this time from three different continents, and have consulted with many organizations around self-leadership, emotional mastery, and collaborative communication too.

Goal, accomplished.

Yet in hindsight, the achievement itself wasn't the greatest reward.

There was no 100% carbon copy model for any of these three goals that I’ve mentioned throughout this.

For each, there was a tremendous amount of experimentation, reflection, feedback, and greater refinement that led to all of them being actualized.

Then once fully embodied, there was space for whatever else may want to then be explored too.

This is what I believe the game of life is.

To go from being a kid playing with GI Joes to at one point (without being told), placing the action figure down in order to focus more on where the energy wants to be moved next.

The essence of being highly attuned with where one is being led or guided is a practice of deep internal alignment.

One of intentionality, honesty, and authenticity within oneself.

From this place, the game continues.

Where am I being guided?

What feels exciting while simultaneously a bit edgy (fearful) for me to step into?

What could it serve me to go without or let go of for a period, in order to collect the data that allows for even greater awareness as to if it is truly useful for me moving forward?

All of these questions in the name of self-mastery.

As when we truly master ourselves, our goals become clearer and our performance naturally increases. Not because we’re “forcing” it to be that way, but because we’re allowing full permission for the energy to fully move within us, unimpeded.

With Love,

Brandon

P.S. - If this reflection stirred something within you, I'd be curious to hear what your own next edge looks like.

What is the goal, conversation, transition, or leap that feels both meaningful and slightly uncomfortable for you right now?

Feel free to comment below.

🙏🏿💜