It’s so good to be back with you.

Writing this newsletter is one of my favourite parts of the week, and after stepping back for the holiday season, spending time in Jeffrey’s Bay, doing the things that bring me joy with people I love, I’m feeling recharged and ready to get back behind the wheel — to write, inspire, guide, lead and RUN again.

This time of year is one of my favourites because it’s filled with a sense of possibility. Almost everyone I speak to is talking about their goals and the changes they want to create in their lives.

But— and this is a big BUT — if we’re being honest, we also know that most people never achieve those goals. They talk about them, make ambitious plans, and then… fall short.

For those of you who’ve been reading my newsletter for a while, I don’t need to emphasise the importance of choosing your priority areas, committing to clear goals, mapping out the actions you want (and need!) to take and setting boundaries with conflicting responsibilities (and people!).

These steps are essential, but they’re not enough.

Something more fundamental separates those who make things happen from those who don’t. They don’t just have a great plan or strategy. They have a genuine sense of urgency.

I see it time and time again — people step into their power and grow in ways they never thought possible when they have no other choice. When they’ve hit rock bottom. When their backs are against the wall. When they finally realise it’s them, not their circumstances, that will determine their future. When they face the possibility of losing the very thing, or person, they love most. When holding on to their old, familiar ways is just no longer an option.

When change and growth aren’t just an idea, but the only way forward.

Before we dive in I wanted to let you know that this newsletter is slightly longer.

Simply because what I’m about to share cuts to the heart of real transformation — the fundamental difference between those who achieve their goals and those who remain stuck in the same familiar loop of life.

To kick things off, we need to make one thing clear.

This pattern of leading decisively when our backs are against the wall isn’t just a coincidence. It reveals something profound about human nature and performance — something captured perfectly in Parkinson’s Law which explains that the work in front of us expands to fill the time we allocate to it.

You’ve likely experienced this before, if you give yourself six months to complete a project, it will likely take all six months. But if you only have two weeks, you’ll focus, cut distractions, and get it done. The task doesn’t change, what changes is the urgency you bring to it.

And this isn’t just about deadlines. It’s about how we respond to urgency in every part of life:

• We put off our biggest ambitions until we feel time slipping away.
• We ignore our finances until a crisis forces us to act.
• We take our partner for granted until there’s a real risk of losing them.
• We neglect our health until burnout or sickness makes it impossible to ignore.
• And we finally lace up our running shoes when there are only four weeks left to train for a marathon.

When urgency demands it, we rise to the occasion. We push past limitations, act decisively, and accomplish more than we thought possible. But what I want to emphasise today is that you don’t have to wait for external pressure to create that urgency.

You can choose to create the same urgency that drives extraordinary achievement — not from a place of fear or desperation, but from intention and desire.

This shift changes everything. It allows you to turn urgency into a choice, rather than a reaction, putting you back in control of your direction, growth, and success in life.

I remind myself of this principle every time I set a goal and follow four key practices that bring this concept to life — practices that have helped me, and many of my clients move from vague intentions to decisive action, and from goals and plans to real results.

Today I want to share these four practices with you because understanding and applying them could be the turning point between another year of unfulfilled intentions and stepping into the driver’s seat of life that aligns with your potential, values and aspirations.

My hope for you, is that 2025 becomes the year you take (back) control and guide yourself toward your highest expression of success — whatever that may mean for you.

Practice 1: Set Non-Negotiable Deadlines

The first step is to set goals with clear, non-negotiable deadlines. Not vague intentions like “I want to get fitter” or “I’ll grow my business this year,” but specific endpoints with real dates attached. This isn’t about adding pressure, it’s about creating clarity and commitment.

Take signing up for a marathon or any other race as an example. Not only is the goal clear — the distance you want to run (and perhaps the time you want to achieve) — but it also takes place on a specific date. The deadline is fixed, and that creates focus, urgency, and accountability.

Now imagine approaching other areas of your life with the same level of clarity and urgency:

• Instead of saying, “I’ll find investors this year,” set a time-bound goal like, “I’ll pitch to 10 investors and secure $500,000 by June 30.”
• Instead of saying, “I’ll get healthier,” commit to something specific, like, “I’ll run 35K per week by May 1.”

When your goals have clear deadlines, they stop being abstract ideas and become actionable commitments, with tangible endpoints that demand your focus and energy.

Practice 2: Leverage Social Pressure

The second step is to leverage accountability in a way that works for you.

Some suggest to “go in ghost mode, do the work and return transformed.” Others believe that you should share every step of your journey. The truth lies in what works best for you.

For some, going public is the answer. Announcing your goals — whether on social media, with your team, or even with close friends — creates a powerful sense of commitment. For example, telling your audience, “We’re launching our new product by May 1,” immediately turns your plan into a promise.

For others, accountability works better in a one-on-one setting. Sharing your goals with someone whose opinion you value (and let’s be honest, their validation!) can provide the motivation, focus, and determination to keep going long after the intrinsic motivation fades.

The key is finding the kind of accountability that pushes you to show up, day in, day out — because you don’t want to disappoint them. And, more importantly, because you don’t want to disappoint yourself.

PS: I’m launching a new online course by May 1st. That’s a promise!

Practice 3: Get Honest About the Cost of Inaction

The third, and perhaps most important, step is to get brutally honest about the cost of inaction.

We’re wired to chase short-term rewards and avoid discomfort, which is why we often avoid asking ourselves the tough questions we’d rather avoid — questions about what happens if we don’t act. But the truth is that every decision we make comes with a consequence, immediate or delayed.

The challenge is that most people focus only on the immediate outcome, avoiding the deeper, long-term consequences that may unfold.

But if they could see the person they’re becoming and the life they’ll end up with by holding on to old, familiar ways, they would most likely make different choices. And this is something I’ve seen firsthand, both in my own life and in the work I do with clients — as soon as we become aware of the real cost of inaction, and realise what’s truly at stake, urgency naturally follows.

That’s why I suggest having an honest conversation with yourself, by asking:

• What’s the real cost of staying where I am?
• If nothing changes, what will the impact be six months or a year from now?
• What opportunities will I lose by waiting?
• What relationships will suffer or fade away?
• How will not taking action shape the person I’m becoming?
• Am I ok with that? Why or why not?

Take a moment to sit with these questions. The point isn’t to dwell on what could go wrong, it’s to understand what’s at stake if you don’t act.

For example, postponing a key decision might not just cost you time or energy, it might erode your trust in yourself. Avoiding a personal goal might leave you feeling stagnant, unfulfilled, or even disconnected from the life you want. And neglecting a relationship could create distance that grows too wide to bridge, leaving you with regret.

This isn’t about installing fear, it’s about coming face to face with the consequences of your choices.

It’s meant to wake you up and get you (back) in the driver’s seat of your life.

Practice 4: Anchor Your Actions in a Strong “Why”

The fourth and final step is to ensure that every goal you pursue is anchored in a strong “why.”

Without a meaningful reason behind your actions, even the clearest plans and strongest deadlines can lose momentum. Your “why” drives you when motivation fades, keeps you focused when distractions pull at your attention, and pushes you forward when the going gets tough.

Ask yourself:

• Why does this goal matter to me?
• Who will I become when I pursue/achieve this goal?
• What will achieving it allow me to feel, experience, or become?
• How will achieving this goal impact the people I care about?

Your “why” doesn’t need to be perfect — it just needs to be real. Something that gets under your skin and reminds you of why it’s all worth it. As Nietzsche said:

“He who has a why to live can almost bear any how.”

And from my own experience, I can tell you this: when your “why” is clear and strong enough, you no longer see challenges as obstacles, but as opportunities to forge into the person you were created to be ultimately.

These four practices aren’t just strategies or techniques. They’re tools for creating the urgency that most people only find when their backs are against the wall.

They’re about choosing to ACT instead of waiting to REACT.

Because here’s what I know to be true — you don’t need to wait for life to force your hand.

You don’t need a crisis to make meaningful change. You can choose to create that same sense of urgency that drives extraordinary achievement. You can become the person who acts because you know it’s the right thing to do, not because you’re left with no choice.

Becoming that person will set you apart from 99% of the crowd.

So, as you set your goals for 2025, remember that the difference between those who transform their lives by will and those who only act when they’re with the back against the wall is their ability to cultivate a sense of urgency.

I hope this has inspired you to take action and that these steps will help you to take charge of your direction, growth and success in 2025.

I’ll be rooting for you.