January 2025 didn’t mark my first attempt at change.
I had been here before. I had tried before and if I’m being honest, part of me wondered if this would be just another chapter that started strong and slowly faded away.
But this time… something was different.
Not because the path was easier.
Not because life suddenly became calm or predictable.
But because I was different.
The shift that changed everything
For the first time, I wasn’t doing this to meet anyone else’s expectations.
I wasn’t chasing approval.
I wasn’t trying to prove my worth.
I was doing it for me.
I had done the inner work. I had strengthened my mindset. I allowed myself to be supported instead of trying to do it all alone and most importantly, I made a powerful decision:
I chose to believe in myself.
That belief didn’t mean I suddenly felt confident every day. It meant I trusted myself enough to keep going even when doubt showed up.
Why change rarely sticks without inner work
So many people “know what to do” but struggle to follow through. That’s not a willpower problem it’s a self-belief problem.
If part of you still believes:
- You’ll fail again
- You don’t deserve ease or success
- Change isn’t safe
Then self-sabotage will quietly step in to protect the familiar.
Change sticks when your inner world catches up with your outer goals.
Self-belief checkin
Ask yourself:
- Who do I need to become to sustain this change?
- What old version of me am I ready to gently release?
- What would acting from self-trust look like today, just in one small way?
When I stumbled (and why it mattered)
This journey wasn’t smooth or effortless. I stumbled. I lost my way for a time.
But instead of turning those moments into proof that I couldn’t do this, I allowed them to become part of the learning.
That was new.
I stopped asking, “What’s wrong with me?”
And started asking, “What is this teaching me?”
Those moments didn’t mean I had failed. They meant I was human and growing.
From self-sabotage to self-leadership
Self-sabotage often appears when growth feels unfamiliar. Self-leadership is what helps you pause, respond with compassion and choose again.
The Pause & Lead practice
- Pause and place a hand on your body
- Take one slow breath
- Ask: What do I need right now to support myself, not punish myself?
- Choose one kind, aligned action no matter how small
This is how trust is rebuilt. This is how momentum is created.
Who I’m becoming
Through this journey, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of who I am, what drives me and what truly matters to me.
I’ve learned that nourishment isn’t just about food, habits, or goals it’s about how you relate to yourself along the way.
And I’m not stopping here.
Looking ahead: Bigger goals, stronger self-belief
I’m carrying this momentum forward into 2026 with bigger goals, deeper self-trust and genuine excitement for what’s ahead. Not because I have it all figured out but because I trust myself to navigate whatever comes.
If you’re standing at the beginning of your own journey, or wondering if this time could be different for you too, let me leave you with this:
