Have You Ever F**ked Up?

When I was 15, I’d drink to the point of blacking out.

I became a reckless, booze-driven kid, all because I wanted to “fit in.”

I was willing to become someone else — someone I wasn’t. 

This behaviour bled into my adulthood, where I relied on alcohol in a very unhealthy way.

My transition from reckless teenager, to full-blown addict, is something I was interviewed about recently… 

And it got me thinking about choices and “mistakes.”

The dictionary defines a “mistake” as:

“An action or an opinion that is not correct, or that produces a result that you did not want.”

I don’t see it that way.

To me, a “mistake” implies regret. 

And, despite hating what I was doing…

Despite hating who I was becoming… 

I don’t regret any of it. 

If I hadn’t made those “mistakes,” I wouldn’t be where I am today. 

I wouldn’t have:

• A 8-figure business.

• A partner I’m crazy about. 

• A lifestyle I only dreamed about. 

Mistakes imply regret and self-punishment. 

Never forgiving yourself for the “bad” things you've done. 

To me, that sounds like hell. 

Instead, I live a life of embracing my lessons.

Lessons are different from “mistakes.” 

Lessons are about understanding the messiness of human nature. 

They’re about giving yourself permission to screw up.

I shifted the narrative to see “mistakes” as opportunities. 

Mistakes are part of the journey away from regret, and towards acceptance. 

The Journey of Understanding

Start seeing mistakes as opportunities for growth, rather than an opportunity to punish yourself.

That’s the journey.

It’s a lifelong process of showing up for yourself, every single day.

As you work to understand your mistakes…

As you learn to accept what happened…

As you give yourself permission to be human…

As you start seeing mistakes for opportunities…

As you commit to being kinder to yourself…

As you work to grow alongside your goals…

You’re on a journey that will change your life for the better. 

That’s growth. 

That’s evolution.

That’s self-development. 

Becoming the best version of yourself will lead you down a successful path.

Personal evolution leads to business growth, which leads to personal evolution, which leads to business growth… 

It’s an intertwined system of mutual growth and development. 

A dual path. 

And it all starts with making a mistake. 

Acknowledge Your Mistakes

We all fuck up. 

We lie.

We steal.

We cheat.

We hurt others. 

We hurt ourselves. 

You’ve probably done this at some point in your life. 

But I’m not here to point the finger. 

(Especially since I’ve done it, too). 

I’m here to tell you that it’s okay. 

And that messing up is hard. 

But acknowledging that you messed up — that’s harder. 

Missteps come with complicated, negative emotions. 

Embarrassment. 

Self-doubt.

Shame. 

Then, as if those feelings weren’t bad enough…

How about messing up as a business owner? 

Lost clients. 

Ruined reputation. 

Plummeting revenue. 

Nothing about this feels good…

It’s quite the opposite.

So it’s no surprise that we try to ignore our missteps. 

As humans, we’re hard-wired to protect ourselves…

To do whatever it takes to avoid social embarrassment and shame…

To protect our ego at all costs. 

So, when you mess up, it might seem easier to sweep it under the rug… 

It’s not surprising.

(It’s actually just human nature.)

But that doesn’t make it right. 

By ignoring mistakes in the interest of protecting your ego, you’ll begin to see that missteps will dictate your life. 

And it won’t be good. 

Instead of critically evaluating what happened so you can do better next time… 

You’re setting yourself up to make the same mistake over and over without learning anything from it.

Acknowledging your misstep — in all its embarrassing, shameful glory — is the first move. 

Now, learn to acknowledge your mistakes as data…

Data which allows you to take accountability for what happened — get up, dust yourself off, and keep going. 

Taking ownership puts you in the driver’s seat. 

You gain control of what that misstep means for your future. 

Not the other way around. 

Reflect on Your Mistakes

Once you put your ego to the side and acknowledge that you’ve made a mistake…

You need to do some objective reflection. 

Take your feelings and thoughts out of the equation… 

And try to review what happened from a bird’s eye view…

Analyse the situation as if it happened to someone else…

Consider the objective facts and ask yourself:

• What happened and who was involved?

• How did each person react and why?

• What about this situation was “good” or “bad”?

Imagine looking at the picture on a jigsaw puzzle. 

If you dump out the entire box…

Ignore the picture on the front… 

And leave the pieces upside down… 

You’ll have no idea how they fit together.

But, if you examine the image on the front of the puzzle box…

And look at each individual piece, right-side-up… 

How the pieces fit together becomes easier.

If you don’t see each piece of your misstep for what it is… 

Evaluating the “how” and “why” as key puzzle pieces in the journey to understanding…

You will never learn from your mistakes. 

And you’ll repeat the same mistake over again, until you do. 

Through the objective breakdown of the missteps you made, you’ll find yourself on a road to compassion. 

Compassion for what happened and compassion for what you did.

Permission to Get it Wrong

You know what went wrong.

You know why it happened.

And now you need to tell yourself it’s okay. 

This part is arguably the hardest part of embracing mistakes… 

But the truth is, avoiding mistakes is impossible. 

When you start any new process, whether it’s self-actualisation or starting a business…

You’re going to get things wrong. 

You are going to make mistakes while running your business. 

You are going to mess up while working on relationships. 

You are going to fuck up while working on yourself.  

But it’s nothing to be ashamed of… 

It’s an opportunity for growth. 

Giving yourself permission to get things wrong, lets you face the inevitable with a stronger mindset.

When you give yourself permission to make mistakes, you can tackle new projects with a renewed sense of confidence…

Because who cares if you mess up? 

You can ideate with a level of creativity that you’ve never had before…

Because who cares if it doesn’t work out? 

You can give yourself the grace and kindness you would to a friend…

Because everyone makes mistakes.

The sooner you accept that mistakes are part of the human experience, the sooner you can start to learn and grow from them.

It’s okay to get things wrong. 

But it’s not okay to not work it out. 

As Zen master Thích Nhất Hạnh said, “acknowledging our feelings without judging them or pushing them away, embracing them with mindfulness, is an act of homecoming.”

So if you get up and keep going… you’ll never lose. 

Learn From Your Mistakes

Faking who I was to fit in wasn’t a mistake — it led me to understand that I’m introverted. 

Addiction wasn’t a mistake — it led me to understand my “addictive” personality better. 

Risking relationships wasn’t a mistake — it led me to understand how I need to show up for others. 

I don’t regret any mistakes I’ve made in my life because I know they’re inevitable.

And that mindset transforms the mistake.

It takes the mistake from something you should regret, to something you should appreciate. 

Something you can learn from. 

Because mistakes are lessons, but also an opportunity to take accountability. 

An opportunity to grow. 

So, as long as you’re alive, you’re going to continue making mistakes. 

But the choice is yours. 

Will you see mistakes as regrets that keep you stationary in life and business? 

Or…

Will you start to see mistakes as opportunities to become your most idealised self? 

You know the right choice.

But it’s not without immense effort. 

Take Accountability

When I was 30, I was headed nowhere… fast. 

I had no money, no home, and a business that was, to put it bluntly… a joke. 

I didn’t care about the mistakes I was making. 

It’s not something to be proud of… but at the time, it was easier than taking accountability.

But your ideal life starts with you choosing to take ownership over your actions.

It takes commitment. 

It takes dedication. 

It takes continuous effort. 

So, every day that you wake up, choose the life that you want to live… 

Choose your goals and your dreams. 

Choose the person you want to be. 

Choose to show up. 

Regardless of the mistakes or setbacks. 

Continuously putting effort towards your goals will mean making mistakes… 

But showing up imperfectly is still showing up. 

Taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back is still moving forward. 

Getting back up after you fall down is still landing you on your feet. 

Your commitment to yourself is making a difference, even when it doesn’t feel like it. 

So don’t give up. 

Things will change and evolve…

And so will you. 

The Evolution of Your Goals

Seeing missteps as opportunities — and seizing those opportunities — has a domino effect. 

You mess up. You reflect. You learn. You commit. You grow. 

Then, you start to become someone different… 

And the new version of yourself has different goals and dreams. 

So, you start to put in the work to reach your new ideal.

You mess up. You reflect. You learn. You commit. You grow. 

You become stronger, smarter, more skilled… 

Your goals and dreams change again. 

And they continue to change because you never stop finding ways to improve yourself. 

That’s one of the most beautiful things about this journey. 

You meet parts of yourself you haven’t before. 

You realise goals and dreams you hadn’t thought about. 

You form new opinions, have new experiences, and find new ways to reflect your values.

Goals are fluid and dynamic… they change with you. 

So, whether your goal today is to embrace your missteps, or make your first million dollars… 

Be open. Be flexible. Be fluid. 

You never know what you might learn…

And what incredible places it might lead you. 

I’ve made a lot of mistakes

When people hear my story, they often ask if I have any regrets. 

And my answer is always the same: 

Nope. 

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. 

But I don’t regret any of it.

Everything that has ever happened…

Everything that I've ever experienced…

It’s all compounded to make me who I am today. 

And it started with embracing my mistakes. 

Accepting my missteps without embarrassment or shame. 

Leaning into the lessons and opportunities that came with my mess-ups. 

At the end of the day, when I get to my last day on Earth… 

I’ll know that I lived without letting mistakes rule my life. 

I’ll know that I’ve seen every mishap or mess-up as an opportunity for growth. 

I’ll know I’ve put the work into becoming the best version of myself. 

Once you start your journey to understanding… 

I hope you’ll feel the same way, too. 

Stay awesome, stay powerful.

P.S: Whenever you’re ready, here are a few things you might be interested in:

1. Advice On Starting Your Business: A powerful Youtube video where I answered a reader’s question on how to start a successful business.

2. 'How I Quit Alcohol' Podcast: One of my favourite interviews I’ve ever done. If you’re interested in learning how I came from rock bottom to create a life I’m proud of, you’ll want to listen.

3. Follow me on IG: Get bite-sized video content and behind-the-scenes of my nomad entrepreneur life

4. Join The Waitlist: We’re creating an exclusive online community of 6, 7 and 8-figure entrepreneurs seeking to become citizens of the world and achieve self-actualisation through business, lifestyle design, and personal evolution. I think you’ll love it: The Nomad Entrepreneur Network

And, of course, if you know other people who might enjoy content like this, please share this with them.

Your help in building this community will be forever appreciated.