The Reason You Feel Flat Despite Achieving More Than Ever

Seeing as it's the anniversary of the Copenhagen Ironman, I thought I'd take you back to my experience of that race, but more so some bigger lessons that I've learned from it.

I finished Ironman Copenhagen in 2023 with one lung collapsed for the final 16km. For years afterwards I would not call myself an Ironman.

I'm don't saying that because of modesty.

It is what happens when your identity is welded to a single achievement, and the achievement doesn't land on the terms you set. In the previous video on my channel, you'll see that I literally survived the last Copenhagen Ironman in 2023 with an exercise-induced pulmonary oedema, with one of my lungs fully collapsed for 16K.

Link here if you've missed it: https://youtu.be/nkS0-wZfApc?si=Fpr7RGF_mAuwCYFZ

This episode is about why that happens, and what it costs you.

Most leaders answer the question "who are you" with what they do.

For years, it used to always be about the title. Professional rugby player. Business owner. Founder. Dad. That answer feels solid until the thing you do stops going your way, and then the whole structure moves underneath you.

Identity is not a fixed object. It is a generalisation of your beliefs, values, and standards. That means it is trainable, measurable, and most people have never looked at it directly.

What I cover in this video:

- Why achievement is an elite edge and also a trap, and how to keep the edge without being owned by it.

- The difference between a narrow identity and a broad identity structure, and why the narrow version is exactly what gets you off the floor early on and exactly what plateaus you later.