A little story about a lazy guy on a couch

If my 25-year-old self saw me today…

He’d assume I was in witness protection.

Different mindset.

Different life.

Different hairline.

But let’s rewind to that 25-year-old guy.

He was… how do I say this gently?

A walking TED Talk on how to waste potential.

I wasn’t just depressed.

I was Olympic-level lazy.

Gold medal in Couch Surfing, Sponsored by Netflix and Regret™.

I’d wake up at noon—already tired.

Check my phone. Scroll for 90 minutes.

Think about doing something productive.

Then I’d get exhausted from the thought and go lie down.

I genuinely believed the world owed me something.

Not sure what. Maybe a parade? A Nobel Prize for “Most Potential Wasted in Pajamas”?

I was too lazy to work.

Too entitled to take responsibility.

Too scared to admit that the problem… was me.

But I didn’t call it fear.

Oh no, that would be too self-aware.

I called it:

• “Burnout” (from what?)

• “Creative block” (I wasn’t creating anything)

• “Just in a funk” (a 2-year funk, mind you)

Truth is?

I wasn’t stuck.

I was scared.

Scared of trying.

Scared of failing.

Scared of succeeding and realizing I’d actually have to keep going.

That’s the plot twist no one warns you about:

Success isn’t a finish line.

It’s a treadmill with taxes and rejection and people asking for Zoom calls at 9am.

Anyway, one day I had this thought.

And it hit me hard:

“No one’s coming to save you.”

There’s no motivational fairy.

No rich uncle.

No “Success Genie” who pops out of your DoorDash order with six-pack abs and a personalized life plan.

So I took the smallest step I could.

I got off the couch.

Okay, technically I rolled. But there was momentum. Progress!

Then I made one better decision.

Then another.

I stopped waiting for confidence and just started collecting tiny wins.

Not glamorous.

Not Instagrammable.

But real.

And now?

That 25-year-old version of me—the one who thought personal growth was just drinking kombucha and journaling sad poems—

He wouldn’t even recognize the guy writing this email.

And honestly? That makes me proud.

Because I earned this version of me.

So if you’re reading this while slouched on your own metaphorical (or literal) couch…

Hear me out:

You’re not broken.

You’re not behind.

You’re not stuck.

You’re scared.

And that’s okay.

Just don’t stay there.

Take one small step. Then another. Then another.

The light at the end of the tunnel?

Yeah, it’s there.

But it only turns on when you move.

And that’s about it.

If you enjoyed reading this, share it with people who you think it’d help the most.

And reply with any questions you have re LinkedIN, content or life in general. I respond to every single one.

I’ll see you next time.

Cheers.