Innovators and Impact Makers,

How do you feel about personal change?

Does it have to be BIG to be POWERFUL?

Does the process have to be convoluted, difficult, and full of sacrifices?

I used to think it did.

Here’s why it doesn’t.

Why Change?

Stop talking about change! It’s making me uncomfortable.

As humans, we often fear change.

That fear is normal.

It stems from one of or a myriad of these factors:

• Our inherent desire for control and predictability

• Fear of the unknown

• Awareness that change disrupts routines

• Challenges to our comfort zones

• Anxiety about the potential negative consequence

This is an achievement newsletter.

And we’re humans in the year 2025.

We can point this out, understand it conceptually, and still be governed by it.

So, we need to find ways around it if we want to achieve.

Because, let’s face it.

To achieve something new, we need to do or become something or someone we haven’t been before.

But enough with the overwhelming generalising statements, let me share a story with you.

Personal Experience

A few months back, I sat down to write in my journal.

What came out was absolute gobbledy goop.

I don't mean the quantity; I mean the quality.

The sentences started with AND or BUT and there were "LIKES" everywhere.

The ideas were cliché, unoriginal, and sounded like somebody else was writing them.

My mind felt clouded and short of ideas, and I didn't even recognise myself in my own writing.

My journal even asked if it could have its page back.

This was pretty shocking to me because writing has always been part of me.

From my A-levels in English, French, and Spanish classes all the way through until now, I've consistently used writing to speak, to learn, and to connect.

It's truly a part of who I am and important to everything I do.

Something inside me suggested this brain fog could be the result of my diet.

So, I spoke with a nutritionist, a friend of mine, who gave me two options:

Option 1: All In 

Whole foods.

Experiment with your diet, introducing more Omega-3 or B12 through seafood and meat.

Ideally 2 or 3 meals per week.

Option 2: Supplement 

Introduce Omega-3 or B-12 in a supplement form.

These can come in table form, for very little money.

Option 3: Do Nothing

Do nothing, it might pass.

While Option 1 felt like the 'wholesome' choice, our home is mainly vegetarian, and I enjoy having dinner with Erin.

I'm also pretty tight for time, so cooking new meals would be a challenge.

Option 3 felt too passive. I suppose nothing bad would happen (or could it?)

I opted for testing Omega-3 in supplement form.

The Result 

The effect was almost instant.

Within days of starting the supplements, my vocabulary was back, and my writing and speaking improved straightaway.

My ability to describe things increased dramatically, with adjectives like scintillating and decadent returning to common usage.

My brain was understanding new information faster and turning it into useful outputs.

I felt inspired again.

It was transformative.

The change was small, the impact huge.

It still shocks me now.

The Code: The Power of a Small Shift

So, what’s the takeaway here?

This simple image, borrowed from my day job, powerfully illustrates the point about how we can approach change.

• Attitude 1: The fisher person sitting down knows how to catch one type of fish.

• Attitude 2: The fisher person has tried standing up and suddenly has a range of fish to try.

Some of those fish are big changes and some of them are small.

In this example, the change wasn't monumental. It was a shift in attitude.

By trying something new, a small change like standing up, we open ourselves to different possibilities.

This creates new opportunities we didn’t know were there.

Those opportunities don’t have to be time-consuming.

Some will be, but not always.

Remember you also have the power of choice.

Had I not reached out to my friend, I never would have thought of supplementing Omega-3.

Neither would some of my friends who have benefitted from this insight too.

Our code is easy too:

1. Identify an area where you’re sitting down.

2. Ask someone - what opportunities do I have to stand up?

3. Commit to standing up by doing ones of those for a small period of time.

Your Challenge: Stand Up

This week, focus on standing up in an area you’re sitting down.

Here’s your simple challenge:

• Stand Up: Ask around - what opportunities are there?

• Try one of the new opportunities that come you way

If you know someone who would benefit from standing up, please share this newsletter with them!

Your Favourite Stander Upper,

Dan x