Recently, I came to realise that it’s easier to preach than it is to practice, and I was very guilty of not practicing what I preach.
For the last while, from a business point of view, it seemed that at every turn I was hitting a brick wall.
A couple of my coaching and training proposals were rejected, people weren’t returning my calls, and my emails were being met with silence. Combined with all the public holidays and the wintry weather on its way, the peaks and troughs associated with entrepreneurial life had slid into a deep, grey trough.
If you’ve read my posts or newsletters, you’ll know that as a Coach and a Trainer, a lot that I preach about is personal leadership and development, the need to play as it promotes creative inspiration, and breathwork as it contributes to our wellbeing.
During this time, my morning ritual of breathwork, meditation, and calisthenics remained the same, but it was while in my office where I failed to heed my own advice.
I would go through my daily agenda, making calls, sending emails, posting the odd post, but the worst part was that I couldn’t leave my desk and disengage from my laptop.
Between making a call or typing an email, I’d start surfing YouTube for random entertainment stuff. I’d look at movie reviews, sports pundits talking about weekend football results, some random historical video about a time gone by, or a clip from a cooking show. In between the clips, I’d go back to Outlook, Gmail, and WhatsApp to see if there any messages, and if not, I’d go back to surfing.
I couldn’t leave my desk while addicted to the hope that a positive message would come through, and the longer I sat there surfing, the more hooked I became on the overstimulation.
Not only was this confined to my office. My stormy mood seeped under the door and into my home life. I was ratty, disengaged, and on edge as I climbed further into my head, which was drowning in bite-sized online content.
And this is the person who preaches to get up and walk, doodle, write, do a bit of DIY, anything that will promote a feeling of ease and relaxation where creative ideas can flow, or take a few breaths to feel better.
This lasted for about 10 days, and it was late at night, while in bed, staring at the ceiling, when I realised 2 things.
1. I’d become afraid to confront my fear that was related to my diminishing workload. Because of this I needed external stimulation so that my mind was kept busy, alleviating the frustration of what I was experiencing. And the longer I sat taking in all the external stimulation, the less space there was for creative inspiration – my brainwaves just weren’t functioning at the vibration needed for idea generation.
2. The second point was that my internal feeling of achievement was diminishing, and it was affecting my self-confidence while increasing my level of desperation. I was focusing totally on the external factors, with my sense of achievement totally dependent on the next message that I hoped would be a positive response.
So, what to do?
Knowing that I had to swim away from this ever-increasing treading of water, I realised I had to change my thought patterns and my actions.
And I started with my actions.
First goal – for 7 days – no scrolling at all. And to make that easier, I became accountable to my partner Helene Marie. Every day at lunch (we both work from home) and every dinner, she would quiz me about my morning and afternoons, and what scrolling I’d done, if at all.
My second goal was to go back to practicing what I’d been preaching – get up, get outside, and play some more.
And what did I do?
I decided to build a collapsible meditation bench for myself.
And why?
Because it would shift my focus from doing something with my head to doing something with my hands. And secondly, by making this simple stool, I’d reinvigorate the feeling of achievement to be my life raft.
I’m not a builder, carpenter, or a DIY guru, but I know where to buy a plank of wood, two hinges and screws, I could measure it up, cut it to size, and I could screw in the hinges correctly. More importantly, the act of making this bench forced me away from my desk, visiting the building store, engaging with different people, while taking my headspace away from my laptop screen.
This simple act, which took a few days to complete, reignited some fun, my love for new learnings, and a present headspace.
I realise that what led me to take this course of action wasn’t massive in the grand scheme of things, but it was big enough for me to feel the need to take action.
This experience reinforced a truth I had always known but hadn’t fully lived: resilience isn’t just about pushing forward—it’s about recognising when to reset. Entrepreneurship, leadership, and life itself all come with ebbs and flows. The peaks bring momentum and confidence, while the troughs can erode our sense of direction if we let them.
What matters most is how we respond when things don’t go our way. Do we sit in frustration, clinging to external validation? Or do we shift our energy, take meaningful action, and find fulfilment in creating rather than waiting?
The collapsible meditation bench I built wasn’t just a project—it was a shift in mindset, a return to what I know works: movement, engagement, and play. If I’m willing to preach the importance of creative inspiration, balance, and personal leadership, I need to commit to practicing it myself, especially when the road feels uncertain.
So, if you ever find yourself stuck in a loop of overconsumption and frustration, remind yourself of this: Step away. Create something—anything. Trust that achievement, however small, will reignite your confidence and open the door for fresh ideas.
Because in the end, practicing what we preach isn’t just advice—it’s the foundation of real leadership.
