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Your First Big Fall (And How to Recover From It)

You start with fire.

Tasks? Done.
Habits? Consistent.
Energy? High.

You tell yourself: “This is it! I’m finally going to stick to this and become the best version of myself.”

Then it happens.


You miss a day.
You brush it off.
Then it becomes 2 days.
Then 3.

Suddenly you’re ashamed. You don’t want to report back to your coach. You feel like you’ve let them down.
“Maybe someone else deserves their time. Someone better.”

Lies. Lies. Lies.

I’ve coached people on and off for the last 4 years. Every single one of them hits this wall.
I call it The First Big Fall.


WHY IT HAPPENS

It’s not because you’re lazy.
It’s not because you’re weak.
It’s simply part of the process.

And if you’re my student reading this, I may have sent this to you ahead of time so you know exactly what to do when it happens.

Like Brendon Burchard says: “The best time to study the map is before you enter the forest.”


Step 1: Return

The solution is simple: Return.

Go back to your coach.
Tell the truth about what caused the slip.

Because if you’re not honest, your coach can’t help you.
Hide or water it down, and you’ll only keep falling… further and further.


Step 2: Use the WALDo Framework

Here’s a tool I learned from Michael Hyatt. It will help you give your coach useful feedback:

  1. WANT – What did you want to happen?

  2. ACTUAL – What actually happened?

  3. LEARN – What did you learn from the gap between want and actual?

  4. DO – What will you do differently next time?

Write these down.
Meet your coach.
Walk through them.

If you can continue coaching, great.
If not, find a coach who is a better fit and keep going.

Step 3: Don’t Stay Down

Don’t beat yourself up forever. It doesn’t help.

Yes, feel the embarrassment. Don’t suppress it. But don’t camp there either.

Instead-store that feeling. Next time you want to skip, remind yourself how it felt to slide back. That memory will push you forward.


Final Word

“The First Big Fall” is normal. Every student faces it.

When it happens:

  • Don’t hide.

  • Don’t quit.

  • Don’t waste time in shame.

Cry a little.
Dust yourself off.
Learn.
Then return to your coach and keep moving forward.


Until the next one,
This is Eli.
Stay exceptional.




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