How to Transform Your Life in 2025 (Without Getting Lucky)

This newsletter comes with an exercise. You can download it here for free.

In 2024, I Failed. Now What?

I remember sitting at my desk at night, mindlessly scrolling through social media checking crypto news, and watching YouTube videos while another deadline was slipping away. That's when it hit me: if nothing changed, I was about to waste another year of my life watching other people achieve their dreams.

What if you could achieve more in the next 6 months than you have in your entire life up until now? What if you could finally break the cycle of procrastination and stagnation?

Here's the truth: if you don't change, the next six months will look exactly like the last six.

More abandoned projects. More excuses. More watching from the sidelines as others build the life you dream about.

Note to self: Don't be insane

In 2024, I'd promise myself each Sunday "This week I'll start waking up earlier and work on my side project" - but it never happened. This could keep happening till I die - but one day something changed. I got upset, but not in a negative sense - I got obsessed with one question: Why do some people consistently achieve their dreams while others stay stuck in an endless loop of starting over?

The Breakthrough

This led me down to (hopefully) a life-changing path. After spending hours studying successful creators, entrepreneurs, and high-performers—I've discovered something transformative. I've distilled everything into a practical 5-step framework that anyone can follow to completely reshape their life.

I call this the Phoenix framework - as it allows you to raise from the ashes and become a new person.

The results so far really surprised me. Right now, I'm able to maintain 10 hours of focused work daily without feeling burnt out—something I really struggled to achieve in 2024. I know this might sound extreme - I don't plan to maintain this intense pace forever. However, I know I've entered a season of growth where I want to achieve more in months than I did in years. It's not about working harder forever; it's about having the capability to tap into extraordinary performance when you need it most.

Sharing my story

I had to learn these lessons the hard way—through procrastination, scattered focus, and watching my biggest goals slip away. Now I'm sharing everything I've discovered so you don't have to repeat my mistakes.

Here's exactly what you'll learn:

1. A clear, step-by-step framework for total life transformation with practical examples

2. Common pitfalls to avoid and how to overcome them

3. Specific strategies I'm using to rebuild my identity in 2025

4. Action plan you can implement immediately

The best part? You can start implementing this framework today using the free template I've created.

You can download it here.

The Phoenix Framework: Five Phases of Personal Rebirth

Like many, I had tried everything: pomodoro timers, fancy planners, productivity apps. Nothing stuck.

Fortunately, during my research I discovered something that changed everything: the concept of identity change.

To change your life, you need to burn your old self to the ground.

That quote has been echoing in my mind. A fresh chance at life sounds powerful.

I understood that in order to achieve my goals I needed an identity change. No productivity hack or morning routine would fix this—I had to become someone entirely new.

Let me give you an example: I wanted to build a successful YouTube channel, but I was approaching it as someone who "tries to make videos when inspired." That identity was doomed to fail. Instead, I needed to become someone who shows up every day, someone who finds joy in the process of creation itself, not just the results. Not someone who waits for motivation, but someone who has built systems and habits that make creating the default state.

The same principle applies to any goal. Want to build a successful business? Stop being someone who "works on their side project when they have time" and become someone who "shows up every day to build, no matter what." Want to get in shape? Transform from someone who "tries to exercise regularly" to someone who "doesn't even consider skipping training days."

Think about the Phoenix. It doesn't slowly change. It bursts into flames. Burns everything away. And from those ashes, it builds something new. Something better.

That's what this framework is about. Not tiny changes or weak promises to do better. It's about burning down who you are today and building someone new from those ashes. Let me show you exactly how I'm doing this in 2025:

Phase 1: The Spark (Identity Design)

Before you can rise from the ashes, you need to know two things: who you are now, and who you want to become.

Right now, take out your phone and write down one honest sentence about who you are today. Don't sugarcoat it. For me, it was: "I'm someone who starts strong but quits when things get difficult." This is what needs to burn away.

Most people have it backwards—they think achieving goals will change who they are. But here's the truth that changed my life: you must become someone new to reach those goals. If you don't, your current identity will keep you away from achieving your goals.

Here's how to design your new identity—the person who will rise from the ashes:

1. Write down who you need to become to achieve your dreams. Be specific. Instead of "someone who's successful," write "someone who shows up to create every single day, even when it's hard."

2. List the non-negotiable traits of this new identity. Ask yourself:

   • What does this person value above all else?

   • How do they spend the first hour of their day?

   • What habits define their daily life?

   • What do they refuse to tolerate?

For me, the critical trait was sustained focus. I'm not trying to be more focused—I'm becoming someone who:

• Values deep work over shallow distractions

• Finds genuine joy in the creation process

• Shows up daily, regardless of motivation

• Understands the power of consistency combined with intensity

Before moving on, take 30 seconds right now to write down your first non-negotiable trait. This small action might seem trivial, but it's the first step in bridging the gap between who you are and who you need to become.

Phase 2: The Pyre (Environment Building)

Your environment will make or break your transformation. Think of it as building your Phoenix's pyre - if it's not set up right, the rebirth can't happen.

Physical Space:

• Create a dedicated workspace that pulls you into deep work

• Lock away your phone (in another room) and other distractions

• Set up your desk to make the right actions easy

• Keep healthy snacks and water within reach

Digital Environment:

• Create a "work only" browser profile where you're not allowed to open social media

• Block notifications during your focus hours

• Use website blockers during deep work time

• Set up public accountability (like my daily livestreams) to force yourself to show up

The key is making good habits easy and bad habits hard. When your environment works for you instead of against you, transformation becomes almost inevitable.

Phase 3: The Ashes (Anti-Vision)

This is your wake-up call. It's about seeing the cold reality of your future if you don't change.

As I reviewed my year, the pain of unrealized potential was overwhelming. I had big plans—building YouTube channel, growing my social media presence, creating software services. Dreams that could have changed my life and helped others.

I still cringe thinking about the day I spent six hours perfecting my dating profile photos—tweaking filters, swapping order, overthinking every caption—while the project that I'd been "working on" for months sat untouched in another tab. Or the day I spent researching the "perfect" daily routine and then not following it the next day.

I started to feel exactly what this pattern would cost me if it continued. I saw my future self, still stuck in the same loops, watching opportunities pass by while making the same excuses. That vision haunted me. It showed me exactly what I didn't want my life to become.

It became my antivision - a vision that gives me pain when I think about it.

Here's how you can build it:

Instead of just visualizing success, force yourself to confront the painful future that awaits if you stay on your current path. I've done this exercise, and while it's uncomfortable, it's also incredibly motivating.

Write out in vivid detail:

• Where will you be in 12 months if nothing changes? (For me, it was seeing myself still relying on my 9-5 job and dreaming about that YouTube channel while watching others succeed)

• What opportunities will turn to dust? (I imagined missing out on the AI revolution, the projects forever remaining "ideas" if I don't take action)

• How will you feel looking back on another wasted year? (The shame of making the same excuses, the regret of time lost)

• What relationships or dreams will have suffered? (For me, it was the relationship with myself—the trust broken by continued procrastination)

Keep this antivision accessible. I review mine every morning before my livestream. When resistance appears—when I'm tempted to check social media or put off important work—I think about the antivision. It's a reminder of the future I refuse to accept.

Phase 4: The Rise (Overcoming Resistance)

Just as a Phoenix must push against gravity to rise from the ashes, you'll face forces trying to keep you down. Resistance isn't your enemy—it's your compass. The things you resist most are often the activities that would transform your life most dramatically.

Think of resistance as the wind beneath your wings. The harder it pushes, the higher you can rise—if you learn to use it right.

Common forms of resistance:

• Fear ("What if I fail?")

• Doubt ("I need to learn more first")

• Comfort ("I deserve a break")

• Distraction (Social media, dating apps)

• Rationalization ("I'll start when conditions are perfect")

Here are some examples of how to handle different types of resistance:

1. Turn fear into fuel:

   • Start before you feel ready

   • Share your work publicly (my livestreams force me to face this daily)

   • Set stakes you can't back down from

2. Break through doubt:

   • Take small test flights first

   • Document your progress to see how far you've come

   • Focus on learning, not perfection

3. Push past comfort:

   • Set a timer for 50 minutes and resist ANY distractions

   • Work fasted for the first few hours (I'm sharper this way)

   • Build momentum with small wins early in the day

4. Handle distractions:

   • Block apps during focus time

   • Put your phone in another room

   • Tell people you're not available during work hours

5. Combat rationalization:

   • Reduce the time from idea to execution

   • Set hard deadlines with public accountability

   • Remember your anti-vision from Phase 3

The key is to identify your personal forms of resistance and have a clear plan to overcome each one. Everyone faces resistance - what matters is how you deal with it.

Phase 5: The Flight (Sprint Strategy)

This isn't about permanent monk mode—it's about focused sprints of exceptional effort followed by periods of maintenance.

My 6-month sprint plan works as an interconnected system:

• Daily livestreamed work sessions for accountability and content creation

• Strict time-blocking for deep work (split between product development and content)

• Regular content that builds my platform while documenting the journey

• Product development that gives me something real to share with my audience

• Weekly reviews to optimize and adjust the whole system

Each piece reinforces the others: The livestreams keep me accountable and create content. The content builds an audience, which motivates me to show up daily. The deep work moves my product forward, which gives me more to share with my growing audience.

The goal isn't to maintain this intensity forever. Think of it as your first flight—a powerful push that gets you to new heights. Once you're there, you won't need the same intensity to maintain your altitude. It's about rising to a new level, then learning to maintain that height.

From Ashes to Action: Your 24-Hour Plan

• Download the Identity Transformation Template

• Complete the Identity Engineering worksheet

• Use the Environment Audit checklist

• Create your personal Antivision document

• Map out your Sprint Strategy

• Share your biggest insight in the comments

Take Flight: Your Next Step Starts Now

2025 is not guaranteed. We're lucky to be here, reading these words, with the chance to become someone new.

Right now—not tomorrow, not next week—open the template and write out your antivision. What happens if nothing changes this year? Make it detailed. Make it scary. Make it real.

Then, if you're ready to join me on this journey of transformation, follow along with my daily streams. We'll build in public, face resistance together, and become the people we know we can be.

The time for excuses is over. 2025 is our year of transformation.

Will you join me?

Download the Identity Transformation Template to get started

Join my daily livestreams for accountability