In life, it is essential to take time every now and then for self-reflection – to step away from the daily grind, take a break from Zoom meetings, and look into ourselves. Whilst I believe this is always an important thing to do, today is National #DayofReflection so I believe it’s even more poignant. 

I wanted to share a clip from an interview I did on BBC Breakfast 5 years ago where I spoke about my transition away from professional sport into the business world and reflected on the challenges that came with this. Things felt very different when I did this interview, but as I reflect today – 5 years on – things have changed and evolved even more.

Ever since I retired from rugby, I have always strived to provide as much knowledge, support and guidance as possible for those who may find themselves in a similar situation – dealing with change or transition (not limited to sport) and making sure we are best equipped to handle it. This goal, or as I like to call it ‘castle on the hill’ has always been prominent to me and as the years have gone on I’ve done a variety of things to support this. Be that writing my book, studying at undergraduate level, becoming CEO at Switch The Play, doing my Masters, Co-Founding Centrum Solutions… right through to me currently doing my PhD. For me the journey is continuous, but they all lead me towards that castle on the hill. 

Life is a rollercoaster, and sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the twists and turns. That’s why taking a step back to reflect is so important. It’s like hitting the pause button on your life and giving yourself the chance to breathe and take stock. Taking the time to reflect can give you a greater sense of clarity about what you want out of your life, and where you want to go next. So, take a deep breath and hit that pause button, because there’s no better time to reflect than today!