The Property Couch TPC Gold | What to Do When Life Doesn’t Go to Plan
Oct 21, 2025
In this engaging discussion, former NRL player Matt Srama shares his journey of navigating an unexpected early retirement. He dives deep into how a personal blueprint shapes identity and how the disruption of his plans led to an identity crisis. Matt emphasizes the importance of choosing growth over blame, reframing loss into opportunity, and exploring new career paths after sport. His insights offer encouragement for athletes to embrace change and discover new chapters in life.
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Life Blueprint Shapes Identity
- We carry a mental blueprint or story that maps out our life's expected path from a young age.
- That blueprint shapes identity and expectations, especially for athletes aiming for careers by set ages.
NRL Career Plans That Collapsed
- Matt described his own athletic blueprint: play NRL, aim for Origin and a long career, and how injury shattered that plan.
- He experienced emptiness when his mapped-out goals suddenly went off track and felt lost at first.
Loss Opens Space To Rewrite Your Story
- A lost blueprint creates an identity crisis, but it also opens the chance to rewrite your story and grow.
- Accepting closure of one chapter gives you the pen to author a new, potentially better, narrative.