The Freedom Project

Two months back, I had a “fuck it” moment. It’s not every day you get the chance to go on a ski mountaineering trip of this kind. I no longer live 45 minutes away from the best skiing in the world. I live at least 5 hours, a plane journey, and multiple countries away. Because of this, big trips: Cost a lot more money Take a lot more time Are a big interruption to my family and my business   For many, this is a dead end. But if you cut open my soul, it still bleeds adventure. So there’s no way I’m turning down a trip like this. I’ve helped clients plan trips like this, and I’ve made it happen for myself before. But this trip will be a whole new beast. Today, I’m going to show you exactly what I’m going to do to ensure I have the trip of a lifetime, but - and this is an important but - ensure my family life and my business thrive whilst doing so.

At some point in life you’re going to have to drop the identity you’ve built up and change who you are. Sometimes, this comes at the end of a challenging career when you’ve realised you’re just not going to make it. Other times, this is when you’re doing incredibly exciting and daunting things. For example when you’re moving onto another stage in life. When Jackie Paaso decided to give up on her mogul skiing Olympic dream, she encountered the first identity shift. It sparked an incredibly difficult time for her. But the lessons she learned in that time ultimately made her one of the world’s greatest pro skiers. Jackie dominated many events of the freeride world tour and set the bar for the type of skiing that was possible. She built a career that many dream of but few achieve. Once more, her identity was built to support this life. But when Jackie and her husband got pregnant, once more a shift of identity was imminent. Jackie found herself asking questions around how her life would look post baby and what would happen to her career and also her way of life. Alongside Elyse Saugstad, Jackie featured in Here, Hold My Kid; a ski movie sharing this journey as they shred big mountains. Alongside the details of Here, Hold My Kid, we discuss: Dealing with mental health and how to approach challenges you face. Navigating the uncertainty of identity shifts. What kind of example Jackie intends to be for her kids. What Jackie wishes she could have known when going through her initial identity shift. And her process of skiing big lines.  

True: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. But, that step must be in the direction of travel. Plus, it helps if each step covers as much ground as possible. Today, I’m going to show you how you cover as much ground as possible each and every day. Because if you fail to make the most of every single day, you’ll end up looking back at yet another year of stagnation. We’re going to cover: Thriving in the most challenging situations How to stop wasting time When positivity won’t help you Finding the right support  

What kind of person is compelled to travel from the lowest point in every continent to the highest through human power alone? Well, the same kind of person who is willing to walk the length of the world’s largest freshwater lake whilst it’s frozen over. And the same person who ends up in the hands of Uzbek interrogators accused of narcotic smuggling. This person is adventurer, explorer and expedition leader, Oli France. Through his journeys, Oli has learned a tonne. He’s learned the components of a great adventure, how to plan for success, and how to avoid failure. In this episode of The Freedom Project with Oli France, we discuss how to plan the expedition of a lifetime and how to give yourself the best chance of success. You will leave this with a thorough understanding of the planning process and how to execute successfully. Including… The stages of planning a life changing adventure. How to build a team that thrives in hardship. How to prepare your body and mind for robustness and performance. How to make the most of all these experiences. And how to get over post expedition blues`.

Why do you fail to commit to your goals? With my clients, I’m looking for four signs they’re actually committed to their goals. Not just engaging in mental masturbation… …a lot of people are doing the latter Here’s another way to put it (crass language upcoming): A client once said to me, “you know what’s different about your coaching compared to the rest of what’s available, Tom? It’s the difference between having a wank and the real thing.” And you can translate that analogy to committing/pretending that you’re committed too. Actually being committed to your growth has 4 distinct characteristics that I’ll show you today. Pleasuring yourself by pretending to be committed just won’t cut it.   Are you truly committed? Or just bullshitting yourself? Let’s find out…  

In a life of adventure, you’re going to have injuries. Some will be minor scrapes. Hopefully, you’ll avoid the life changing ones. But, in doing difficult things, life changing injuries are a real possibility. How do you cope with the initial injury? How do you adapt your life on the other side? And how do you maintain your identity when you have injuries such as these? These are all questions today’s guest, Bernt Marius Rørstad provides an illuminating answer to. After a speedriding accident where he fell 30-40m, Bernt Marius had his right foot amputated, and has been adapting to life with a prosthetic ever since. Despite this, he is still an adventurer and mountain sports enthusiast. He still shreds on skis, climbs mountains, and just as impressively, maintains an outlook on life that is admirable. Today, on this episode of the Freedom Project with Bernt Marius Rørstad, we cover… The camaraderie of being in the mountains The events that led up to Bernt Marius’ crash and what he learned from it Finding gratitude in the things you’d rather not have Managing risk and danger Finding the opportunities within terribly difficult circumstances How the psychological part of challenge is always harder than the physical component & how to master that psychological challenge   And much more...

In this podcast, I'm excited to take you through the incredible transformation of one of my clients, Louis, who went from feeling trapped and unfulfilled to achieving resilience, emotional stability, massive productivity, and total freedom. Louis' journey is a testament to the power of science-based high-performance coaching. Today, I'll walk you through the exact step-by-step process we followed to help Louis discover his full potential. By the end of this post, you'll have a roadmap to create your own definition of freedom and high performance.

Alex Staniforth is an adventurer, endurance athlete and speaker. He survived the two biggest disasters to have struck Mount Everest including the 2015 Nepal earthquake. He also has endured epilepsy, a stammer and bullying since childhood but has turned this adversity into an opportunity.   Today on the freedom project podcast, Alex and I discuss: Cultivating that drive to achieve excellence in everything you do How to use adventure days to refocus the mind How one question changed alex’s life What people get wrong about everest How to begin to enjoy the pain of endurance sports And how to thrive in the face of adversity  

Psychologists and counsellors aren’t supposed to look like this. Brian’s thick beard hangs halfway down his chest. He’s jacked too. A heavy set bodyguard turned powerlifter with thighs the size of my waist. Brian turns to his wife: petite, pretty, with an intense wisdom. Carrie also lifts - it shows - and her tattoos cover the majority of her skin. Mental health professionals are meant to be plain types who say little. Not … whatever these two were. “Beliefs,” Brian says. “Beliefs are the reason we have the lives we have. Beliefs are the reason we are the people we are. Beliefs are the reason we’re successful, unsuccessful, happy, sad, conservative, liberal. Beliefs make you, you, Tom.” Sitting 4000 miles away from the husband and wife power couple, I didn’t even know what question to ask them next. I stammered. The software continued recording the podcast. Little did I know that conversation would be my life’s major inflection point.

Gareth Timmins is a former Royal Marines Commando, emerging behavioural/cognitive scientist turned published author of: Becoming the 0.1%: Thirty-four Lessons from the Diary of a Royal Marines Commando Recruit. Having previously completed a BSc (Hons) in Forensic Psychology, Gareth is currently exploring PhD Research – focusing on how humans Gauge Atmospheres in life-threatening situations, and the link between Rapid Decision-making under pressure and the application of effectiveness in Corporate Environments. In this episode, we cover:  Gareth’s professional rugby career and the mental health effects of that. Best journaling practises & the value of keeping a journal. Overcoming judgement around writing a diary/journal. How life-threatening situations change how we act. The value of rest and recuperation. The paradox of resilience.