The Real Value Lies in the Journey, Not the Goal

How a ‘Waste’ of $14,000 Ended Up Teaching Me More Than I Expected

The $14,000 Coaching Dream

“Don’t turn your hobby into a job!” I’ve heard this advice countless times.

Just because I love talking about life and psychology, I didn’t automatically want to listen to everyone’s problems. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way.

That’s how I ended up signing up for a $14,000 business and life coach training.

Elite academy.

Exclusive clients.

Practice-oriented training.

Wow! I was excited and could already see myself as a successful, profitable business coach.

It wasn’t the academy’s fault. At that time, premium coaching programs were exactly what I had been searching for. Podcasts like The Diary of a CEO or Modern Wisdom by Chris Williamson were among my favorites. In my mind, all my knowledge and curiosity came together, creating the image of myself as the perfect candidate to become a coach.

At least, that’s what I believed.

This time felt different from when I tried to become an online marketing consultant. I wasn’t copying anyone. This felt like me.

Still, the price held me back for a week. Paying $14,000 for training would hit my budget hard. Nevertheless, I kept telling myself it was an investment that would eventually pay off.

So, I purchased the course. A month later, I found myself in a room full of people, ready to study coaching.

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The Year That Broke Me (and Built Me)

Studying while working full-time as a data team lead was painful. On top of that, there was the financial pressure. I paid for the course in monthly installments because I couldn’t afford the full amount upfront.

Twelve tough months lay ahead. It felt like paying double rent. My paycheck came in and disappeared immediately. I had never been in a situation like this before as an adult. The pressure in my chest was constant, and I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. Twelve months isn’t long, but trying to survive alone while sinking into debt felt endless.

I want to make it clear that I wasn’t facing any existential catastrophe compared to truly unfortunate people. But at that time, this was the biggest problem in my life.

Still, it’s incredible how an acute situation can make you grow. Those 12 months changed many areas of my life for the better.

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The Money Is There, You Just Have to Find It

First, I looked for financial support. That was a bit naive since I was already working full-time, studying a new profession, training for a marathon, and trying to maintain a little life outside all that.

Still, I started taking small gigs on an online freelance platform. Before the coaching training, I didn’t even know this was possible. I took AI annotation tasks for little pay or projects that matched my skills, like data stuff. It didn’t matter if I didn’t have the skill. If I could convince the client, I did the job. After a few weeks, I earned $100 to $200 a month, which eased my stress.

There are many small opportunities to make money online. You just have to find them.

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Time Management

I had to get up early to do those gigs before my full-time job started. During my lunch break, I went for a run, and after work, I returned to the small projects.

Being efficient made my day feel like 32 hours, and by evening, it felt like a whole week had passed.

Using my calendar to schedule tasks worked wonders. My time-management skills improved drastically. There were no random distractions, just focus all day long.

My mindset shifted completely. Before, if I only had 20 minutes before a meeting, I did nothing, thinking it wasn’t enough time. Today, if I see 20 minutes free, I start reading a book or get some groceries.

You can accomplish a lot in just 20 minutes.

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Mastering My Diet

Another area where I lost a lot of time was food.

Back then, I cooked something random every day. I went to the supermarket around 11 a.m. and let myself be inspired in the store.

What do I want to eat?

It sounded like freedom, but I ended up eating the same thing almost every day because inspiration never came.

Then I started using ChatGPT. I asked the question I had always tried to Google before:

“What should I eat today?”

It was amazing. ChatGPT gave me a variety of healthy recipes with all the ingredients, measurements, and even a shopping list.

I refined my prompts to focus on price and nutrition like protein, vitamins, healthy fats, carbs and voila! I also switched to a vegetarian diet. Not because I had to, but because plant-based food simply appealed to me.

The new system worked perfectly. I got recipes for three or four days at a time. I bought the groceries on Monday morning and had a plan for the week. No more wasted time thinking about food.

Over time, I became so good that I no longer needed ChatGPT for recipes. Plenty of combinations from previous recipes were already in my head.

The benefits were huge:

• My skin improved

• No more digestive problems. I used to get heartburn and bloating constantly

• I saved a lot of money. Groceries for three days cost no more than $35

I could never have imagined this was possible.

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Choosing Quality

Financial pressure affected other areas of my life as well.

In the past, I shopped impulsively. Seeing something at H&M or Zara was enough to buy it, ending up with cheap, low-quality clothes worn once or twice and then abandoned.

I never cared about quality, comfort, or sustainability, believing those things were privileges reserved only for the rich.

But financial pressure forced a complete rethink. Less was bought, but the products were better. The switch from H&M to Asket, a brand focused on sustainability and ethical production, turned clothes into treasures. Even laundry was separated into darks and lights, something never done before.

Having grown up as a child of consumer society, a new mindset made me more conscious of what was bought and how it was cared for.

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Sleep Is an Investment in Yourself

Being busy and keeping a tight schedule can help achieve goals, but it is not sustainable in the long term.

You risk burning out if you don’t pay attention to your body. After a few weeks, I realized my health was at stake because my sleep quality was poor.

No surprise: I used my phone in bed, ate dinner too late, and didn’t focus on mental clarity.

I went to bed with a busy mind, leaving me tired, stressed, and anxious.

Fortunately, I realized this early in my one-year journey and built an evening routine. I turned off my computer, TV, and phone at 9 p.m., then did yoga and meditation to wind down.

This habit helped me stay fit and healthy during that tough phase.

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What I Learned About Myself

After 12 months of discipline, I became a new person.

I now value early mornings, focus, and structured schedules. A day still has 24 hours, and even with enough sleep, you can accomplish a lot.

Planning became my friend. A good schedule helps me achieve goals, and I discovered even small opportunities can earn money. My perspective broadened.

Now, I know that a healthy diet doesn’t have to be expensive.

Sustainability and quality matter when shopping. Today, when I buy a T-shirt, I check how it was made: no child labor and no cheap fabrics.

This phase of my life made me a better version of myself.

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My Reflection After The 12 Months

Let’s take another look!

I signed up for an expensive business and life coach training because I thought it was my path. But after the first two sessions, I realized I wasn’t really into the practice of helping people help themselves.

I couldn’t cancel due to the contract, so I was stuck as a coach.

Yet this goal changed my life. I learned things I never planned to, and I’m genuinely happy about the detour.

All the small treasures I picked up along the way made me a better person and better prepared to discover my real purpose.

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The Lesson for All of Us

You don’t always know where growth comes from. You can aim for a specific goal, but it might just be a trigger for a different direction.

You might start exercising, get a small injury, and end up at the doctor who discovers an early-stage illness and saves your life.

Your goal wasn’t to see the doctor; it was to exercise.

Even if the original goal loses its appeal, growth still happens. The small treasures along the way often outweigh the goal itself.

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