Last night was one of my favourite kinds of evenings.

Friday, six o’clock — my usual glass of red wine, fish and chips, and settling down to watch the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. There’s something comforting about ritual, and something inspiring about watching people who have trained, struggled, and persevered step onto the world stage.

With the Superbowl coming on Sunday as well, it struck me how much sport reflects life — and how much it reflects the journey many of us take when building a Plan B.

Because no athlete arrives at the podium by accident.

And neither do we arrive at a new direction in life by magic.

There are stages.

And I realised they mirror the medals themselves.

🥉 Bronze — Showing Up and Discovering Yourself

Every athlete begins somewhere — often unnoticed, often uncertain.

They learn fundamentals.
They test their strengths.
They discover their limits.

This is the Bronze stage of a Plan B.

It’s when you begin to ask:

• What skills do I already have?
• What experience have I built over a lifetime?
• What might I still enjoy doing?

You might explore tools like Canva.
You might read about online shops or digital products.
You might experiment clumsily — and that’s perfectly acceptable.

Bronze isn’t failure.

Bronze is courage.

It’s the medal awarded simply for stepping onto the field and committing to the journey.

🥈 Silver — Developing Skills and Confidence

Athletes who progress refine their technique.

They train consistently.
They learn from mistakes.
They improve through repetition.

This is the Silver stage.

You begin to:

• Understand digital tools
• Create early products
• Build routines
• Recognise what suits your energy and lifestyle

You’re not just exploring anymore — you’re developing capability.

You may still feel unsure at times, but there is progress.
There is structure.
There is momentum.

Silver represents growth — and growth deserves recognition

🥇 Gold — Applying What You’ve Built

Gold medal performances are rarely about perfection.

They are about readiness meeting opportunity.

For a Plan B, this stage means:

• Launching a small shop
• Publishing your work
• Teaching others
• Creating resources
• Earning from your experience

Gold isn’t about becoming someone else.

It’s about fully using who you already are.

It reflects persistence, learning, and quiet determination over time.

And importantly — Gold does not end the journey.
It simply marks a moment of achievement within it

A Thought to Take Forward

Watching those ceremonies reminded me of something worth sharing:

Every expert began as a beginner.
Every athlete once wobbled.
Every confident creator once doubted.

Identifying your Plan B is not a single leap — it’s a progression through stages of discovery, development, and application.

And whether you feel you are at Bronze, Silver, or Gold…

You are participating.

You are progressing.

You are moving forward.

And that — in itself — is worth celebrating.