A Three-Year Transformation: The Writer, and the Man I Am Becoming

byJDGresham

817 followers

5 days ago

For a long time, I have been building two things at once:

1. The business I believe in
2. The man I am becoming

Both require consistency. Both require discipline.
And both depend on the one thing I fully control: showing up.

I joined Wealthy Affiliate in 2022, but it wasn’t until 2024 that I started taking my writing seriously, and 2025 marked the year I committed to building the business and the man capable of leading it.

So now I am asking the WA Family to be my accountability partners.
I will be posting monthly progress updates — honest ones.
Cheerleaders are welcome, but I also need straight talk and feedback.
If you see me drifting, or you think I’m going about something the wrong way, tell me.
No sugar-coating. I’m here to do this right.

1. Where I Am Today — The Starting Point

This is me as I am today, all 285 lbs — the starting point.

This is not where I stop. This is where I begin.

I’m carrying more weight than I want, and I’m still early in building this business and writing life into something stable.
But this is the body and the life I am standing in while I make the decision.
No pretending. No filters. No edits.

2. Where I Want to Be — The Man I Want To Become

Before I talk about the one-year milestone, I need to be clear about the end of this three-year road.

This is not fantasy. This is the direction.

This represents:

• A healthier and stronger body
• A confident writer with discipline and momentum
• A business that pays its way
• A life aligned with what I say I believe

Everything else in this post is the path between now and that man.

3. End of Year 1 — The Writer on the Porch (2026)

The first step is the version of me one year from now.

This is the first major checkpoint between 285 lbs and the man I intend to be.

By the end of 2026:

• A noticeable shift in health and fitness
• A sustained writing routine
• A business gaining true structure
• Confidence built from daily discipline

4. End of Year 2 — Taking the Helm (2027)

Year Two is where the foundation turns into control.

Writing gave me the wheel. Now I choose the horizon.

By the end of 2027:

• Increased strength and mobility
• A business with a clear direction
• Content and systems that actually work together

Year One proves I can move.
Year Two proves I can steer.

5. End of Year 3 — The Forge (2028)

The end of this arc is not perfection.
It is a forged version of me — tested, refined, and intentional.

A dream printed in ink, placed in hands, and carried into the world.

By the end of 2028:

• My weight and strength where I can maintain them for life
• Healthy habits as the default
• A body of published work behind me
• A business that serves both me and others

The Year-3 image is not a reward.
It is a reflection of three years of choices.

How I’ll Keep This Honest

I am not posting this to impress anyone.

I am posting this so that three things are clear:

1. Where I started
2. Where I say I’m going
3. Whether my actions match my words

My commitment:

• Monthly progress updates here at WA
• Visible changes over time
• Wins and losses, not just highlights

If you see me drifting, say so.
If something looks off, tell me.
If my actions don’t line up with this post, call me out.

I am not asking you to manage my life.
I am asking you to be a witness while I do the work.

Closing

This is the year I start to become the man I want to be.

Not a different person.
Not a fantasy version.
The man I know I can be — if I show up long enough.

These images are not decoration.
They are checkpoints.

Now I walk the distance between them.

Thank you for reading, commenting, liking/disliking, and if you choose, walking alongside me — whether you’re here to cheer, challenge, or both.

JD