CHANGE nothing, nothing changes.
Every January, many people start with plans to change.
They want to lose weight, pick up a new hobby, get healthier, improve their finances, rebuild relationships, or finally commit to something they’ve been putting off for years.
New Year, new beginning. Not exactly a “new you,” just a better version of ourselves.
It was January when I quit drinking. On January 15, I will celebrate one year of sobriety. That decision didn’t come with fireworks or instant clarity, but it came with commitment. I chose to stop, even when I wasn’t sure I could follow through. And I stayed with that decision, one day at a time.
Months later—closer to the end of the year than the start—I tried to change something else. From October to December, I worked on losing weight. I fasted. I started walking. I stopped drinking soda. I stopped eating rice. How I looked probably stayed the same, and that was okay. I didn’t expect a miracle. I wanted to improve, and I wanted it to be lasting. It had to become part of my life, not just something I tried because it was January.
Sure, there were noticeable changes every time I looked at the weighing scale, but more importantly, I felt different. I felt better.
In trying to lose weight, I realized something important: I can change.
I procrastinated on changing because I thought, for a long time, that I couldn’t do it anymore—because I was stuck in my bad habits.
Yeah, bad habits. They’re everywhere. They affect everything. They have even tarnished the things we love most, like sports.
Bad habits are dangerous because they don’t just appear—they take root. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, they bury themselves deep into our culture, our mindset, and even the systems we rely on. What starts as a small compromise or a seemingly harmless shortcut becomes normalized, repeated, and accepted. Over time, these habits shape the way we think, the way we act, and the way we measure success. They become invisible chains, holding back potential, clouding judgment, and limiting what could otherwise be achieved. If left unchecked, they grow stronger, harder to break, and more difficult to recognize, until they are no longer just habits—they are barriers.
For those guided by a moral compass, maybe there’s a desire to change. But there is also the fear that it’s too late, or that it can’t be done.
So for the New Year, this is my challenge to Philippine sports—to professional, commercial leagues and its organizers, to national team athletes and coaches, to officials and sports stakeholders:
Decide to change, and everything changes.
The likes of EJ Obiena, Carlos Yulo, Hidilyn Diaz, Alex Eala, Efren Reyes, Agatha Wong, the Philippine women’s football team, and many others have shown us that greatness isn’t just about talent. On their journey, they made the conscious choice to change. They let go of habits that could hold them back—habits detrimental to their careers—and replaced them with discipline, consistency, and sacrifice. They made the decision to change, embraced it, and lived by it every day. That decision was not a small part of their success—it was one of the reasons they became great.
Filipino athletes have already proven that we are capable of competing at the highest level. We have seen it happen, and we cheered when they succeeded on the world stage. We celebrated their victories, aware of the years of effort behind them—the discipline, the sacrifices, the early mornings, the injuries, the moments of doubt that never made it to the highlight reels.
But we have also felt the heartbreak of watching other athletes fall short of that same level of greatness. Not because they lacked talent or effort, but because somewhere along the way, something held them back. As fans, we felt it. As Filipinos, we felt it. Because we know they were capable of more.
And that is where the gap lies. It is not talent. The gap is what comes next.
Many more Filipino athletes can take that next step and follow the path of those who have already reached world-class greatness. But for that to happen, change must be intentional. We need to make the decision to change—bad habits, limiting mindsets, and systems that make it difficult for athletes to succeed and reach their full potential.
That is the next important step, not just for athletes, but for everyone involved in Philippine sports.
