From Rock Bottom to Ironman: How Sam Johnson Rebuilt His Life One Goal at a Time

How journaling turned a battle with depression into a journey of discipline, purpose, and transformation.

I’m Sam Johnson, a Senior Project Manager, an Ironman athlete and recovering degenerate. Up until 2021, my life was a mess, I was battling depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, I was overweight, unhealthy and living on a steady diet of fast food, heavy drinking, smoking and partying.

 

Fast forward a few years and I’ve transformed my life, got into triathlon, qualified for and raced against the best professionals and amateurs at the Ironman World Championships. Along the way, I’ve faced serious setbacks, from a major cycling accident to being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, but those challenges only fuelled my drive. Journaling with MiGoals has been a huge part of that journey, helping me turn from rock-bottom where I nearly ended it all to structured progress and forward momentum.

 

Before I ever picked up a MiGoals journal, my life felt completely out of control. I was battling depression and anxiety every day, overweight, I was drinking heavily, smoking and living a lifestyle that was taking me further away from the person I wanted to be. My world felt chaotic on every front, mentally, physically and financially.

 

I had hit rock bottom and knew something had to change, I needed an anchor, a way to shift my thinking from “everything is falling apart” to “what can I do today to move forward.” When I eventually picked up a MiGoals Goal Digger journal, it became that anchor. It gave me a place to write things down, see them clearly, and start rebuilding myself one line and one goal at a time.

 

My real turning point came when I called my mum and told her I wanted to end it all and that I didn’t want to be here anymore. I was at a crossroads where I had to make a decision, end it all or make a change - I chose the latter.

A few days after that call, one of the first times I had left my apartment in weeks, a friend took me to Dymocks to buy a journal. It was there we discovered MiGoals a journal and diary that helped me look ahead to what I wanted to accomplish, but more importantly, gave me a space to set daily habits to help me succeed. It was in those pages that I discovered the art of small achievable goals.

 

The first goal I actually ticked off was as basic as it gets, make my bed, have a shower and get outside. Nothing fancy or epic, just small achievable goals that I could face each day. They may have sounded easy, but in that moment, they were difficult for me to complete.

 

The power was in the momentum. One tick turned into two, then three and before I knew it, those little daily wins snowballed into something much bigger. That was the point where I realised that stacking small goals consistently could change my entire life.

 

The Daily Goal Digger planner is my go-to. It keeps me grounded in the chaos of training, work, and life. I love that it forces me to get clear on my priorities for the day and as someone who can easily get carried away chasing “bigger, faster, more,” that bit of daily discipline has been a lifesaver.

 

The daily habits section is also a great tool. As I mentioned before, when I was in the depths of my depression, setting those daily habits was key to rebuilding myself.

 

MiGoals continues to give me structure when everything feels overwhelming. It’s like having a coach in book form, reminding me to focus on today instead of stressing about the whole season ahead.

 

The biggest shift has been identity. I went from someone who was stuck, depressed, unhealthy, and honestly pretty lost, to standing on the start line of the Ironman World Championships, competing against the best athletes in the world.

That transformation didn’t happen overnight. It was the accumulation of all those small wins written in my MiGoals journal that turned me into the athlete and person I am today.

 

I’ve learned that goals aren’t about the finish line; they’re about momentum. The MiGoals diaries taught me that writing something down gives it weight you can’t hide from it. When you tick it off, you build confidence and pride, that habit of setting and stacking small goals can genuinely change your whole life.

 

If you’re stuck or overwhelmed, don’t try to change your entire life in one go, start small. Write down go for a 10-minute walk or say hello to a stranger, tick it off, feel proud, then do it again tomorrow. It’s like training for a marathon, you don’t run 42 km on day one, you build to it. MiGoals helps you do that with life.

 

The next big goal in triathlon is to take on another Ironman, aim for a podium finish and qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii next year. But it’s also about continuing to work hard, improve, and grow as a person while inspiring others to push through their own tough times.

 

Because if a bloke who once struggled with alcohol, mental health and self-destruction for 15 years can turn it all around, then trust me… anyone can.