Hi, I'm Connor, the founder of MONSW. I'm from South Wales, and while I’m now deeply invested in self-development and wellbeing, it wasn’t always that way.

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Growing up, I tied success and self-worth to achievements. It wasn’t something pushed on me by strict parents or competitive siblings; it was internal. I used to be entirely focused on outcomes, chasing perfection, and letting success or failure define my efforts. I believe this way of thinking was a product of excelling in school and sports from an early age. The admiration and respect that came with those achievements created an image I did not want to lose. Life felt like a constant competition, and I was winning. While this drive pushed me forward, it also brought immense pressure. This mindset was only first tested when I started my A Levels in college.

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I struggled. I went from smashing my GCSEs without breaking a sweat, to sweating profusely and still failing my A Levels. Not a trade I would have chosen. For the first time, I faced challenges I couldn’t overcome by winging it. I hadn’t developed the skills to truly learn, appreciate the process, or put in consistent effort. I didn’t know how to put in the work, and I missed out on the satisfaction of building something from the ground up. This was the turning point, that sparked my self-development journey.

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This journey was amplified at university. I had never been surrounded by a diversity of people and ideas that challenged my perspective before. Conversations with new friends, moments of struggle, and the sheer independence forced me to think in critical ways I never had before. I learnt how to engage in debates, truly respect other's views and express my views clearly and honestly. However, the skill I am most proud of learning is to allow my thoughts and opinions to be fluid, where they would have once been fixed. This new fluidity encouraged me to reflect deeply on who I was and what I truly valued. Not what my younger self valued or my family valued, but what was important to the person I was in that moment. University was not just about passing exams for me —it became a journey of self-understanding and it is only now that I am realising it. If college was the spark to my self-development journey, University was the fuel that made it truly take off.

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This takes us to the present day where I am learning to embrace the journey itself. Every step, whether it’s a success or a failure, carries lessons that help me grow. No action is wasted if it leaves me with a new insight or a deeper understanding of myself.