Not Just a word! How an Accident Taught Me the True Meaning of Reinvention in 2024

Reinvention in a Domain I never asked for

As the year draws to a close, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the journey we’ve undertaken and envisioning the road ahead. Choosing a word for the year has become a powerful tradition for me to focus my continuous journey of personal and professional growth for the respective year.

In 2024 I chose “reinvent”! It should remind me of the power we hold to shape our lives and achieve extraordinary outcomes. For me it was the promise to myself of a passionate dedication to learning - creating - earning and investing!

Today, I can say: yes, I am happy with what I have achieved and learned some unasked lessons about how 3 sec. can make a big difference.

Three seconds to a New Reality

On July 27, life handed me an unasked opportunity to redefine “reinvent.” During a routine weekend road bike trip through Munich’s southern countryside, a collision with a pedestrian and a parked car turned my plans for the year upside down.

Three seconds. That’s all it took for me to go from navigating urban traffic to lying in the street, gathering scattered belongings, and realizing something was seriously wrong. Hours later, in a Munich hospital, the diagnosis confirmed the severity: a broken clavicle, fractured fingers, and a pelvic injury.

For someone who thrives on activity and independence, the physical limitations were an unexpected mountain to climb. A delayed diagnosis of the pelvic fracture made the journey even more challenging, restricting my movement further and amplifying the frustration. Yet these obstacles became the foundation for an unexpected transformation.

FFTs and Small Wins

In the days following my accident, I was introduced to a cascade of FFTs—“f*ing first times”—from overnight hospital stays to two surgeries in one session. While I am famous for my efficiency obsession and both surgeries were supposed to be easy and totally uncomplicated, for me, who never spent a single night in hospital after childhood and who never needed to undergo any surgery - these were a lot of FFTs delivered to me only in a few hours that Saturday afternoon.

For someone accustomed to marathons and long-distance cycling, adjusting to a life where walking 400 meters required planning and rest breaks was humbling.

I learned to focus on the basics. Each small milestone—walking a few steps further, regaining mobility in my shoulders—became a victory. What once felt routine now represented profound progress. This shift taught me the power of incremental improvement, a lesson I hadn’t fully appreciated before.

Addicted to Busyness: a Wake-Up Call

During my recovery, I turned to walking as my primary exercise, often accompanied by podcasts. One episode of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul podcast, featuring Paul Williams and Tracey Jackson, struck a deep chord. They spoke about addictions—not only to substances but to behaviors like perfectionism and busyness.

I saw a reflection of myself in their discussion of busyness as a form of overcompensation. While I am still in the process of untangling this behavior, the podcast planted a seed: What am I trying to avoid or overcompensate for by staying so busy? It’s a question I’m still working through, but it has already reshaped how I approach my time and focus.

The power of a support system

Recovery is rarely a solo journey. My support system—friends, family, colleagues, and even the online community—became my foundation. Friends helped with errands and kept my spirits high. Therapists pushed me to reclaim my physical strength and are still very creative in finding exercises that are apparently helpful and beneficial. Colleagues, who became dear friends, offered sparring conversations that kept me mentally stimulated and forward-looking.

Even those who didn’t realize their impact played a role. Supportive comments and engagement with my content validated my thoughts and ideas, reminding me that connection can take many forms. Trusting in my ability to recover and feeling gratitude every day of even small steps has been a significant learning for me in 2024.

Reinvention Redefined and Resetting for What’s Next

Reinvention, I’ve discovered, is a continuous journey that requires us to adapt, embrace surprises, and stay centered. It’s about embracing change in every domain - not just in ones you wish for. Life holds a lot of surprises, welcome ones and unasked opportunities to learn something new. Reinvention then means to embrace ALL of them. My accident forced me to reevaluate what matters—physical recovery, meaningful connections, and prioritizing tasks that contribute to my overall wellbeing.

For me, 2024 was a year of embracing challenges I didn’t choose but grew from nonetheless. As I look ahead to 2025, “reset” feels like a fitting word. It represents a chance to pause, recalibrate, and realign with my core values and goals. It’s a conscious decision to simplify, refocus, and ensure that every step forward contributes meaningfully to my physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.

Life’s uninvited lessons often teach us the most profound truths. As Maya Angelou once said, “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” In 2024, I’ve been reminded that true reinvention is messy, unexpected, and transformational—a lesson I carry forward.