The Alcohol-Free Advantage with Andy Ramage

5 regrets of the dying

How to avoid them!

Hi,

We often throw away the line, “No regrets”

But do we mean it?

Bronnie Ware worked in palliative care for decades.

She sat with the dying as they faced the end.

And she found a deep love for life.

Bronnie turned the insights she gained into an influential book called. 

‘The Top Five Regrets of the Dying’.

This book had a massive impact on me.

It inspired many changes in my life.

Including changing careers from running a brokerage to living the life of a coach. 

And on today's podcast, I will deep dive into each of the top five regrets.

But there is one regret I wanted to focus on, and that I struggle with.

“I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”

There's something magical about spending time with a good friend. 

We all know it and feel it.

But I have been guilty of prioritising work over friendships. 

So I wanted to share out loud how the top regrets have inspired me to put more effort into my friendships.

Recently, I flew to Ireland to climb a mountain with one of my best mates, and it was a joyful experience.

Just this week, I got to hang out with a friend before he ran the marathon.

Dressed as a Rhino! 

On Friday, we have over 100 people joining us for our coach graduation ceremony in London.

This will be full of new connections as our coaches fly in from all over the world to meet in person for the first time, having been on a powerful learning adventure together. 

But it’s too easy to let friendships slide away. 

Many of us fall into this trap.

We all get so busy.

With family and general life.

And top regret 2: 

"I wish I hadn't worked so hard", can zap the time required for friendship.

But there is always time.

Seneca said it best, 

“It’s not that we don’t have enough time, it’s just that we waste so much of it”

Here is an important message for us all from those whose time has come to an end.

Stop wasting time on the trivial and unimportant things.

Make time for friendships.

My no-regrets challenge to you is to reach out to one old friend.

Today.

Let me know how it goes.

Your coach 

Andy

Why I am dropping EVERYTHING

I am dropping everything to walk the 500-mile French Camino.

El Camino is a 1000-year-old pilgrimage. 

I am taking the French route. 

Which begins in Southwest France, then crosses the Pyrenees, and continues all the way west along the top of Spain, finishing in Santiago de Compostela.

And it’s been calling me to adventure for over 5 years.

When I first wrote it down as one of my goals.

Now it is time.

Why?

In our 24/7 world, it will be the greatest gift to switch it all off for a month.

And see what bubbles up.

Just me, nature, and my thoughts.

And a LONG walk.

I have no idea what I will find.

Who I will meet.

Or what revelations I will experience. 

Each day, I aim to reflect on these insights and share them with you.

*This might change; we will see.

I won’t be doing the sharing or have any social media.

Everything will be switched off.

My wonderful team will help.

So today, I thought I would flip the script and ask you for some advice.

If you were about to set out on the adventure of a lifetime.

What advice would you give me?

Your coach

Andy

YouTube channel - just about to rebrand and set this channel up !! https://www.youtube.com/@AndyRamageAF

On Thursday, slightly out of breath and very hot, I walked over the top of the O2 arena in London!

As I looked at the city, a shiver went down my spine as I was reminded of my booze fuelled broking days.

Then I smiled.

And looked over at my daughter, who was with me at the top, and I felt so grateful.

I never thought I would be able to leave that world.

I thought I was stuck in a career that was making me sick.

Drinking too much, stressed, unhappy and unfulfilled. 

Then, out of desperation rather than skill, I trained as a coach, and my life was changed. 

The skills I learned helped me to quit alcohol, and slowly everything changed.

I felt my confidence return and eventually found the courage to leave the city to start my own coaching business. 

Here I was 11 years later with my wonderful daughter in the sunshine, feeling on top of the world. 

I felt so proud that my girl has never really known a dad who drank.

Only a Dad who is up for a laugh, healthy, happy, following his dreams and loves an adventure. 

Although I'm not sure he loves the adventure as much as I do, as I usually drag her along!

What I realised as I looked out at London was that the world has changed.

I believe times up on alcohol.

And we are at the vanguard of something special.

A revolution that has taken hundreds of years to happen.

And you are part of this alcohol-free revolution!!

You are totally ahead of the game!!

Your friends and family will look back on these days and know you were the first to lead the way.

Think about this - How many times in life do you get a chance to say, you changed the world a little?

Archimedes said, “Give me a lever long enough and I shall move the world”

We are the lever!

And we have moved the world's relationship with alcohol, and it's never going back!

What a win.

So today I wanted to say thank you to you personally!!

Thank you for being part of the movement, making a difference to millions of people's lives.

Keep rocking it Dryy.

Your Coach 

Andy

PS - Closing soon - Train with me in April.

At some point on your alcohol-free adventure, you will want to give back. I think this is the most important moment! Follow this impulse; you never know where it will take you—I am a great example of this. 

So, if you want to learn the skills of a coach, to give back, and make a real contribution to this short and precious life, come and train with me in April before the final spaces are filled!

Click here for more details 

Are you lacking connection?

Why connection is vital to our health 

We instinctively know how vital connection is to our health.

But you might not know what I am about to tell you.

I was flying to Kerry in Ireland on Friday when a lady walked down the plane towards me.

She was looking towards me, but I thought it must be the person behind.

But she came right up to me and, with a lovely warm smile, said, 

“Andy I just wanted to say thank you, I’m 6 months alcohol-free and it has changed my life. I am a better parent and feel much better every way.”

I was delighted!!!

We both had a wonderful moment of connection. 

And the connections kept coming. 

My great mate Col Carrol had invited me to climb Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrauntoohil. 

The weather was amazing!! (Always sunny in Ireland)

We had a few Guinness 0.0s and a couple of incredible hikes.

It was joyous.

To be with my mate, no alcohol. 

The buzz was adventure and being in nature.

And I was grateful my alcohol-free fitness allowed me to take on the challenge and feel strong.

Just after we reached the peak, something unexpected happened. 

Another lady stopped me to say that she also loved the alcohol-free life and had just recommended my IG & the podcast to a friend!

Unreal.

After two days of walking and talking, here was my BIG learn:

The best things in life are connection and the outdoors. 

Biking, hiking, running, walking, talking…

Being outside. Lights me up.

I think it lights us all up.

On the Alcohol-Free Advantage podcast this week, I discuss the science of connection and some research that will transform your thinking about connection! Click links below to tune in.

Here is my challenge to you this week:

With this lovely weather, go for a long walk in nature with a friend.

And have some real connection time.

Let me know how you get on,

Your coach,

Andy

PS - Train with me in April on my 6-month Coaching Diploma. 

You will LOVE it. 

This is not a training course but a transformational experience.
Click here for more info www.andyramagetraining.com 

For the main website to train with me - www.andyramagetraining.com 

Below are some of the main points I covered in this conversation:

You have limitless potential

You get a choice!

You have to take full responsibility 

Tough things make you stronger

It’s not events that shape your life but your beliefs about them

Control what you can 

You get to paint your future, not anyone else

Always have a goal 

Every master was once a disaster 

Work harder on yourself than you do on your job

Prioritise your body and mind

Add value to the world, and the world, we will reward you for it

Your network will be your net worth

Your partner and family will be the best thing you have in your life!

Get your head up. There is a whole world of opportunity waiting for you!

Click this link for more information or visit andyramagetraining.com

On Tuesday lunchtime, I was reminded of a story demonstrating the power of goals.

And why, if you don’t program your brain with clear goals, you wind up in trouble.

I was training over 60 coaches within my self-development group, the Inner Circle.

To begin, I recalled a story.It was a freezing morning on the 1st of January 2021. We were in the middle of the COVID epidemic, and the world was uncertain about its future. But I was crystal clear.In my hands was a picture an incredible artist, Jo Morley, had created for me. As I hung the picture on my wall, I stepped back, took a deep breath, and focused intently on the image.The picture was a visual representation of my BHAG goals. It was inspired by the genius of Jim Collins, who wrote, Good to Great, one of the best books you will ever read on business. These were Big Hairy Audacious Goals. The types of goals that feel out of reach. I planned to put this picture where I could see it every day so I could burn these goals into my soul. It worked. Five years later, almost all of these BHAG goals had become a reality or were in progress. It’s not luck. I knew exactly what I was doing.Those with clear goals will outperform those without. Goals are the lifeblood of success.Why do goals work?When we set a goal, we make an emotional connection to this goal. These emotions wake our subconscious brain to the importance of this goal. Then, something incredible happened. Your brain creates a filter for your goal. All of a sudden, you notice people, places, and resources you need.Often, you will experience serendipitous moments that feel almost magical. But the truth is that these people, places and resources were always there, but your brain didn’t know they were important.This is how the trouble begins.If you leave your brain untrained, it will filter what it thinks is most important based on its evolutionary programming. The massive problem is that evolution does not care for your happiness. It only cares about survival and getting your genes into the next generation. These evolutionary traits are often negative. Your evolutionary instincts are anxious, fearful, and paranoid. It cares too much about keeping everyone happy, compares, and agonises over status.But when you take charge of your inner world and set meaningful goals, you create the right filters.You train your brain.Your goals drown out the negative.And that’s why goals make us happy!!!Instead of your brain misfiring its energy on the negative. It will focus its power on reaching your dreams.I ran my goals experiment to test this theory.And it worked.And it will do the same for you. Here is your challenge for today.Set one BHAG goal.Put it somewhere you can see it.Keep it in focus, and let your brain do the work.Let me know what you choose.

Your coach Andy

 PS - Don’t just set BHAG goals train with me to achieve yours!! It was training as a coach that allowed me to reach my BHAG goals. And I want to share this gift of coaching with you. If you have ever felt the urge to give back or take your personal development to a new level - learning to coach could be perfect.If you are unsure if learning to become a coach is for you, below is a link to a foundation short course in coaching that will give you all the information you need. There is also a LIVE training with me tonight as part of this short foundation course. Click this link for more information or visit andyramagetraining.com 

Train with me to become a coach - www.andyramagetraining.com

On Saturday I had one of the best days of my life.

Seriously, if it all grinds to a halt tomorrow, I will go to my next adventure happy.

It all began with a simple question that I have asked myself every day for the last month:

What beliefs do I need to create to make today great?

Sounds too simple, I know.

But stay with me.

The world we experience on the outside reflects our beliefs on the inside.

This incredible wisdom has flowed through the ages.

You can’t control the events that happen to you, but you can control the beliefs you hold about them, which will dictate how you feel.

So you have ultimate control.

After 30 days of asking this question, momentum is starting to build.

I begin each day with a win.

I woke up!

Seriously, not everyone will wake up.

So you get another go.

You don’t have tomorrow or yesterday—only today.

Why waste it?

You can make every day a masterpiece.

On Saturday, I woke up to the most spectacular sunrise. 

I asked myself what beliefs would make today great.

As I walked to the gym, the roads were empty, and I could feel the warm morning sun on my face.

I listed off some of my beliefs for the day.

Do not be afraid, everything will be ok

Control what you can control and let go of everything else

Smile 

Radiate joy 

You have your health 

A wonderful family 

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Then I got a text from my wife Tara.

“Shall we go to London for lunch to our new favourite restaurant, Cambino on the Old Brompton Road.”

“YES!”

I added a twist.

We would stay fasted and walk from the city to the restaurant to take in the sights of London.

It took us about 3 hours, with some breaks.

And every bit of it was bliss.

From the Thames to Green Park and the Palace.

I then discovered another great truth:

Hunger is a great sauce!

It was after the first bite that I exclaimed. 

“I am going to put a line under today. If this is the last one, I am happy!”

Life is a reflection of the beliefs you hold.

So my take away for you is to begin your day with a question:

“What beliefs do I need to create to make today great?”

Let me know how you get on.

Your Coach 

Andy

PS - Train with me and learn how to build better beliefs 

If you want to transform your mind, body, and potentially your career, come on a six-month learning adventure with me and learn to become a life/executive coach.

My coaching style is designed to help our clients create better beliefs. So you will become a master of beliefs! 

The plan is for me to personally train a small group in the art of coaching so you can unlock the meaning you seek by “giving back” and doing work that matters.

If this sounds interesting click here find out more.

Click the button below to find out more

PPS - The latest episode of the Alcohol-Free Advantage Podcast is out today!! Check it out - it's one of my favourites!!

Train with me to become a coach - www.andyramagetraining.com
 
Eleven years ago, I woke in a hotel room in London.

It was 8 a.m. on a Thursday.

My head hurt, and my breath was short. 

I was hungover.

Again.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was getting fat. I looked like a haggard 60-year-old. 

I was still in my 30s

I didn’t have a problem, nor was there a rock bottom.

But I had had enough.

So I quit. Again.

Having spent the last two years trying, this time it was different.

And this time I cracked it.

As you probably know, it was my life's most crucial moment!

This Thursday, 11 years later.

I woke at 5 am and felt blooming marvelous.

42lbs lighter and a thousand times happier I went to the gym.

Then, I headed to London to coach a 1:1 client I love spending time with.

Next, I met the co-founder of the Equilibrium app and community, helping athletes transition their careers after their playing days end.

The Dryy revolution 

After this meeting, I met with my great mate, Matt Pink, to discuss how Dryy will inspire millions to transform their relationship with alcohol.

The 2025 strategy is off the charts!!  

Then, home to my girls.

Healthy, fit, and happy, doing what I love every day!

And I owe this life 100% to being alcohol-free!

So, today is a celebration of 11 years on the fun side of the island.

Here are 11 alcohol-free wins I will NEVER give up!

1. Quality sleep.
2. More fun on the fun side.
3. Optimal mental health and no panic attacks!
4. More joy!
5. Lots of extra time.
6. Better skin.
7. Better relationships.
8. The confidence to leave my career to coach and start new businesses
9. Maximum consistency 
10. Ambition to make a difference
11. Most importantly, I will never give up all the friends I have made and continue to make on this adventure!

***

Finally, thank you for joining me on this adventure!

Here’s to another 11 years!

Your coach 

Andy 

PS - Train with me to become a coach 

I will teach you everything I know about coaching, business and life.

Join me on my 6-month coaching life/executive accreditation with an extra alcohol-free performance coach qualification bonus.

Visit www.andyramagetraining.com for more info. Let’s do this!

Below is a video of my Tuesday 7:30 am LIVE in Dryy in case you couldn’t make it. And a reminder that the Dryy team are LIVE every day - which is an incredible resource

We would LOVE to see you on the next 7:30 am UK time live:

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Alcohol-Free Advantage Podcast, Andy Ramage shares the science of energy—what drains it, what boosts it, and how to create sustainable high performance. If you feel tired, sluggish, or stuck in low-energy cycles, this episode will give you the tools to break free.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The real reason you feel exhausted (and it’s not what you think).
• How removing alcohol transforms your energy, sleep, and motivation.
• The daily habits that keep you physically and mentally sharp.

Quotable Moments

• “Alcohol is the single biggest energy thief in your life.”
• “Most people are not tired—they are under-fuelled and over-stressed.”
• “Energy is not about doing more—it’s about doing less of what drains you.”

Why This Episode Matters

Your energy is your life force—and it’s possible to get it back. If you’re sick of waking up tired and running on fumes, this episode will show you exactly where to start.

Resources Mentioned

• Why We Sleep – Matthew Walker
• Atomic Habits – James Clear
• Andy Ramage Training Academy: www.andyramagetraining.com