21 Comments
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Linart Seprioto's avatar

This was the year your life was set ablaze too, and I still find it incredible to witness 🔥

There's this thing I learned from Joe Hudson, which is uncovering the want behind the want. I let go of all my goals this year too but I was surprised I met my actual want behind them.

For example, I told myself I want to build a business doing work I believe in. But the actual want isn't the business, but rather finding my good work. I think I got pretty close to it this year, even though I'm still working a 9-5. 😂

Becky Isjwara's avatar

You have had an AMAZING year

Ines Lee's avatar

I’m all for being flexible with goals. Love reading how not achieving your goals turned out to be such a mega achievement !

Becky Isjwara's avatar

It's just so hard to know what life has in store!

Chris Cordry, LMFT's avatar

This is why I have an ambivalent relationship with goals. Sometimes what you want changes. And sometimes what you think you want, isn't actually what you need. I'm starting to like Anne-Laure le Cunff's idea of Tiny Experiments as an alternative to traditional resolutions or goal-setting for this reason! It sounds like you had a very meaningful year full of big changes.

Becky Isjwara's avatar

Thanks Chris! And yes. It's really hard to figure out what you want :)

David Estillore's avatar

Thank you for sharing these. It’s honestly freakin hard to stick to targets. Instead of setting SMART goals, I stick to themes instead.

Last year was a theme of creativity, which I did not achieve fully too (lol), but I did enough of it.

Becky Isjwara's avatar

you did enough!! now on to 2026 :)

raymond's avatar

Really needed this reminder, congrats on an awesome year!

Becky Isjwara's avatar

Thanks Raymond! Catch up soon? I wanna hear all abotu you and FDO!

raymond's avatar

Let’s do it! I’ll hit you up in the new year because I’m going back to the west coast for the holidays and the time difference there is brutal lol

Becky Isjwara's avatar

oooof yes you are right. can do!

Bhav Sharma's avatar

Hell yes to just wandering and exploring 🙌 Goals are great and all, but they're defo not the be all and end all!

Becky Isjwara's avatar

They really are just arbitrary goal posts!

Rohit's avatar

“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to live the life that is waiting for us.” - Joseph Campbell

Becky Isjwara's avatar

Oh that's a REALLY good quote

Michelle Varghese's avatar

I so resonate with this essay. Good for you that you didn’t let your goals or your past projection of yourself hold you back. I love goals and having a place to point my arrow, partially because the exercise in itself can force me to think about what I want. To be beholden to them is silly. I was listening to a podcast today that encouraged looking back to a year ago and seeing how much you’ve changed. That’s so powerful too. We don’t give ourselves enough credit for the people we are evolving into.

Becky Isjwara's avatar

"We don’t give ourselves enough credit for the people we are evolving into." damn girl

Michelle Varghese's avatar

Wait let me tweet that hahaha

Nat Lee's avatar

I know it’s totally not the point of your post but… did you not do Hyrox this year? On a more serious note, it’s so freeing to realise you can have a good life without goals sometimes. Not saying that we can’t have a direction but following our curiosities is part and parcel of a good life

Becky Isjwara's avatar

I did! But I was way off from my target time 😂