After last week's discussion on The Executive Coach Podcast about different types of goals, I want to share something completely different - three perspectives on what I'm calling the 'anti-goal January'.
The Goal-Free Experiment
I tried goal-free living in December, based on Stephen Shapiro's book. As someone who's had goals since a young age, this was profound. While my relationship with goals has matured (they now come from a wiser place, aligned with vision rather than just achievement), they're still core to my identity.
But here's what happened when I let go:
Manifestation went on steroids (listen to the podcast if you want a funny story about that!)
Creative ideas flowed more freely
I found more clarity about what I actually wanted
Picture this: I was listening to a podcast about someone in a national band, thinking "wouldn't it be cool if one of my kids played in something like that?" Within an hour, I had an email from a school teacher asking if my child would audition for a national band. Weird, right?
The science behind this? Remember that video where people counting basketball goals miss the bear walking across the court? When we're too focused on specific goals, we can miss bigger opportunities.
The Filler Year
I loved Hannah Urwin's Guardian article about making 2025 a 'filler year'. Not a year of big transformations or life changes, but one where subtle growth happens. In her filler year, she:
Got less ill (because she wasn't burning out)
Had more quality time with friends
Actually enjoyed those unstructured evenings with family
Tackled life admin without pressure
As she points out, her grandmother never felt the need to "level up each year and grow hotter, wealthier, more successful whilst on her linear march towards death." Instead, she spent time repotting plants in her garden. That's where real life happens.
The Contraction Phase
If you've had an expansive 2024, maybe it's time for contraction. Life isn't linear - we need those equal and opposite reactions. Winter especially invites this inward movement.
During the holiday break, I embraced this by:
Sleeping through my usual productive hours
Letting go of the need to achieve
Saying no to evening commitments
Embracing hibernation
What I've Found
When we take big projects and transformations off the table, something interesting happens - those tiny improvements that actually increase our daily quality of life have space to emerge.
To catch up on the full episode and find out about three different approaches to goal-free living, you can listen to the podcast at Apple Podcasts or Spotify
To find out more about my experience living goal free, read here.
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