No. 19: I'm Not Setting Goals — Here’s What I’m Rooting Into Instead

Vision Without the Weight

January arrives loud.

Full of declarations.

Resolutions stacked like promises we’re supposed to keep.

Everywhere I look,

there’s urgency to become someone new.

To optimize.

To fix.

To decide who I’ll be for the rest of the year

before I’ve even finished exhaling from the last one.

This year, I’m choosing something quieter.

When Goals Feel Like Pressure

Goals used to feel motivating.

Now they often feel like weight.

A list of expectations I carry on my back.

A future version of myself

I’m always trying to catch up to.

And somewhere in that chasing,

I lose touch with what I actually need.

So this January, I’m not setting goals.

I’m listening instead.

What I’m Rooting Into

Rather than aiming outward,

I’m rooting downward.

Into rest that doesn’t need to be earned.

Into rhythms that feel sustainable in my body.

Into creativity that unfolds slowly, without demand.

Into presence — with my child, my home, myself.

Roots don’t rush.

They grow quietly, invisibly,

strengthening what will eventually rise.

That’s the kind of vision I want this year.

One that supports me,

not one that asks me to perform.

A Different Kind of Beginning

Starting fresh doesn’t have to mean starting over.

It can mean starting honestly.

Beginning from where you are.

With what you have.

At the pace your life can actually hold.

This January, I’m choosing direction over destination.

Depth over speed.

Gentleness over force.

A Reminder for You

If goals feel heavy this year,

if the pressure to reinvent yourself feels exhausting—

you’re allowed to choose another way.

You don’t need a perfect plan.

You don’t need to have it all mapped out.

Sometimes the bravest vision

is simply rooting into what keeps you steady.

If you’re beginning again quietly,

I’m right here with you.

—Steph