Self Leadership: Lead Yourself in 2026
Tue Jan 06 2026
If you've ever felt like you're managing yourself into exhaustion instead of actually living, this episode is for you. We're talking about self-leadership — the shift from micromanaging every goal to leading yourself from your highest vision.
I share why I think SMART goals are dumb (hear me out). It's not the goals themselves, but the way they turn us into project managers of our own lives: checking boxes, measuring progress, creating endless lists that drain the joy right out of living. I got so exhausted planning 2024 that I never looked at my goals again.
Something shifted for me in 2025. Instead of quarterly milestones and daily checklists, I set being intentions: be creative, be intentional, be connected. And wow — poetry workshops, dance classes, genuine friendships, aligned community. The magic didn't come from my planning. It came from who I was being.
You'll hear the difference between managing yourself (Am I on track? Did I do enough? Am I behind?) and leading yourself (Is this aligned with my values? Is this my highest self? What's the next true step?). Management creates stress. Leadership creates space for wonder, awe, and spontaneity.
We dive into why visions beat goals: they're vague not specific, felt not measured, lifelong not time-bound, audacious not realistic. For 2026, my vision is to be devoted, healthy, and present — and I've turned those into morning and evening routines that help me step into those states of being every single day.
The episode includes a guided visualization where you picture the life you want and ask: Who do I need to be to have that life? Not what do I need to do — who do I need to be? Because accomplishments are just consequences of character. Go upstream.
This isn't about perfection. It's about promoting yourself from manager to leader, trusting that as you align with your vision daily, the outcomes will follow naturally. When you focus on being instead of doing, you leave room to heal, to be surprised, to let your light shine the way it was always meant to.
Thanks for listening and for choosing to lead yourself with vision instead of managing yourself with fear. Stay curious, stay aligned, and keep returning to where it's quiet.
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If you've ever felt like you're managing yourself into exhaustion instead of actually living, this episode is for you. We're talking about self-leadership — the shift from micromanaging every goal to leading yourself from your highest vision. I share why I think SMART goals are dumb (hear me out). It's not the goals themselves, but the way they turn us into project managers of our own lives: checking boxes, measuring progress, creating endless lists that drain the joy right out of living. I got so exhausted planning 2024 that I never looked at my goals again. Something shifted for me in 2025. Instead of quarterly milestones and daily checklists, I set being intentions: be creative, be intentional, be connected. And wow — poetry workshops, dance classes, genuine friendships, aligned community. The magic didn't come from my planning. It came from who I was being. You'll hear the difference between managing yourself (Am I on track? Did I do enough? Am I behind?) and leading yourself (Is this aligned with my values? Is this my highest self? What's the next true step?). Management creates stress. Leadership creates space for wonder, awe, and spontaneity. We dive into why visions beat goals: they're vague not specific, felt not measured, lifelong not time-bound, audacious not realistic. For 2026, my vision is to be devoted, healthy, and present — and I've turned those into morning and evening routines that help me step into those states of being every single day. The episode includes a guided visualization where you picture the life you want and ask: Who do I need to be to have that life? Not what do I need to do — who do I need to be? Because accomplishments are just consequences of character. Go upstream. This isn't about perfection. It's about promoting yourself from manager to leader, trusting that as you align with your vision daily, the outcomes will follow naturally. When you focus on being instead of doing, you leave room to heal, to be surprised, to let your light shine the way it was always meant to. Thanks for listening and for choosing to lead yourself with vision instead of managing yourself with fear. Stay curious, stay aligned, and keep returning to where it's quiet.