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I thought I was recording a tidy little year-end recap. A highlight reel. A greatest hits moment. Easy.

Instead, I found myself staring at this year of conversations and realizing something way more uncomfortable and way more interesting. Certain themes kept showing up. Across guests who had nothing in common. Across topics that should not have overlapped. And somehow, those themes quietly rewired how I think about goals, ambition, self-compassion, and what I’m willing to accept in my own life.

So this episode is not a highlight reel.

It’s a reflection on the three biggest lessons this podcast taught me this year and why they might matter for you too.

One of them completely changed how I look at “stuck” goals and the stories we tell ourselves about why something isn’t possible yet. Another challenged the way I think about self-compassion and why being kind to yourself does not mean settling or giving up. And the third forced me to take a hard look at what I’m letting into my brain every single day and how much low-quality noise we’ve all been normalizing.

I share the moments that cracked these lessons open for me, the guests who sparked the shifts, and the questions that stopped me mid-spiral more than once this year.

This episode is part reflection, part pattern recognition, and part invitation to stop carrying goals and beliefs that feel heavy, obligatory, or vaguely punishing.

If you’re heading into a new season thinking about what you want next or wondering why certain goals just don’t light you up anymore, this one might land closer to home than you expect.

What’s Inside:

• The patterns I couldn’t unsee after reviewing a full year of conversations
• Why some goals quietly drain you before you even start
• A reframing of self-compassion that removes shame without removing choice
• What happens when you stop letting low-quality noise rent space in your brain

This episode isn’t about doing more or fixing yourself. It’s about noticing what keeps repeating and having the courage to question it. I’d love to know which theme made you pause or which one you’re still chewing on. DM me on Instagram and tell me what you’re carrying forward and what you’re ready to leave behind.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Oonagh Duncan on Instagram
Fit Feels Good
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