E54. Stop Goal-Chasing: A New Year Episode on Self-Nourishment, Sustainable Success, and Designing Your Life with Intention

In this annual New Year solo episode of Internally Guided Life, host Kayla Sweet offers a counterculture approach to the start of 2026, one that moves away from goal-chasing, productivity pressure, and “new year, new me” expectations.Rather than setting personal goals, Kayla invites listeners to explore a more foundational question: What kind of life can actually hold you? A life that feels nourishing, sustainable, aligned, and genuinely fulfilling to live inside of.Reflecting honestly on 2025, Kayla shares both the meaningful growth of the year and the often-unspoken cost of success when ambition outpaces sustainability. She discusses burnout recovery, overworking, nervous system regulation, and the realization that even deeply fulfilling work can become depleting without intentional design.Drawing on her experience as a leadership development professional and coach, Kayla reframes the New Year as an opportunity to design a life with intention, much like designing a transformational learning experience. She explores how honoring biological needs, building in daily nourishment, creating psychological safety, and leaving room for flexibility can fundamentally change how a year is lived.Throughout the episode, Kayla introduces four guiding lenses for 2026:Creativity as a necessary source of regulation, meaning, and vitalityNourishment as a non-negotiable need rather than a reward for productivitySustainable success, including an honest examination of what success may be costingBecoming on purpose, choosing alignment, love, and capacity over fear, guilt, or “shoulds”She also shares the four anchors she is using to guide her own year: purpose, play, sustainability, and love, offering listeners a practical framework for evaluating decisions, commitments, and energy moving forward.This episode is for anyone who feels tired of chasing goals that lead to self-neglect, anyone navigating burnout recovery or high-pressure success, and anyone longing for a New Year reset rooted in self-respect, alignment, and sustainable growth.Key reflection questions explored in this episode include:What kind of life can actually hold you?What does your body need daily, not occasionally?What forms of nourishment are you consistently postponing?What is your version of success costing you?What would change if your calendar reflected self-respect and care?This episode offers a compassionate, grounded alternative to traditional New Year goal setting and invites listeners to design a life that supports long-term wellbeing, purpose, and aliveness.Meet the Host:Kayla Sweet is the host of Internally Guided Life and an expert in burnout prevention, transformational leadership, self-care, and personal growth. As a life coach, she specializes in helping people reclaim their worthiness and purpose, guiding them to create fulfilling lives with balance and ease. With a background in psychology, mindfulness, and transformational leadership, Kayla empowers her community to align with their authentic selves, develop their strengths, and embrace intentional growth.Kayla's debut poetry collection, Alchemy of Life, is available now at internallyguidedleadership.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart. This is a reflective collection of poems on transformation, healing, and becoming.Connect with Kayla:LinktreeFacebookInstagramTikTokLinkedInPoetry Book: Alchemy of LifeSubscribe to Kayla’s email list, read the blog, and explore free resources:Visit Internally Guided LeadershipEpisode Credits:Intro & Outro Music: By artist Goat On The River, produced by Christian Michael Smith at https://www.microdotstudioproductions.com/ Podcast recorded by Christian Michael Smith at https://www.microdotstudioproductions.com/