In this episode, the team breaks down a more realistic approach to goal setting: simple focuses instead of endless goals, how to actually remember what you set, and why reflecting on progress matters (so you don’t just live in “what’s next?” mode).

They explore the balance between pain vs pleasure as motivation, why ambition can be both powerful and exhausting, and the idea of life “dimmers”, where different seasons require different levels of focus on family, work, health, and social life.

And to keep it grounded (and fun), the team shares personal goals for the year ahead, including one “unreasonably epic” goal that’s purely for the story.

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Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to The O-Studio Podcast

01:30 – New Year’s resolutions vs real goal setting

03:30 – Forgetting what you once wanted (hedonic adaptation)

05:10 – Why reflecting on progress actually matters

06:30 – Is pain or pleasure the stronger motivator?

08:25 – Goal setting in professional sport

10:35 – Never being satisfied vs enjoying your life

12:25 – Responsibility, meaning, and ambition

14:45 – Journey vs destination vs the people you do it with

16:00 – Turning 40 and setting personal milestones

17:55 – Skydiving, fear, and unreasonably fun goals

20:45 – Events, fitness goals, and running challenges

22:30 – Chasing feelings instead of tick-box goals

24:00 – Morning routines and setting up your day

28:10 – You don’t need to wait for Monday or January

30:00 – Letting go of over-optimisation

32:40 – Life “dimmers”: work, family, social and health

36:50 – Seasons of life and shifting priorities

39:05 – One simple tip for goal setting

40:40 – Do something unreasonably fun

41:55 – Final reflections and wrap-up