Episode Overview
New Year’s Eve often sits in a strange in-between space - part reflection, part expectation. In this conversation, we gently unpack why this moment can feel heavy with pressure, and how New Year’s resolutions so often become another way we tell ourselves we’re not enough yet.

We talk honestly about where resolutions really come from, how self-worth gets tangled up in performance and productivity, and why so many of us end up feeling guilty by February. From bin-bag workouts in Glasgow to chilli powder water confessions, we share the ridiculous (and revealing) things we’ve done in the name of “self-improvement”.

This episode is an invitation to pause, soften, and question the story underneath the goal - and to consider a different way of entering a new year that’s rooted in compassion rather than self-rejection.

Key Discussion Points

• Why New Year’s Eve holds both hope and pressure - and why that collective expectation can feel so heavy
• The hidden message behind most resolutions: be thinner, richer, better, more disciplined
• How self-improvement often masks self-rejection
• The role of comparison, social media, vision boards and five-year plans
• The link between habits, emotion, and soothing unmet needs
• Why change takes repetition, not revolution (and what the research really shows)
• Shifting from striving to self-acceptance

Listener Takeaways

• You can’t hate yourself into lasting change
• Most resolutions fail because they’re rooted in lack, not love
• Real change happens when behaviour shifts after the story underneath is understood
• Small, kind habits are more powerful than dramatic overhauls
• Progress isn’t linear - and it doesn’t need a January start date
• You don’t need a new version of yourself to begin again
• The version of you here right now is already resilient, capable, and enough
  
  

Join the Conversation

As this year turns over, we’d love to know:
What are you ready to stop postponing?
What would it look like to enter this year with curiosity instead of pressure?

You can share your thoughts with us over on Instagram or send us a message - we read them all, and this community guides every conversation we have.

However you’re spending New Year’s Eve, we’re glad you’re here.
Here’s to soft changes, small beginnings, and remembering who you already are.

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Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy

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Disclaimer:

Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.