Beyond Resolutions: Setting Predictable, Possible & Powerful Goals with Sarah Fairnie

Written By Margaret Ye

Ep 9: How predictable, possible & powerful goals can help you reconnect with yourself after motherhood

Motherhood has a way of drowning out your own voice.
Between school runs, work, mental load and everyone else’s needs, goal setting can feel like just another stick to beat yourself with — especially if you’re already stretched thin.

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Fairnie — wayfinder, master hypnotist and recalibration coach — to reframe goal setting as a tool for self-discovery, not self-criticism. Sarah works with women whose lives look “great on paper” but still feel unfulfilled, helping them strip away the noise of who they think they should be so they can reconnect with who they really are.

Together, we talk about her framework of predictable, possible and powerful goals, how to move away from “should goals” and toward the ones your body actually sighs in relief at, and why there’s so much power in simply pausing before you try to change your life.

This isn’t an episode about becoming a “new you” overnight. It’s about creating space to hear yourself again — and letting your goals become an honest reflection of the woman you’re becoming, not just the roles you hold.

What We Cover in This Episode:

  • Predictable, possible & powerful goals
    How most of us get stuck setting predictable or “possible” goals we already know the steps for — and why the most transformative goals are often the ones we deeply want but have no idea how we’ll reach yet.

  • Moving from “should” goals to “want” goals
    The difference between goals that feel like pressure versus goals that feel like relief, and how that body-based check-in can show you what’s truly aligned for you (not your family, not society — you).

  • Why pausing is the first step to finding yourself again
    Why so many mums try to “find themselves” while still running at full speed, and how simply stopping to breathe and ask, “Who am I when nobody needs anything from me?” can shift everything.

  • Can goal setting help, or does it just add pressure?
    Sarah’s honest take on when goals are helpful, when they’re harmful, and how to use them as a compass rather than another impossible to-do list.

  • Micro self-checks instead of big, intimidating self-care
    A simple 5-minute practice: asking, “What do I need right now?” — whether it’s water, fresh air, quiet, or putting your phone in another room.

  • Journaling without overthinking it
    How to start journaling when a blank page feels overwhelming, why it’s really just a conversation with yourself, and how your inner voice gets louder the more you let it speak.

  • Breathwork, nervous system regulation & mum overwhelm
    Why so many mums live in permanent “go mode”, and how conscious breathing and tiny pauses help your nervous system feel safe enough to relax.

  • Conditioning, mum guilt & why rest feels ‘wrong’
    A deep dive into how we’ve been taught to put ourselves last, why guilt is often just a shadow of that conditioning, and what changes when you recognise it for what it is.

  • Reframing self-care as regulation, not indulgence
    Why it’s less about bubble baths and more about learning how to regulate your emotions, so you can show up as the calm, present version of yourself more often.

  • Modelling self-worth for our kids
    How our children learn from what they see (not what we say), and why letting them witness you resting, setting boundaries and taking up space is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.

  • Building self-trust through tiny promises
    The link between small daily commitments, confidence and identity — and why consistency (not perfection or achievement) is what really strengthens your self-belief.

💌 Resources & Mentions:

💬 Listener Takeaway:
Your goals don’t have to look like anyone else’s — and they definitely don’t have to fit the New Year resolution cliché.

If your goals feel heavy, like pressure, or like something you “should” want, they probably aren’t yours.

This episode is your reminder that:

  • You’re allowed to want more without justifying it.

  • You’re allowed to pause, breathe and ask, “What do I need right now?”

  • You’re allowed to set goals that feel expansive, not exhausting.

The moment you stop apologising for wanting more is the moment you begin to come home to yourself.

🎧 Listen to the Episode Now:
Hit play on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
And don’t forget to follow the show so you don’t miss upcoming episodes where we unpack identity, motherhood, and finding YOU again.

Margaret Ye
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New Year, New Me, New Hobby – 12 Hobbies in 12 Months