Be Careful What You Wish For: A Personal Story

 In case you need to read and run – here’s the essence of my message in a nutshell:
❤️ Be careful what you wish for…because you might just get it.
❤️ And sometimes, what you get is even better than what you thought you wanted.
❤️ Instead of setting goals that box you in, start with how you want to feel—and see what happens.
❤️ Change sounds simple in theory, but in reality, it’s messy, uncomfortable, and full of unexpected twists. Getting support through it can make all the difference. 

This isn’t a leadership lesson, but a personal reflection, something I felt drawn to share.

Honestly? Writing this is therapeutic. My life is still shifting, and I’m still learning what simplicity means for me. I’m sharing this because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that change isn’t a neat process. It’s messy. It’s uncomfortable. Even when you choose it, even when you want it, it doesn’t always unfold the way you expect.

And sometimes, life makes the changes for you.

That’s where things get interesting.

Throwback to New Year’s Day…

A couple of years ago, I didn’t do the usual goal-setting exercises. No big plans, no vision boards, no breaking everything down into neat little steps. I’ve done that before, and there’s definitely value in it, but at the time, it just didn’t feel right.

Instead, I chose a word for the year.

That word was ⭐️ simplicity ⭐️.

The funny thing is, I had no idea what simplicity actually looked like for me. I couldn’t visualise it. My life wasn’t simple. My brain definitely wasn’t simple. If anything, simplicity felt out of reach.

But I had a sense of it. I knew how I wanted life to feel: calmer, more present, with less chaos and more flow. I wasn’t necessarily looking to slow everything down, but I wanted to actually be in my life, rather than constantly juggling a million things at once.

I had no idea how that would happen.

And as it turns out, life had a plan of its own… 💫 

When Life Has Other Ideas

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you should always expect the unexpected.

In order for life to be simple, big shifts had to happen. Obstacles had to be removed. Thinking had to be challenged. Values had to realign.

Some of those shifts were uncomfortable. Some forced me to let go of things I thought I needed. Some made me rethink everything I thought I knew about myself, my work, my priorities.

It wasn’t just about making life look simpler—it was about unravelling deep patterns of overcomplication, control, and expectations.

Looking back, I can see that those changes weren’t happening to me—they were unfolding for me.

“When you let go of what no longer serves you, you create space for what is meant to be.” – Unknown

The Thing About Simplicity

The thing about choosing a word like simplicity is that you don’t get to decide how it shows up.

If you’re anything like me, someone who likes to plan, who feels safest when they’re in control, this can be deeply uncomfortable. Because so much of our stress and frustration comes from resisting reality. Wishing things were different. Clinging to the way we thought things were supposed to go.

But when you stop trying to force a specific outcome and instead focus on how you want to feel, life moves in ways you never could have planned.

For me, simplicity turned out to mean surrendering to the now. It meant slowing down, not in the way I imagined, but in the way I needed. It meant making space, saying no, letting things be easy where they could be. It meant being more present in the tiny moments that might have once passed me by.

I had no idea what simplicity would look like for me. But deep down, whether you call it intuition, the universe, or just some part of me that knew, I needed it.

And now, looking back, I can see that I got exactly what I asked for.

Not in the way I expected.

But in the way that was right for me. 

What about you? Have you ever set an intention, only to find life delivered it in a completely unexpected way? I’d love to hear your experience.