Episode
When setting goals triggers an existential crisis
- Podcast
- The Zack Arnold Podcast
- Published
- Jan 14, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 426
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://zackarnold.com/podcast
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-zack-arnold-podcast-1048782/episodes/when-setting-goals-triggers-an-existential-crisis/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-zack-arnold-podcast-1048782/when-setting-goals-triggers-an-existential-crisis.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
What happens when the simple question “What do you want to achieve this year? And why?” leads to an existential crisis? In this mini-episode, we pull back the curtain on why setting goals feels harder than ever, why most people aren’t at peace with how they’re spending their time, and how the endless chase for more money, more time, and more balance quietly keeps us stuck. We tease a simpler, more honest way to ask the goals question, unpack why “work-life balance” might be the wrong thing to pursue altogether, and set the stage for the mindset shift that can finally help you stop spinning in circles and feel at peace with your time. All that in more in my latest Substack → When setting goals triggers an existential crisis When you're done, I'd love your thoughts here in the comments !