Recently my best friend and I disagreed on what a goal was. We started talking about what we wanted to do in 2026, naming things organically until I said, “Write them down!” We did, and I noticed his were… a little different. Mine read like a to-do list of all the most responsible “things I really should do this year” and his read like a college kid’s free afternoon.
His goals were creatively fulfilling: finishing that album of music with high school friends, breaking in that new (old) analog tape machine with Philly musicians and reconnecting with old friends. I balked, slightly and lovingly. My goals included more practical pursuits: scheduling a dentist appointment I’d been avoiding, practicing Spanish and swimming at the YMCA. I had creative goals too, of course, but I somehow convinced myself that I needed to get a Pap smear and produce less garbage first?!
After spending some time listening to Life Kit’s episode, “Too many goals and too little time,” I was reminded that my Virgo-rising self didn’t need to be so dogmatic about goals. As Life Kit host Marielle Segarra so beautifully states:
“The quest for peak performance and peak focus can, if we’re not careful, block us from experiencing life."
It’s a helpful reminder that there are NO rules! Zero! Add goals that you know you’ll check off the list (attending weddings you know you’ll go to), easy goals (buying fresh shoelaces for your sneakers) and of course goals you should do (do you have a budgeting system you like?).
Xo,
Em
The week’s best episodes
…to share with the list-making Virgo in your life
🔎 NPR does true crime (sort of)
I’m not usually a true crime gal, but I loved State of the World’s take on the last woman ever executed in Britain. Hanged for killing her abusive partner in 1955, Ruth Ellis' story is often misunderstood. Now, her family is seeking a posthumous pardon.
😂 Laugh and cry and laugh with Tig Notaro and Rachel Martin
Known for a deadpan delivery that turns grief and illness into art, comedian Tig Notaro sits down with Wild Card's Rachel Martin to discuss her latest project: a documentary about her best friend, the poet Andrea Gibson. It’s a raw, funny, and deeply moving conversation about friendship and facing a terminal diagnosis with a laugh.
⚖️ Mining for voter data in the Golden State
The Trump Administration wants the personal information — Social Security numbers, drivers license info and more — for nearly 23 million voters in California. Host Nereida Moreno looks into the recent dismissal of a federal lawsuit with national implications on Imperfect Paradise, from LAist.
➕ She’s an icon, she’s a legend and she is the moment
Come on, who doesn’t want to know how the Fresh Air hosts Terry Gross (who gave me a drive home one time) and Tonya Mosley prepare to make their legendary show? Check out the second part of their AMA on Fresh Air+. To get access to this bonus episode — plus sponsor-free listening — sign up for NPR+.
One to Watch
TED Radio Hourhost Manoush Zomorodi talks with lottery winner advisor Matt Pitcher on why not winning the lottery is a good thing.
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