The Paradox of Goal-Orientedness

Jenny Valentish reading from William Giraldi’s The Hero’s Body and discussing the ups and downs of reinventing yourself. 

How far have you pushed yourself? What’s the most fragile edge of yourself that you’ve stumbled out towards? If I had to choose one instance, it would be the time I ran a marathon with no training. I came in last, and I came in at the very limit of what I could’ve done. I was at my edge. 

Jenny Valentish has explored the edges, both light and dark, not only in her writing, but in living her life. Jenny’s the author of Everything Harder Than Everyone Else, and a journalist. She joins me today to discuss the journey of reinvention. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ 

Jenny reads two pages from ‘The Hero’s Body’ by William Giraldi. [reading begins at 9:34] 

Hear us talk about: 

The place for joy in reinvention. [14:45] | Is satisfaction attainable?: “The paradox of being very goal-oriented is that goals have disappointment built into them.” [18:07] | Celebrating the moment. [23:40] | Managing ‘the crash’: “There’s no rush. It can take a couple of years for an idea to slot into place, so don’t panic.” [25:18] | Uncovering what’s next. [27:57]