Ever feel like a magnet is pulling you through life—and you’re not sure who chose it?

I was talking with a client recently who described her week as “being dragged from meeting to meeting.” She wasn’t choosing her days. She was reacting to them. Like a paperclip drawn to a magnet she never selected.

The Things That Pull Us

We’re all magnetized to something. For some people, it’s other people’s urgency. For others, it’s the dopamine hit of inbox zero or the comfort of staying busy without being productive.

What pulls you?

Maybe it’s:

• Other people’s priorities
• The path of least resistance
• What you’ve always done
• What looks good on paper
• What pays the bills but depletes your soul

None of these are wrong. But here’s the question: Did you choose your magnet, or did it choose you?

The Permission Problem

In my coaching work, I help leaders identify what’s pulling them—and then discover what they wish were pulling them. We call these “magnet goals.”

One of the greatest joys in this work is watching people set goals for themselves. Not for work. Not for revenue. Not for their team. For themselves.

And here’s what happens every single time: They look at me for permission.

“Is it okay to add this to my list?”

They’re asking if it’s acceptable to want something for themselves. To be pulled toward joy, or rest, or creativity, or adventure. To choose their own magnet.

The answer is always yes.

Your Turn

This week, look at your to-do list. Ask yourself: What’s pulling me?

Are you passively letting someone else’s magnet pull you? Or have you chosen yours?

If you’ve been letting life magnetize you instead of choosing what you’re drawn to, maybe it’s time to change that.

Want help with this process?

Emily (a goal skeptic) and I (a goal enthusiast) are starting a cohort called Magnetize 2026. We’ll personally guide you through the Magnet Goals process and support you in pursuing those goals throughout the year.

If you’re tired of goals that fizzle by February, check this out.