New Year’s resolutions often come with energy, motivation and big intentions, but for many of us, that momentum doesn’t last.

This episode of Listen, Learn, Grow explores goal setting in the real world. Not just the goals we set in January, but the ones we carry with us throughout the year, the things we start, pause, doubt, and sometimes quietly walk away from.

In this short episode, I reflect on:

• why New Year’s resolutions often fade

• how goals can lose meaning when motivation dips

• the difference between starting strong and staying consistent

• why finishing something matters, even when progress feels slow

I also talk more openly about my first book, releasing on 19 January. Why I wrote it, what it’s really about, and what the process of finishing it taught me about commitment, self-doubt and follow-through. The book sits at the heart of this conversation, and this episode offers a glimpse into the thinking and experiences that shaped it.

Whether you’re setting intentions for the year ahead, revisiting goals you’ve already set, or trying to complete something that’s been on your mind for a while, this episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and keep going.

Have a listen to find out more.

Miscommunication and misunderstandings happen every single day! At work, at home, in friendships, everywhere.

But what really matters isn’t whether it happens… it’s what we do next.

In this episode of Listen, Learn, Grow, were talking about misunderstandings from both sides:

• when someone misunderstands you

• and when you realise it was actually you who misheard, misread, or didn’t explain things clearly

We look at why messages get lost, how assumptions creep in, and how quickly things can spiral when nobody slows down to check what was really meant.

Most importantly, I share practical ways to:

• pause instead of react

• clarify without blaming

• own your part when you got it wrong

• repair conversations so trust isn’t damaged

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being honest, reflective, and willing to go back and make things right.

Because good effective communication isn’t about never getting it wrong. It’s about how we handle it when we do.

Happy Listening.

Expectations are everywhere. Some are placed on us by others, and some are quietly created by ourselves. Over time, they can start to shape how we think, how we behave, and how we measure our worth, often without us even realising it.

In this episode of Listen, Learn, Grow, Allan explores the weight of expectation and the difference between the expectations we carry for ourselves and those we feel from the people around us.

We look at how expectations can slowly turn into pressure, why we stay stuck in cycles of trying to meet them, and what impact this has on our confidence, energy, and wellbeing.

This episode invites you to pause and reflect on the “why”:
why you feel the need to meet certain expectations, whose expectations they really are, and whether they still serve you.

You’ll also hear practical ways to recognise unhelpful expectations, reset boundaries, and redefine success on your own terms, without guilt or apology.

Because sometimes, the most powerful step forward is letting go of what was never yours to carry.