What If the Year Hasn’t Been What You Expected?

This isn’t a motivational text.

It’s an invitation to embrace the bad moments, the mistakes, and the setbacks as part of your story and growth.

I’ve noticed a few trending posts on social media lately with titles like, “How can I be sad if in 2024 I…”

I know, they’re meant to inspire and to get engagement, but there is a fundamental mistake on it: happiness and sadness are not permanent states. Even the happiest person on Instagram has likely faced their share of challenges this year.

At the start of the year, many of us set goals with hope, positivity, and determination. But let’s be honest—life doesn’t always go according to plan. For most of us, some things didn’t happen as we’d hoped.

Maybe you gave it your all, and yet, things still didn’t fall into place. Perhaps you faced unexpected events, setbacks, or unachieved goals that no amount of effort could overcome.

Today, I’m not going to ask you to look at the glass half full.

Instead, I invite you to look at the space created by those unachieved goals. What’s in that space?

Explore failure with curiosity. What emotional resilience have you built? Where has this sense of failure taken you—emotionally, mentally, or even physically? And most importantly, what have you learned about yourself and others along the way?

That said, there are moments when the feeling of failure can be managed by recognizing factors within our control, and these are lessons we carry into our next step. For example:

1. Setting unrealistic goals – A classic. Let's dream big and break big aspirations into achievable milestones. Not always the winner takes it all.
2. Expecting other people's validation – Not always we are good enough for others. All right, it's their lens, their standard. Sometimes, we need to rely on your inner compass instead of seeking external approval (which is different from seeking external feedback).
3. Engaging in activities misaligned with your values – Avoid situations where you don’t feel a sense of belonging or purpose. If you have that song in your head "what the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here...", it's a read flag!
4. Overcommitting – Saying “yes” to everything spreads your energy thin, setting you up for unnecessary exhaustion, frustration and ultimately making you deliver far below your standards.

Maybe this wasn’t the year you earned that promotion or became the top talent in your company’s performance review. Maybe your business didn’t win that award, or the dream job slipped through your fingers. Acknowledge this “dark” season not as a reason to give up but as a moment of internal growth—a time to remember that we can’t control everything.

If you’re reading this, you’re still here. You’re alive, and you’re trying. That matters.

As I write this, winter is beginning where I live. Winter reminds us that growth is not always visible. It teaches us patience and resilience. It allows us the space to rest, reflect, and prepare for what’s next. Winter is often seen as a season of stillness, where nothing grows. But beneath the surface, seeds are germinating, preparing to bloom in the seasons to come.

So are you.

With care,

Fernanda Ortega, Career Coach & Mentor partnering with clients through the ups & downs—because growth happens in all seasons!

Book your discovery session to start 2025 switching gears to a new path!