Life Goals In Progress

161. Should You Build in Public or Go After Your Goals In Private?

Life Goals In Progress

Show Notes

In this episode, Nina and I are getting into the "Public vs. Private" debate when it comes to goal setting. We've all seen the quotes on Pinterest about "grinding in silence," but we've also seen the massive success of the "build in public" movement. So, which one is actually better for your sanity—and your success? We're talking about the "fear of being perceived," how to handle the "haters" (and the inner critic), and why you don't owe anyone a front-row seat to your journey before you're ready. If you've ever felt like your goals were too "soft" or "tender" to share with the internet, this conversation is for you. In this episode, we cover: The "Hater" Instinct: Why our first thought about sharing is often tied to judgment or jealousy.

Protecting the Process: Why keeping a project to yourself for the first few months might be the best thing for your confidence.

The Build-in-Public Pressure: Why "showing the messy middle" is popular right now, and why it's okay to opt out.

The "Safe Outlets" Alternative: Finding the middle ground between a private diary and a public Instagram post.

Discernment over "Shoulds": How to decide which goals need a community and which need a cocoon.

Find us: Marketing Agency: lifegoalsmarketing.com Content Hub: lifegoalsmag.com Instagram: @itscoleylane @itsninasoon @lifegoalsmag

More from Life Goals In Progress

Jun 25, 2026

The start of a launch is exciting. The middle is where most people lose it. Crickets, doubt, the urge to quit early. Kelsey McCormick from Coming Up Roses joins Coley to talk through the mid-launch dip and why your energy is what carries a launch across the finish line. They cover how to set a launch goal that's tied to your real life, how to warm up an audience from cold to ready-to-buy, and why even a launch that flops is full of data worth gold. There's no right way to launch. There's only your way. Connect with Kelsey McCormick: @cominguproses.co https://cominguproses.co/COLEY.* (My affiliate code since I'm a LYOW student!) Find us: Marketing Agency: lifegoalsmarketing.com Content Hub: lifegoalsmag.com Instagram: @itscoleylane @lifegoalsmag

Jun 18, 2026

What if money didn't have to be this big emotional thing you avoid? In this episode, Coley sits down with Meaghan Wall, aka the Hot Girl CFO, to talk about building a relationship with money that lands somewhere neutral instead of swinging between dread and dopamine. Meaghan shares how two business breakups became the catalyst for her current business, why she names her bank accounts fun things to trick her brain into showing up, and the disarming practices that helped her get to a place where she can send a $70K proposal without losing her mind. If you're a creative who avoids looking at your numbers, this one's a gentle nudge to start. Connect with Meaghan Wall: thehotgirlcfo.com/ @thehotgirlcfo Find us: Marketing Agency: lifegoalsmarketing.com Content Hub: lifegoalsmag.com Instagram: @itscoleylane @lifegoalsmag

Jun 16, 2026

How much of your life do you actually create, and how much do you just allow to happen? In this episode, Coley and Nina get into the messy question of flow versus creation. Are we little co-creators steering our own lives, or is something bigger calling the shots? They talk type A vs. type B personalities, the TV characters who plan everything until life derails them anyway, and the sales rule that simplified it all: control the controllables, which really come down to your effort and your attitude. If you've ever felt stuck between gripping life tightly and letting it flow, this one's for you. Find us: Marketing Agency: lifegoalsmarketing.com Content Hub: lifegoalsmag.com Instagram: @itscoleylane @itsninasoon @lifegoalsmag

May 17, 2026

We're a few weeks into the Life Goals Lock In 60 and I'm giving you a full update — the good, the hard, and what I've actually learned so far. In this episode I'm getting into my two priority goals for the challenge and how they're going, plus we're talking about week three. Because if you're in this challenge with me or going after any goal right now, week three is where it gets real. The novelty has worn off, you're tired, and your brain starts making a very convincing case for why you should quit. We're not doing that. I'm also talking about something that's been coming up for me: the difference between your goal and your strategy. Your goal stays the same. Your strategy is allowed to change. And knowing that difference might be what keeps you in it when things aren't going perfectly. If you're doing the Lock In 60 with us, this one's for you. And if you're not, it's not too late. Join the challenge: https://lifegoals.myflodesk.com/lockin60

May 14, 2026

If you've ever sat in the limbo of "do I keep going with this or change everything," agonized over a choice for weeks, or made a snap decision that somehow turned out to be the right one, this one is for you. Decision-making is having a moment. Between AI making half our smaller choices for us, the wellness world telling us to follow our gut, and the productivity world telling us to optimize everything, we are getting a lot of mixed signals about how to actually choose. So we got into how we both make decisions (badly, sometimes), what we wish we did differently, and the kinds of choices that only feel right in hindsight. We also caught up on life. Nina's Orlando move is officially in motion (apartment applied for, very much happening), and Coley is in the early, slightly chaotic stages of wedding planning. In this episode, we cover: Life updates: Nina's Florida move and Coley's wedding planning era. Why making a big decision from a depleted place is rarely the move, and the case for waiting until you feel neutral or better. Human design, sacral responses, and the case for listening to the part of you that already knows. How AI is slowly eroding our ability to make small decisions, and why treating it like an assistant (not your second brain) matters. What to do when you've already made the wrong call, and the supernova theory that takes the pressure off. Find us: Marketing Agency: lifegoalsmarketing.com Content Hub: lifegoalsmag.com Instagram: @itscoleylane @itsninasoon @lifegoalsmag

See all episodes →