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ISSUE 171

Shelving Goals

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the nobler art of leaving things undone.
Lin Yutang

Hi dear friend!

I’m reading Emma Grede’s Start With Yourself at the moment, and came across a sentence I immediately reached for a pen to underline: “You must make the choice, accept the trade-off and move on. You can do all the things, you just can’t do them all at the same time.”

It got me thinking. We live in a culture that constantly tells us to keep moving. Start something. Build something. Work toward the dream. Be disciplined. Stay consistent. Don’t give up. There is an enermous vocabulary for beginning and persisting, and almost none for expressing “This matters to me, just not right now.”

And when you have a few goals sitting in your head at once – the business, the move, the marathon, the course, the creative project, [add your goal here] – it takes a lot of mental energy to carry all of them. Especially when you’ve given yourself ambitious timelines and keep checking whether you’re progressing fast enough.

At some point, it can stop feeling like I have a lot I care about and become more like I’m letting myself down.

That’s what I want to talk about this week.

Veronica Joce,
Senior Editor at Intelligent Change

Intelligent Vocabulary

A new word for your goal-setting vocabulary: shelving

We tend to think about goals in binary terms: keep going or give up. But researchers Zita Mayer and Alexandra M. Freund study a third option: goal shelving – deliberately stepping away from a goal with the intention of returning to it later. It’s different from disengaging, when you decide you no longer want to pursue the goal at all. The important part is to make “later” intentional. Why are you shelving it?
What takes priority now? And what would need to change for you to pick it back up?

Not now can be a decision, too.

Ideas for Reflection

The uncomfortable cost of prioritization

We often talk about prioritization as if the choice is obvious: focus on what matters, let go of what doesn’t. But real life is rarely that black and white. Sometimes the career move matters and so does your health. The creative project matters and so does being present with your family. The marathon matters and so does having a life outside training.

Prioritization becomes real when two “good” things compete. Choosing one means the other gets less of your time, energy, money, or attention. At least for now.

Sometimes there is no clever productivity system that makes all of your goals fit. There is simply a trade-off. And the hard part is accepting the trade-off without turning it into a story about your own failure.

Let’s keep talking. Leave your question here

Getting Things Done

Give your goals a season

This is where I think it helps to shift the inner narrative from “Am I making enough progress?” to something more honest: What deserves my resources in this season of my life?

Sort the goals currently taking up space in your head into these three categories:

NOW
You are actively choosing this goal. And choosing it means you are willing to give it time, energy, and attention at the expense of something else.
NOT NOW
You still want this goal, but you are deliberately shelving it while something else takes priority. What are you making room for instead? What would need to change for you to come back to it?
NO LONGER
If you are being honest, you are keeping this goal because you once wanted it, not because you still do. You can let it go without rewriting the time you spent wanting it as a mistake.

Shelving gives you enough distance to tell the difference between a goal you still want later and a goal you are simply afraid to release.

Also, the point is not to fit more goals into the NOW category. It is to stop asking every version of your future to happen at once.

In The Spotlight

It’s time to circle back on your goals

A new year, a birthday, September, a new job – we all seem to have our own moment that feels like a fresh start. But before you add another goal to the list, check what happened to the ones already there.

The Best Year Journal starts with the part goal-setting often skips: an honest review. What did you actually spend your time on? What worked? What didn’t? What still matters? And which goals are hanging around mostly because you once said you wanted them? From there, you decide what deserves your attention now, set clear intentions, and turn them into an action plan you can check in with every week.

P.S. Not every goal needs another quarter :)

Circle back with Best Year Journal →

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2a:T20e3,[SHOP](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections) [NEW ARRIVALS](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/new) [READ](https://www.intelligentchange.com/blogs/read) ISSUE 171 Shelving Goals Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the nobler art of leaving things undone. Lin Yutang Hi dear friend! I’m reading Emma Grede’s Start With Yourself at the moment, and came across a sentence I immediately reached for a pen to underline: “You must make the choice, accept the trade-off and move on. You can do all the things, you just can’t do them all at the same time.” It got me thinking. We live in a culture that constantly tells us to keep moving. [Start something.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/journals/products/best-year-journal-essential-blue) [Build something.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/journals/products/life-designer-journal) [Work toward the dream.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/productivity/products/quarterly-productivity-planner) [Be disciplined.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/journals/products/the-stoic-journal) [Stay consistent.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/productivity/products/productivity-planner) [Don’t give up.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/productivity/products/motivational-reminders) There is an enermous vocabulary for beginning and persisting, and almost none for expressing “This matters to me, just not right now.” And when you have [a few goals](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/journals/products/best-year-journal-green) sitting in your head at once – the business, the move, the marathon, the course, the creative project, [add your goal here] – it takes a lot of mental energy to carry all of them. Especially when you’ve given yourself [ambitious timelines](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/productivity/products/quarterly-productivity-planner) and [keep checking](https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/best-year-journal-oat) whether you’re progressing fast enough. At some point, it can stop feeling like I have a lot I care about and become more like I’m letting myself down. That’s what I want to talk about this week. Veronica Joce, Senior Editor at Intelligent Change Intelligent Vocabulary A new word for your goal-setting vocabulary: shelving We tend to think about goals in binary terms: keep going or give up. But researchers Zita Mayer and Alexandra M. Freund study a third option: [goal shelving](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11031-022-09966-x) – deliberately stepping away from a goal with the intention of returning to it later. It’s different from [disengaging](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40338599/), when you decide you no longer want to pursue the goal at all. The important part is to [make “later” intentional.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/best-year-journal-black) Why are you shelving it? What takes priority now? And what would need to change for you to pick it back up?Not now can be a decision, too. Ideas for Reflection The uncomfortable cost of prioritization We often talk about [prioritization](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/productivity/products/productivity-planner) as if the choice is obvious: focus on what matters, let go of what doesn’t. But real life is rarely that black and white. Sometimes the [career move](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/productivity/products/quarterly-productivity-planner) matters and so does your [health.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/journals/products/five-minute-journal-fit) The creative project matters and so does being present with your [family.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/play/products/get-closer-family-edition) The marathon matters and so does [having a life](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/journals/products/the-five-minute-journal) outside training. Prioritization becomes real when two “good” things compete. Choosing one means the other gets less of your time, energy, money, or attention. At least for now. Sometimes there is no clever productivity system that makes all of your goals fit. There is simply a trade-off. And the hard part is accepting the trade-off without turning it into a [story about your own failure.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/mindful-affirmations/products/mindful-affirmations) [Let’s keep talking. Leave your question here](https://intelligentchange.typeform.com/ask-veronica) Getting Things Done Give your goals a season This is where I think it helps to shift the inner narrative from “Am I making enough progress?” to something more honest: What deserves my resources in this season of my life? Sort the goals currently taking up space in your head into these three categories: - NOW You are actively choosing this goal. And choosing it means you are willing to give it time, energy, and attention at the expense of something else. - NOT NOW You still want this goal, but you are deliberately shelving it while something else takes priority. What are you making room for instead? What would need to change for you to come back to it? - NO LONGER If you are being honest, you are keeping this goal because you once wanted it, not because you still do. You can let it go without rewriting the time you spent wanting it as a mistake. Shelving gives you enough distance to tell the difference between a goal you still want later and a goal you are simply afraid to release. Also, the point is not to fit more goals into the NOW category. It is to stop asking every version of your future to happen at once. In The Spotlight It’s time to circle back on your goals https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/best-year-journal-black A new year, a birthday, September, a new job – we all seem to have our own moment that feels like [a fresh start.](https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/best-year-journal-essential-black) But before you add another goal to the list, check what happened to the ones already there. [The Best Year Journal](https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/best-year-journal-oat) starts with the part goal-setting often skips: an honest review. What did you actually spend your time on? What worked? What didn’t? What still matters? And which goals are hanging around mostly because you once said you wanted them? From there, you decide what deserves your attention now, set clear intentions, and turn them into an action plan you can check in with every week. P.S. Not every goal needs another quarter :) [Circle back with Best Year Journal →](https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/best-year-journal-black) https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections Enjoyed this newsletter? Send it to a friend. Was Intelligent Weekly forwarded to you from a friend? If so, you can [sign up for more here.](https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=nFEe3R&g=VU8Fit) Live a full life. Leave a small footprint. Sustainable routines begin with sustainable practices. We use only natural, recycled, and biodegradable materials and are committed to donating a portion of our profits, products, and time to causes around the world. No longer want to receive these emails? [Unsubscribe](https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/unsubscribe?a=nFEe3R&c=01KZ99X65ARHRBGY8RV0KV96P2&k=1812e5855e552d6853aed33342fc29dd&se=intelligentchange%40mailspo.com&m=01M20J8VH6SS04JECJPW11X066&r=01M2EQPPQQ9AKNSMD1PWP8F8RR) or [Manage Preferences](https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/update?a=nFEe3R&c=01KZ99X65ARHRBGY8RV0KV96P2&k=1812e5855e552d6853aed33342fc29dd&se=intelligentchange%40mailspo.com&m=01M20J8VH6SS04JECJPW11X066&r=01M2EQPPQQ9AKNSMD1PWP8F8RR) Intelligent Change 8 The Green, STE 400 Dover De 19901, United States [Five Minute Journal App Store](https://apps.apple.com/in/developer/intelligent-change-llc/id1556875886) [Five Minute Journal App Google Play Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Intelligent+Change+LLC&pli=1) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com) [Tiktok](https://www.tiktok.com/@intelligentchange?lang=en) [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/intelligentchange/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/intelligentchange) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@intelligentchange) 1f:["$","article",null,{"className":"min-w-0 flex-1 overflow-hidden","aria-label":"Issue #171: Shelving Goals","children":[["$","$L27",null,{"emailId":"2f14cd0e-3441-4fc9-957b-10411c1ca9ab"}],["$","$L28",null,{"email":{"id":"2f14cd0e-3441-4fc9-957b-10411c1ca9ab","subject":"Issue #171: Shelving Goals","previewText":"[SHOP](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections)\n[NEW ARRIVALS](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/new)\n[READ](https://www.intelligentchange.com/blogs/read)\n\nISSUE 171\n\nShelving Goals\n\nBesides the noble art of getting things done, there is the nobler art of leaving things undone.\nLin","sentAt":"2026-09-14T01:30:04.000Z","classification":"marketing","imageCount":13,"thumbnailUrl":"https://mailspo-ingest.imraan-243.workers.dev/img/inbound/img/95e506e82e2dae916fd037bdca49efda12f3294b32868528a85bd55eb735dd47","emailType":"product_launch","typeConfidence":"guess","typeBasis":"matched the body copy","brand":"$25:props:brands:472","bodyHtml":"$29","textBody":"$2a","bodyFallback":null}}]]}] a:null f:[["$","title","0",{"children":"Issue #171: Shelving Goals by Intelligent Change | Mailspo"}],["$","meta","1",{"name":"description","content":"[SHOP](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections)\n[NEW ARRIVALS](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/new)\n[READ](https://www.intelligentchange.com"}],["$","meta","2",{"name":"robots","content":"index, follow"}],["$","link","3",{"rel":"canonical","href":"https://mailspo.com/emails/2f14cd0e-3441-4fc9-957b-10411c1ca9ab"}],["$","meta","4",{"property":"og:title","content":"Issue #171: Shelving Goals by Intelligent Change | Mailspo"}],["$","meta","5",{"property":"og:description","content":"[SHOP](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections)\n[NEW ARRIVALS](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/new)\n[READ](https://www.intelligentchange.com"}],["$","meta","6",{"property":"og:url","content":"https://mailspo.com/emails/2f14cd0e-3441-4fc9-957b-10411c1ca9ab"}],["$","meta","7",{"property":"og:site_name","content":"Mailspo"}],["$","meta","8",{"property":"og:image","content":"https://mailspo-ingest.imraan-243.workers.dev/img/inbound/img/95e506e82e2dae916fd037bdca49efda12f3294b32868528a85bd55eb735dd47"}],["$","meta","9",{"property":"og:image:alt","content":"Intelligent Change email creative: Issue #171: Shelving Goals"}],["$","meta","10",{"property":"og:type","content":"article"}],["$","meta","11",{"property":"article:published_time","content":"2026-09-14T01:30:04.000Z"}],["$","meta","12",{"name":"twitter:card","content":"summary_large_image"}],["$","meta","13",{"name":"twitter:title","content":"Issue #171: Shelving Goals by Intelligent Change | Mailspo"}],["$","meta","14",{"name":"twitter:description","content":"[SHOP](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections)\n[NEW ARRIVALS](https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/new)\n[READ](https://www.intelligentchange.com"}],["$","meta","15",{"name":"twitter:image","content":"https://mailspo-ingest.imraan-243.workers.dev/img/inbound/img/95e506e82e2dae916fd037bdca49efda12f3294b32868528a85bd55eb735dd47"}],["$","meta","16",{"name":"twitter:image:alt","content":"Intelligent Change email creative: Issue #171: Shelving Goals"}],["$","link","17",{"rel":"icon","href":"/favicon.ico?favicon.3lxqohtg4uvbd.ico","sizes":"48x48","type":"image/x-icon"}],["$","$L2b","18",{}]]

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