Shiftheads - Hope as Action Versus Outcome: The Word That Changed Everything

Hope as action versus outcome starts with one uncomfortable realization. You're listing everything you hope to accomplish this year. Hope to get the job. Hope to find your wallet. Hope to finish the project. Hope to make a change. Someone stops you and says: hope is a beautiful thing, it's a terrible plan. What's the difference? Outcome hope is crossing your fingers. Action hope is trusting the process will teach you what you need to know even when the path isn't straight.

The hosts trace a 2020 winter phone call where one taught the other to pick one word that describes who you are, where you're at, and what you're working towards. Not a contract. Not forever. Just right now. Every decision gets filtered through one question: does this satisfy my word? That's how you learn to say no. Momentum, thrive, shine, belong, shift. The word changes when it stops being relevant. The first word chosen was belong, after rejecting hope as a plan. Six years later, the person who chose belong still hasn't fully accomplished it, and that's the point. It keeps them moving in ways they're proud of, including owning hobbies like Lego and Magic the Gathering without apology.

Hope isn't the outcome you want. It's trusting that whatever you learn through the process gets you closer, even when you fail. The flat tire teaches you something. The breakdown introduces you to someone. Luck has more to do with listening than mystical power.

Topics: hope as action versus outcome, choosing your word, intentional living, goal setting, belonging

Originally aired on 2026-01-27

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