What To Do After Achieving A Goal: Navigating the Void with Grace, Rest & Purpose

What happens after the confetti settles?

You’ve climbed the mountain, hit the milestone, reached your goal—and yet, something unexpected sets in. Not the elation you imagined. Not the fulfillment you were promised. But a quiet emptiness. An uneasy stillness. Maybe even a little confusion or grief.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’ll be happy when I finally get there…” and then arrived, only to feel off—you are not alone.

In this deeply human season, Jaclyn Steele Thurmond and her husband Sam opened up about something few people talk about: the emotional and energetic aftermath of success. The quiet reckoning that happens when the adrenaline fades. The inner work that begins once the outer work ends.

Because maybe, just maybe, reaching the top isn’t the end of the story.

It’s the beginning of a more soulful one.

What To Do After Achieving A Goal

What if reaching your goal isn’t the mountaintop you thought it would be—but a quiet clearing asking you to breathe?

For Jaclyn and Sam, the biggest real estate project of their lives had just closed. The money hit their account. The house sold. On paper, everything was a win. But inside, Jaclyn felt disoriented. After months of pouring their hearts into the project, she wasn’t met with celebration—she was met with uncertainty.

If you’ve ever reached your goal and wondered, “Now what?”—you’re in good company.

And this sacred in-between—the space between what was and what’s next—is an opportunity, not a crisis. It’s where recalibration begins.

Importance Of Self-Awareness

Amidst this introspection, we emphasize the importance of self-awareness.

After months in “go mode,” Jaclyn found herself on the verge of a panic attack—not because something went wrong, but because it had all gone right.

This was the dream. The home had sold. The vision was complete. The money had hit their account. And yet, she didn’t feel the euphoria she expected. Instead, she felt lost.

This phenomenon has a name: the arrival fallacy. Coined by Tal Ben-Shahar, it describes the illusion that we’ll be happy once we’ve reached our goal.

“I’ll be happy when we close the deal.”

“I’ll feel fulfilled once this project is done.”

But once we arrive, we often find ourselves asking, “Is this it?” Because we weren’t wired for one big moment—we were made for the long term. For the beauty in the becoming.

And that’s where self-awareness comes in.

Jaclyn noticed that her nervous system was still operating like the project was ongoing—tight jaw, tense shoulders, scattered thoughts. For so long, she had lived in survival mode. Once that pressure disappeared, her body didn’t know what to do.

Recognizing that discomfort was a message—not a flaw—was the beginning of real healing.

“Sometimes negative feelings are our greatest teachers.” — Jaclyn

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the loop of overworking, overdoing, or approval seeking, there’s a beautiful invitation to step back and ask: whose validation am I chasing—and why? Jaclyn explored this tender topic in another soul-nourishing post, Letting Go Of The Need For Approval, that gently guides you through breaking free from that pattern. It’s a heartfelt read when you’re ready to reclaim your time, energy, and peace.

Importance Of Rest

Rest and mindfulness emerge as transformative forces

And as Jaclyn and Sam discovered, isn’t optional. It’s essential.

After taking time off, something unexpected happened—Jaclyn, who had struggled with insomnia for years, began sleeping through the night. Not because of melatonin. Not because of sheer exhaustion. But because, for the first time in months, her body felt safe.

Rest, they realized, is not the absence of productivity. It’s the presence of renewal. It’s what creates space for new creativity, clear vision, and long-term energy.

“You can’t drive a car on an empty tank. And you can’t create from a burned-out soul.”

How To Manage Adrenaline Addiction?

Moreover, the episode delves into the challenges of recognizing how addicted to adrenaline they had become. Jaclyn and Sam, like many ambitious couples, thrived on high stakes and hustle. But even after the goal was reached, the “rush” didn’t turn off.

They tried applying that urgency to wonderful creative projects like The Freq App and The Freq Show—but it’s not enough. Creative energy needs stillness, not panic. And when we ignore that, we risk burning out before the next wave of purpose even arrives.

So if you’re noticing similar patterns—frantic energy even after success—know that it’s not just you. It’s the nervous system. And it needs care, not criticism.

What To Do After Achieving A Goal (The Real Answer)

There’s no formula. But there are practices. Here’s what helped Jaclyn and Sam—and might help you, too:

1. Reflect Before You React

Take a sacred pause. Before you jump into the next big thing, sit with what you just accomplished. Celebrate. Cry. Breathe. Reflect.

If you’re in the midst of that pause—unsure what’s next, but not wanting to rush—it can help to gently shift the lens through which you see your current season. This post, How To Cultivate Positive Thinking, offers simple but soul-nourishing ways to invite more light into your mindset while honoring exactly where you are.

2. Let Your Nervous System Catch Up

Success doesn’t automatically mean peace. Your body might still be wired for stress. Use gentle movement, grounding food, and quiet mornings to help recalibrate.

3. Embrace the Arrival Fallacy

Remember: “I’ll be happy when…” is a myth. You don’t need bigger goals to be worthy. Joy lives in presence. In the now. In the process.

4. Rest On Purpose

Make rest non-negotiable. Read something silly. Take a nap. Listen to music. Watch a show just for fun. As Jaclyn says, “Rest is the reset your soul didn’t know it needed.”

5. Surrender The Next Step

Instead of forcing clarity, open your heart to what’s next. Pray, journal, trust. Sam shares how surrender became a spiritual practice—and how that openness led them to their next project organically.

6. Use High-Frequency Tools

Jaclyn often turns to The Freq App for quick recalibrations. Whether you need a confidence boost or a mindset shift, find what centers you.

7. Don’t Rush The Void

That quiet space after success? It’s not a failure. It’s a portal. Let it stretch you, teach you, renew you. The clarity will come.

8. Name What You Want Next

Jaclyn ended the episode with a simple prayer: “God, send us our next project.” You don’t need a plan. Just a willingness to be guided. Start with desire. Start with a question. And let that be enough.

If you’re feeling called to expand, grow, or reconnect with your purpose, you’ll love this post: The Power To Change: Becoming Who You’re Meant To Be. It’s a gentle invitation to step into your next chapter with courage and soul.

Final Thought: Becoming Again

If you’ve recently reached your goal and felt… off—sweet soul, you are not broken. You’re becoming.

The space between goals isn’t empty—it’s sacred.

Jaclyn and Sam are learning to honor this space. To rest. To recalibrate. To trust that the next season will unfold not through force—but through faith, slowness, and staying grounded.

So wherever you are today—celebrating, grieving, or just feeling weird about success—know this:

You’re not behind. You’re not lost. You’re expanding.

And expansion, in all its mess and mystery, is the most honest thing there is.

Live on purpose. Live on frequency.

• Ien Araneta - editor of The Freq Show & The Beckon Times