From Newborn to TEDx Stage: Why We Need to Teach More Than Goal Setting

I flew to Queensland and back in a single day. My baby was 3 months old. My other two boys aged 3 and 5, were at home with hubby. I was still breastfeeding. There was no room for anything to go wrong.

But I had a TEDx talk to give, and I wasn't going to miss it.

The eight weeks before

Preparing for a TEDx talk with a newborn and two young children while recovering from a third caesar is not something I'd describe as easy. I wrote every day, in the car, in cafes, at home with a baby beside me. I recorded myself, listened back, rewrote, and did it all again.

I even remember crying on the way to school drop-off one morning. The opportunity meant so much to me, but I was running on empty and the pressure was mounting.

The turning point came when I stopped trying to make it perfect and started making it mine. I spoke from my own lived experience. I kept things simple. And I leaned on the very framework I was about to share with an audience — Think, Set, Go.

Do I need to think, set, or go right now? That question carried me through.

What I spoke about, and why it matters

We're good at teaching students to set goals. Vision boards, SMART goals, action plans, these are valuable tools. But goal setting alone isn't enough.

What happens when motivation fades in the middle? When self-doubt appears? When life gets hard and the goal feels out of reach?

That's where most students — and most people — get stuck.

I know this because I lived it. When I spent three years pursuing elite women's AFL and my knee snapped during a game, I felt relieved. Not devastated. Relieved — because the mental pressure had become unbearable and I hadn't told a soul.

That experience showed me the gap. We teach students what to aim for, but not how to keep going when the path gets difficult.

The Think, Set, Go Framework

Think, Set, Go is a simple but powerful framework designed to help students, and anyone pursuing a goal — adapt their mindset when things get hard.

• Think — Where is your focus? Is it helping or hindering you? Shift your perspective.

• Set — Set yourself up for success. Adjust your environment, your plan, your approach.

• Go — Sometimes you just have to take the emotion out and act. Put your shoes on. Get on the treadmill. Do the thing.

When students feel stuck, they can ask themselves: Do I need to think, set, or go right now?

It's a question that gives direction when motivation disappears.

Practicing what I teach

In November 2024, I set a goal to run every day for a year, because I believe we teach best what we practice ourselves. Winter came. It got hard. Then I found out I was pregnant.

I adapted. I bought a treadmill. I changed what I focused on. Some days I just had to go, no overthinking, shoes on, done.

At 365 days, eight months pregnant, I completed the goal.

That moment confirmed everything. When we commit to a goal and develop the skills to adapt along the way, we don't just achieve the goal — we become better at helping others do the same.

The invitation

Whether you're an educator, a parent, or someone with a goal that keeps getting pushed aside, just start. Simplify. And when it gets hard, ask yourself:

Do I need to think, set, or go right now?

That question just might change everything.