You Don’t Need More Goals, You Need More Alignment
- Jan 13
- 3 min read
By Iva Perez
Cl. Hyp and Visibility Coach for Women Leaders
What Does a Panamanian Know About Hockey? (Apparently… Just Enough to Be Dangerous)
What does a Panamanian raised in the tropics know about ice and hockey?
Apparently… just enough to be dangerous. (Neuroscience dangerous, that is.)
The first time I saw snow, I was in college.
Gloves. Boots. Scarf. The whole “I’m-a-tropical-girl-living-my-frosty-dream” starter pack.
My friends, jaded by blizzards, rolled their eyes at me making snow angels.
But they also remember how my joy made them pause and slow down. Wonder makes you present.
And maybe that’s why, when I later watched my first hockey game, I noticed something they didn’t:
Some players didn’t just chase the puck.
They knew where it was going.
That’s not just sports.
That’s neuroscience.
It’s goal achievement 101.
Busy Is the New Boring
Most of us were trained to chase the puck.
We wear busy like it’s Armani.
We glamorize hustle and answer every ping, every email, every child’s “Mooom!” like speed equals safety.
We call the dopamine hit of “done” ambition.
Achievement got confused with aliveness.
The irony? That cortisol-fueled chase actually slows down your ability to achieve your goals.
When your brain runs on adrenaline, your prefrontal cortex, the part that gives you clarity and intuition, goes offline.
You’re reacting to the last crisis instead of anticipating what’s next.
You can’t skate forward if your brain’s still staring at the last puck.
That’s not Gretzky-style flow.
That’s firefighting.
Women have been running the world on cortisol for decades, and we wonder why our intuition feels muffled and our joy keeps buffering.
Alignment is the antidote.
Calm Is the Real Power Move
Flow isn’t magic; it’s chemistry.
It’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and oxytocin syncing your body into coherence: a state where your nervous system, intuition, and focus line up like a symphony.
This energetic coherence is the Two-Second Advantage that separates the frantic from the focused.
You glide through your day like Gretzky across the ice, calm while everyone else scrambles.
You open your laptop and instantly know which email matters.
At meetings, your presence lands before your words do.
The Robe Theory
Women with wealth own robes.
Not because of the fabric, but because of what it represents: time that’s theirs.
The first time I heard about this, it took me back to my corporate travel days when I’d slip into a hotel robe after endless meetings and finally feel myself exhale.
We traded ease for efficiency.
We made adrenaline a personality trait.
We sip caffeine like courage and call it balance.
But the robe doesn’t ask you to do less.
It invites you to be more.
More coherent. More clear. More present.
Alignment isn’t about slowing down; it’s about syncing up.
It’s not the absence of motion; it’s grace in motion.
Your 2026 Alignment Blueprint
So, this December, before you write another resolution, ask yourself:
Do I want more goals?
Or do I want a nervous system that knows how to enjoy them?
Because goals were never about the thing, they were about the feeling.
The weight loss goal? You want to feel vibrant.
The income goal? Secure.
The family goal? Connected.
When your actions match your emotions and your emotions match your intentions, that’s alignment.
That’s flow.
Before rushing into 2026 with another list of “shoulds,” pause.
Breathe.
Wrap yourself in your metaphorical robe.
Let your nervous system catch up to your dreams.
Because alignment isn’t about doing less, it’s about feeling more alive while you do it.
Fewer goals and more grace per goal.
The most unstoppable woman in 2026 isn’t the one skating faster.
She’s the one finally skating to where her peace will be.
“Achievement got confused with aliveness. Alignment is the antidote.”
“Less goals and more grace per goal. That’s how unstoppable women rise.”
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