Sasha Gollish: Every Goal Tells a Story

Every goal tells a story.

Every goal has a past, a present, and a future. It comes with baggage from where you once were, grounds you in the present, and makes you excited for the future. In a way our goals define us, they are linked to our values, they are rooted in our passions, and they challenge us to be better than we were the day before. 

The first thing I did when setting out on my goals for 2018 was to look back on 2017. Where did I meet success and where did I not. What would I choose to keep and what will I leave behind. Who inspired me and who hurt me. When did the stars align and when did I try to do too much. How will I learn from my successes and failures of 2017. 

Like so many other things I reflect upon, I often start with identifying the strength and weaknesses of what I had set out to do. I put my superhero thinking cap on and try and step outside my body for a moment. I call this a SuperPowers (Strengths) vs Kryptonite (Weaknesses) session.

I used to be afraid of confronting my failures and my weaknesses. I thought that admitting to failure or a weakness made me less of a human, that people would judge, that I wouldn’t be considered a ‘strong woman.’ What I learned along the way is these make you more human, no one is judging you, and this actually makes you stronger. Like successes there is often something positive to come out of a failure. And for me to truly be better than I was the day before I need to confront my weaknesses head on and try to make them a strength. 

As I get older I have to be smarter. I can no longer smash my body the way I once did when I was in my early twenties. With age does not necessarily come wisdom; I have spent an inordinate amount of time reflecting upon the things that work for me so that I could become wise in the ways of my mind and my body. I am no longer afraid to admit what works for you might not work for me, but more importantly to be okay with that. 

Heading into 2018 I am so excited for the things to come. To continue to embrace change. To continue to set forth on an adventure. To meet more of the amazing women of the Volée on my travels across the US and Canada. 

As you set out to plan your goals, make sure you do some soul searching on what your strengths and weaknesses are. As Lauren Fleshman said about goal setting ‘do not seek feedback if you really want affirmation.’ Be bold with your goal setting, but ground it in reality. And never be afraid to go back and revisit your goals, to change or reset them, or even let them go. 

All The Feels. Sasha