The Vulnerability of Goals
I’m a pretty big believer in setting goals, it’s where I find much of my motivation to get out into the mountains and to push myself. Recently I’ve been analyzing the difference between setting these targets vs. my willingness to share them with others.
I used to view sharing my ambitions like showing my hand in a game of poker, or counting my chickens before they hatch. I would worry that someone might doubt my capabilities, fear the weight of accountability, and shudder at the thought of “failing” to succeed. But I’ve come to learn that this feeling of dread stems from an aversion to vulnerability, not reality.
A few months ago I publicly shared a specific goal for a fundraiser at Last Skier Standing. I was blown away to see the response from friends, family, and even strangers. I never thought that people would be so invested in me and the event. And though I surpassed my fundraising goal, I felt a tinge of regret when I so publicly failed to achieve the lap goal I had set out to do. But in the days and weeks following the event, I was shocked that not a single person (outside of myself) fixated on the final lap count, instead the interest lied in my story and experience on the laps I DID complete. In those moments of remorse, I had underestimated how much people wanted to be a part of my journey, and I had misjudged people’s desire to hear the whole story, good and the bad, and not just the success story at the end.
Since that first (somewhat accidental) sharing of a goal, I’ve been more open about my objectives with those around me- and it has been a catalyst for good in my life. It’s given me the chance to meet new friends. It’s helped keep me accountable. It’s showed me the types of goals I value most. It’s solicited conversations, advice, beta, and encouragement. And overall it’s proved to me the possibility that the benefits of sharing my aspirations may outweigh the vulnerability of doing so.
As I began to think about sharing my biggest goals (those that come with a large degree of uncertainty) there were 3 harsh realities I had to come to terms with:
1) I will not complete all of my goals- that’s OK, in fact, that’s kind of the point. If I only set goals I know I can achieve I’d be setting my own ceiling. This also means I have to redefine “failure” from the concept of not achieving my goals, to the concept of never committing to them fully and openly.
2) My goals will change over time, they will shift focus and realign with my ever-evolving desires, realities, and life- that’s also OK. Goals aren’t permanent or linear. As I achieve or let go of some I’ll get to set more, which will bring me in whatever direction serves me best.
3) The true “essence” of my goals is not quantifiable. What I really hope to achieve can’t be captured in words or be put on a tick list. Proving to myself that I can do hard things may be more important than the actual hard thing. These goals will be a means to an end objective of growing as a human being.
So no matter which goals I achieve, which I leave behind, and which evolve into this journey called life- I’m truly excited to share them. So here are some of my goals and aspirations, written on the internet for all to see. Some of these are big and some feel more achievable, but all follow the realities outlined above and inspire me to get out and find a slightly better version of myself in the mountains.
