Athletes set goals. Not just high-level generic goals but specific, measurable, relevant goals with a quantifiable deadline. They may implement the “Kaizen” practice of continuous improvement; significant results can come from many small changes accumulated over time.

However, the problem is that my goals didn’t seem to fit in the traditional goal setting model and certainly not using the term “athlete.”  You see, this season I don’t particularly want to shave off any time. I am perfectly content to enjoy my nice easy turns on the beautifully groomed runs at Deer Valley Resort.

I simply love skiing at Deer Valley. Don’t get me wrong, I have set goals the past three seasons of my serious skiing career (I was a beginner in 2012.) Now if a run has a blue square next to it, I am on it!

This year, enjoyment is the only goal I can think of.  Well unless you count “skiing as often as I can.”  Anything wrong with that? I don’t think so.

Athletes set goals and I completely respect that, but I am wondering if this year I should simply set enjoyment and happiness as my ski goals?

Seems perfectly reasonable to me.  If I did set some happiness targets, these would be on my list:

• Eat more Turkey Chili – not all at one sitting. “Eat Turkey Chili more often” would be how I should word it
• Sit on “The Beach” at Silver Lake Lodge while basking in the sun with a beverage in my hand more often
• Enjoy each one of Deer Valley’s restaurants (not all in one day of course)
• Ski with a beginner
• Ski with an 80+ year old
• Try out new Rossignol skis at the Yurt at Empire Lodge
• Enjoy S’mores at the Montage and pet Monty the Bernese Mountain dog
• Invite more friends to ski with me
• Wear my ski pants to Mass on Sunday mornings and then go directly to Snow Park Lodge
• Put on my Ibex or Smartwool layers and ski when its 5 degrees outside so I can experience the frozen air sparkling like diamonds from the lift
• Take more selfies and post them with #SkiTheDifference on social media
• Sign up for the Women’s Weekend with a friend who has similar ability
• Ski backwards
• Listen to more music during Aprés Ski on the upper deck at Snow Park Lodge
• Stand on top of (and ski down) Little Baldy, Bald Eagle, Bald Mountain, Flagstaff, Lady Morgan, and Empire mountains all in one day
• Ask a mountain host to map out a “suggested ski day” for me based on my ability
• Take the hosted ski tour with other intermediate skiers
• And so on…

What do you think of my goals for the season?  Any additional happiness suggestions? What are your goals for the 2015 winter ski season? Let me know on Twitter @Nancy_MoneyDiva or @Deer_Valley.

If you are more serious about setting goals than I am, here is a resource for goal setting from the U.S. Olympic Training Center; Setting Smart Goals – resource  U.S. Olympic Training Tips for Athletes and Kankyo Kaizen Starter Kit – Simpleology