Good Day With Vay

Welcome to Good Day With Vay

By ambassador Vay O'Brien

Ambassador Vay O'Brien explores goal setting and freeski progression from a pre-teen perspective.  

Short Term Goal: Waffles = breakfast, lunch, and dinner!  

I’ve just returned from a summer ski camp. There were Olympic athletes that gave me some great advice and I thought I’d share with you, but I want to relate these ideas from the pre-teen perspective. So, I want to talk about long-term goals and short-term goals and the tips and tricks to help you reach them.

First, a long-term goal can be something like “I want to compete in the Olympics” OR “I want to attend college” OR “I want to raft all 556 miles of the last wild river in the USA”. These are the goals that might take years of planning and preparation.  A short-term goal can be something as simple as “I want to have an awesome breakfast” OR “I want to land a 360 on my skis or board” OR “I want to find a way to get this bully to knock it off” OR “I’m going to high-five, five people in the next five days”. Short-term goals are great!      

I’m sure you get it, but here’s the trick: The Olympic athletes recommend writing your goal down and visualizing it. It’s called brain training. So, write in a journal (or use the notes section of your phone or find a cool journaling app) three long-term goals and three short-term goals.          

Remember you are human, so make sure to include some shenanigans on your list of goals.

Try and have fun with it. For example, I am a competitive slopestyle skier and during ski season it feels like every weekend is dedicated to comps. This last year I looked up the calendars for the local ski hills in my area and found cardboard sled competitions, “dummy jumps”, and pond skimming events. I try to keep my long term goals on point and have more fun and  silly short-term goals. I highly recommend teaming up with your parent to build a cardboard sled. This is a fantastic short-term goal.  

Always keep three goals lined up.

Once you complete one, add a new one to your list. This all might sound like a lot if you are a go with the flow sort of person, but that can be a goal too. The goals don’t all have to be physical or outgoing. Maybe focus a goal on mental training, like writing down three things you are grateful for every day. I do this before bed. Make sure you make goals that fit your style or personality. A parent may want to set goals for you, which is cool... But don’t be afraid to voice your opinion and set goals that find a healthy balance.

I want to finish with a call to action.

Please comment with a goal you just completed, or document your process in three photos of 1) setting, 2) working towards, and 3) achieving your goal. Three is the magic number!

Hashtag me if you post it on social media: #gooddaywithvay.                  

My first short-term goal for this week: Waffles = Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner!

Long-term goal: To raft all 556 miles of the last wild river (Yellowstone River), only 230 miles left to go. I can do this!  

I am so stoked for you guys to set and achieve goals. Remember: have fun with it, do your best, and have a good day.

That’s all from Vay.                                                            

#gooddaywithvay                                                              

Next time on Good Day With Vay: Text:  Working Out Tough Problems - Bullying, Video: grinding boxes and rails

BIO: Vay O’Brien is a USSA, U13 Bronze and two time U11 Women’s Slopestyle Junior National Gold medalist. When she is not in school she can be found on the Mt’n skiing free or playing on her raft. O’Brien is a youth ambassador for Buff®, AIRE White Water Rafts, and SheShreds.Co crew member. She is a former Coalition Snow JR Athlete. Follow Vay's shenanigans on instagram @bavloveski.