Sarah Pavan is a professional volleyball player, speaker, community builder, and creator.

From the day I started experiencing success in volleyball, there were murmurs that it was because of my height. As I’ve progressed through different levels of the sport, the average height of the players is taller, so it’s not unusual for me to play with and against girls who are my size or bigger on a regular basis. I still hear those murmurs, though, especially from the beach volleyball world, where the athletes are traditional smaller than indoor players.

The biggest difference between being an athlete and having any other job/hobby is that, as athletes, every single choice we make affects our performance. Everything an athlete does, from sleep to food choices, and even medicine, has a bearing on how well our minds and bodies will perform.

I truly believe that regularly setting new goals is a big reason why I have gone so far in volleyball, and why I am constantly willing to try new things. Whenever I talk to young athletes, the first thing I iterate is the importance of setting goals, but I think it is a practice that serves absolutely everyone. Why is goal-setting so important??