There was a time when women would gather for sewing circles. They would bring their handiwork, and while their hands were busy spinning, sewing, or knitting, they would share stories. They talked about things happening in their lives, shared their worries and joys, exchanged advice, and simply enjoyed being together. I never got to experience those days, but I like to think that, together with my friends, I've discovered our own version of those gatherings from long ago.

At the beginning of autumn, we get together for something we've named Goals Night. This is already our third year of gathering to set personal goals, so I think it's safe to say it's become our little tradition. We meet at one of the girls' homes, and everyone brings something homemade and delicious to share. Naturally, the evening begins with us enjoying all the good food, and once we've satisfied our appetites, we move on to the creative part.

The tables quickly fill up with scissors, glue, magazine cutouts, stickers, and all sorts of pretty decorations that catch our eye and spark our imagination. Each of us has a notebook with black covers, which we decorate with our own kind of vision board. And inside, we fill the blank pages with pictures, drawings, and thoughts about the good qualities we want to cultivate in ourselves.

Sometimes we play soft music in the background, creating such a warm, cozy atmosphere. Other times, the background music is simply the sound of our own voices, blending into conversations, laughter, and stories. There's something so lovely about this combination of creativity and time spent together. Our hands are busy, but our minds seem to unwind, making room for fresh and beautiful thoughts.

Once we're done cutting, gluing, and decorating, we move on to another part of the evening that I particularly love: sharing our plans with one another. We usually sit in a circle, and each girl talks about the goals she's set for herself. There's absolutely no pressure to share anything you're not comfortable with. Some things you can keep to yourself, while for others, you might even ask the girls for support. Maybe you need someone to help you stay consistent, or simply a friend who will check in from time to time and ask how things are going.

Every year, new girls join us, and I love seeing how the new and the familiar come together. And when we bring so many different ways of seeing the world into one room, interesting conversations unfold, helping us discover new things about one another and even about ourselves.

But perhaps the loveliest thing these gatherings have given me is the feeling of belonging to a cool group of girls. I don't think I can fully describe how good it feels to let ourselves be truly known. To laugh at jokes that become a kind of secret code, understood only by those of us who know the stories behind them, and to watch with affection as we each grow in our own way and at our own pace. So Goals Night is about so much more than setting goals. It's about friendships that grow stronger over time and turn us into friends who can truly count on one another.

And I just love that we've made a tradition out of it.