New Year, New Goals
January is the time of year that many people use to reflect on the previous year and make resolutions for the coming year. Sadly, most resolutions are broken before spring due in large part to the complete change that many of them encompass. But there is good news! It is a great time to start setting goals and creating action plans to conquer them.
Goal setting is a great skill for your child to learn. Take an opportunity in the next month to discuss and record 3 goals with your child for 2011. You can even join in and add your own goals. To make the goals stick, create an action plan for each goal. Make sure to include some small changes as well. Those are the changes that are usually easier to make and lead to larger positive changes or actions. Each month or so, review the goals and action plan with your child to measure progress for both of your sets of goals. You can even make a chart and place it in a visible area in the home to serve as a reminder of the goals that you have set and to serve as a source of encouragement.
A couple of example goals for children are passing their current grade level or making a sports team in the next school term. There are several action items that can accompany each of those goals such as making a grade of B or better on math tests or attending study sessions at a local church or recreation center monthly. When trying to make a sports team, a child may have an action item of running a mile in less than 12 minutes or playing the sport with other children at a recreation center twice a month. These are all action items that can be measured and monitored not only by your child but by you as well.
People that regularly set goals and create action plans surrounding those goals tend to be very successful in their careers, communities and lives. Wouldn’t it be great to help your child learn this valuable skill? What types of goals are your children setting this month?
