Family goal setting is a great way to strengthen the relationship as a family and build up a very important life skill that all members of the family can use. As adults, we are typically accustomed to goal setting in our careers or even in our personal lives at the start of every year.
When we include our family in goal setting, we are encouraging an abundant and growth mindset, optimism, and learning how to live a life on purpose. And here is why…
Unity
Get the whole family on board! Start by having a discussion with your spouse to ensure that everyone is on the right page. Have a family meeting to begin writing down goals together. Setting family goals is a great way for the family to work together towards a positive outcome. It will require time, patience, and planning, but it will be worth it.
Every family member’s voice matters
As a family, we want to create a space for the thoughts and concerns of both parent and child to be expressed. Listening and understanding the perspective of other family members will create empathy with each other’s ideas. Setting a tone of mutual understanding and respect will help strengthen the relationship of the family and build family morale as you work together as a team.
Teaching and development of life skills
Setting family goals is an excellent way to teach your children an important life skill! You are teaching them how to set goals and how to stay the course until it’s done. Skills that they will be able to use in every aspect of their lives. Here’s how…
Make a list
Create a list of the top 5 goals you and your family have agreed on. It could be a combination of long term and short term goals. Make a game out of it and have fun coming up with things you can all do together. Let the thoughts flow without judgment.
Be S.M.A.R.T.
The acronym SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. In business, SMART has been the gold standard for breaking down goals to help you take action. This is a fantastic guideline to help families keep their goals realistic while focusing on how to get to your goals.
Visibility is key to success
Make sure your goals are somewhere visible! For younger children, drawing or cutting out pictures helps in their processing of information and helps them retain their goals. According to research, the more we review and reflect on our goals, the more likely we are to achieve them.
Top 5 common ideas to help you get started with family goal setting
- Daily goals: Include simple daily routines such as eating at least one meal together, making their bed in the morning, nightly storytime, or simply sharing stories about the day spent with each other before saying goodnight.
- Health goals: Parents can go for walks while kids cycle or play in the park. You can opt for healthier meals by making better food choices.
3. Academic goals: Discuss academic goals based on academic strong points and weaknesses, to help improve performance, increase confidence, and motivate children to do better in the future.
4. Vacation goals: Explore all possibilities when doing family trips. Take into consideration time and finances. Family vacations are great for creating amazing experiences.
5. Financial goals: Create a long-term financial plan for your family. This includes saving plans, investment plans, child education plans, etc.
Taking the time and effort to set family goals is definitely worth the investment to encourage and create a meaningful life.
When setting your family goals, your focus should ultimately be to build a strong, happy, and healthy family.
Last year, when my family and I decided to do this exercise at the beginning of the school year, it helped us feel closer and more connected as a family. We wanted to ensure that we were making decisions from a place of love and respect. The biggest goal on our list was to make our first Disney trip as a family. We were able to achieve this goal together earlier this year before the pandemic struck. Not only did we create tons of memories on that trip, but we also were helping our daughters build confidence in knowing what it is like to achieve a goal. Not only are we teaching our children how to create a meaningful family life, but we are also helping them create a road map for their future too.
This was such a thoughtful and interesting post! I love these ideas and I can’t wait for us to set some goals together as a family. You gave us some awesome pointers. Thank you!
I absolutely love this and plan to implement the practice. Thank you!
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