New Year Goals
I have never been much of a New Year's Resolution maker, but I love sitting down and setting out goals a few times a year. I came across a great family goal setting article by Rob Stringer:
Successful families don't just happen. They take time, talent and planning.
This month, in addition to any personal resolutions you make, consider sitting
down with your family to reflect on your collective accomplishments and dreams.
Then set some family goals for the year ahead.
How to begin:
- Schedule. Set aside a few hours over a series of nights, and
gather together everyone in your home. Your teens will need notice, but tasty
treats might help attendance.
- Share the purpose. You will be discussing your wants, dreams
and the values you hold important in your lives, then using them to develop
goals to guide your family.
- Reflect. Consider having each member choose and record one
really important goal from each category: Health, Financial , Relationships , Career , Community, Spiritual, Intellectual
- Discuss. Share your ideas. Be open and accepting. Some might
need to a little coaxing to share, for fear of being ridiculed. However, if
done in an atmosphere of mutual respect, this can be a great opportunity to
really get to know your family! It can also give insight into people's
frustrations & stressors, as you learn about the ideals they hold important
in their lives.
- Analyze. Are they feasible? Are they specific enough? Look
for similarities. Do any overlap with others?
- Write. Now collectively create a series of statements to
both collapse and capture these common desires. These will become your family
goals. For example:
- We are a kind and loving family who is thankful for all that
we have.
- We value & support family and friends
- We exercise regularly and lead healthy lives.
- We share our time, talents and resources with others.
- We invest in the future financially and spiritually.
- We strive for excellence in education, and encourage life-long learning.
- Celebrate. You now have a set of goals to help guide your
family's decision-making. Everyone can now weigh choices against these
statements to determine if they lead your family closer or further from your
family's goals.
- Post & review. Whether you frame your goals or carry
copies in your wallets, take time each day, week, & month to reflect and
review what you have accomplished. Are you making choices which support these
goals? Don't worry if you slip. Even the most effective families can be off
track most of the time! The trick that keeps them on target is their shared
sense of focus and destination. They know where they are headed, and they keep
coming back to it.
Thoughts to ponder:
Change is hard. Old habits are difficult to overcome. Be
patient and supportive of one another.
Involve everyone. The process of family goal setting can
help give family members a better sense of "voice". Telling your
family what their goals are will not promote acceptance.
Take your time. Creating family goals should be a process,
not a one day event
Regardless of your family type - big, small, divorced or blended, adoptive or
otherwise, successful families don't just happen. So, make a plan and provide
the focus needed to achieve your dreams & goals.
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