Goal
Setting For Teens
and their
families - six steps to success
All families can use a little help in setting family goals. Perhaps your
family wants to take a really fantastic vacation together this year;
that three day romantic getaway just for the parents seems as
unachievable as ever; the home improvement project no one ever seems to have time for;
that teen goal of achieving the grades to get into the college of
choice.
Most
families live in a limited budget. Living within budget can help your
family pay off those credit cards once and for all and realize your
teen’s dreams of going to college or the parents' dream of getting a
bigger and better house.
Perhaps your family’s goal is to see your kids go from a C average to a
B or have more quality family time together. Maybe you want to start
your own home-based business so that you can spend more time with your
family.
Yet,
each and every one of these worthy goals can be easily achieved in a
somewhat remarkable and FUN way.
In
fact, when you know how, working toward a goal can be as much fun as
achieving the goal. If you want to add some real teamwork in your
family and deepen your familial relationships, you must set goals with
your spouse and with your kids.
Just
make sure that anyone who participates in the goal setting process is
motivated enough to follow through. Any family member who is not fully
committed to achieving the goal should not be allowed to participate or
reap in the rewards.
If
you really want to teach your kids (or your parents) something
worthwhile that will help with every aspect of their lives as long as
they live, teach them how to set goals.
Here's a goal-setting system that seems to work for everyone who's tried
it. At a basic level it will work with any goal you can imagine and in
specific, family goals that you can achieve together.
It is
a great way to get the whole family working together toward a positive
environment. If nothing else, your family will have a great time working
towards their goals.
1.
Dream the goal
Make
a list of everything that each of you wants ... all the goals you think
you want to achieve. They may involve money, or material things, or
better relationships, or a special vacation, an improvement in your
grades, or a change in your personal attitudes or habits.
Get
some paper and a pen and go somewhere where you will be uninterrupted.
Write down everything that comes to mind. Don't judge or dismiss any of
your ideas. Remember that every member of the family should do this. You
will all compare and agree to compromise on which goals to work toward
first.
After
you have this long list of goals written down, put the list away for a
few days. Some of the things you wrote may begin creating a burning
energy in your mind.
Review your list in about a week and see which of the goals you're still
interested in. Anything that you don't feel strongly about should be
removed from the list. Goal setting will not work if you're not really
committed to achieving the goal. Have your family members do the same.
After
you identify the goal or goals that you want to work on start writing
everything down. A notebook just for your goals might be very helpful.
Write down your goal on the first page of your notebook and you can all
start formulating them in order of the least to most important.
2.
Identify the
obstacles that may prevent you from achieving the goal
After
you've set your goal, make a list of things that may threaten the
successful achievement of the goal and what you can do to remove those
threats.
For
example, are you and your spouse or child fighting over some of these
goals? Write down ALL the obstacles that you feel may prevent you from
reaching your goal.
This
is a particularly magical part of goal setting because it takes all of
the obstacles that seemed so huge before and reduces them to words on a
piece of paper. Once the obstacles are clearly defined, they are often
easily solved.
3.
Identify the
things you need to help you achieve the goal
After
you've identified the obstacles, make a list of the things you will need
in order to achieve your goal.
This
list should also include the people whose cooperation will assist you
working towards your goal. Some of the items on this list may include
some things that will represent solutions to the problems you wrote down
earlier.
4.
Set a date for the
achievement of your goal
Setting a date for the attainment of your goal is the ignition for the
goal-seeking missile in your mind. Make sure that your date is
realistic... not so soon that it's impossible, but not so delayed that
you'll lose interest before you reach it.
Write
the date of your goal down next to your goal. Once you've set this date,
you should never change it unless it is absolutely necessary.
5.
Write down the
goal and review it often
Once
you have your goal and the date in writing, make more reminders of your
goal. Put these reminders all around your house, your car, your
bathroom, your bedroom, your office.
They
will remind you of your goal and the date that the goal will be achieved
by, and each time you see this information you will be programming your
mind to take action toward your goal. This is a crucial step.
WRITE IT DOWN. REVIEW IT OFTEN.
5.
Make a
step-by-step plan
First, let's review: You know what you want and you know you want it
badly.
You
have identified the obstacles you need to overcome before you can
achieve your goal and you know whose help and cooperation you will need.
You know the date for the attainment of the goal.
Now,
make a step-by-step action plan. Write down every little thing, no
matter how small, that you must do in order to reach your goal.
Break
down the project into small chunks... If you have a complicated list,
jot down all the ideas that come to mind and then put them in date
sequence later.
If
necessary, number them and then type them into a word processor or
re-write them in date sequence. Each item should also have a deadline
for accomplishment so you can keep on target.
This
is an important part of your goal achievement so don't cut corners on
your plan, especially if it is a complicated goal or there are a lot of
obstacles to overcome.
6.
Follow your plan!
This
is the fun part, because after you've set and hit your first goal,
you'll know that all you have to do to achieve your goal is to follow
your plan!
Review your plan every single day. Work on something on your list every
single day.
Stay
on schedule. Don't fall behind. Review your goal and the deadline. Mark
items off the list as you accomplish them.
You
can't control every aspect of your future, of course, but you will be
surprised how many things you really can control with these effective
goal-setting techniques.
Review our article on the
Steps To Setting Goals and
review the 20 tips to getting
motivated for more ideas on achieving your goals.
