Setting Family Goals
7 Simple Steps to Setting Family Goals Together
Do you enjoy setting goals? Do you and your family like making plans, but do not always follow through? Are you ready to work with your family as a team to accomplish some family goals? Alright! Let’s dive right in.
These 7 simple steps will help you to set family goals together.
1. Be on the same page as your spouse.
In order to work effectively as a family, you and your spouse need to be in agreement. Do you both want to plan and work to achieve goals as a family? Do you have some goals in mind? Do you like the idea of everyone contributing their ideas and then deciding as a family what you will work together to accomplish?
Talk together about getting everyone in the family involved before you start talking with your kids about setting goals as a family. This way, you and your spouse will be a united team from the beginning.
2. Together, talk with your kids about setting family goals.
Together, you and your spouse can tell your kids what you two have in mind. Tell them to think about the idea and come up with some goals they would like to see your family accomplish together. Let them know you will have a family meeting soon to talk about everyone’s ideas.
3. Have a family meeting to share or brainstorm ideas.
A few days or a week later, have a family meeting where everyone can share their ideas about the goals they are interested in working on as a family.
Write down the ideas that everyone comes up with.
This can be a list that is updated every time you have a family goal meeting. It can also be in a place where everyone can add their own ideas whenever they think of something.
Talk about the ideas. If one stands out and you want to start planning, go for it. If you need a bit of time for everyone to think about the different ideas, plan another meeting soon to select a goal together.
Keep a family goal notebook.
It may be helpful to have a notebook or binder just for your family goals. You can keep your goal ideas list in it and keep track of your progress to achieving your goals as well.
For more tips on goal setting and achieving, see Goal Planning in 5 Easy Steps, Secrets to Setting Goals, and Secrets to Achieving Goals.
4. Have another family goal meeting to pick one goal and break it down into small steps.
Once you have picked one goal to work on as a family, break it down into smaller steps.
For example, if your family picked “go hiking” as a goal, some of the smaller steps may include: decide on a location to go hiking, prepare for the hike by going on smaller hikes, and make a list of all the items needed for a successful hike.
Breaking down your goal into smaller steps helps everyone to see that it is realistic to achieve. Also, different family members can work on different steps so that everyone can have a part in making your family goal a reality.
Having all of the smaller steps written down is helpful for two reasons: you can keep track of what you need to do to accomplish your goals and you can write down by each step the name of the family member who will accomplish that step. This way, if someone forgets, they can refer back to the list.
Helpful tip: No step is too small. Sometimes, the smaller a step is, the more likely it is to be completed. Small steps are especially helpful for kids, too. If you wonder if a step is too big, work together to break it down even more.
5. Put the steps on the calendar.
Once you have all of the smaller steps figured out and written down, put them on the calendar. The point of setting a goal is to achieve it, right? So, make it happen!
With different family members completing different steps, they can decide when they will do those steps and write them down on the calendar. This way, everyone knows what will be done when and by whom.
6. Evaluate your progress regularly.
Decide how often you will meet as a family to check in on the progress toward your family goal. Will it be monthly or twice a month? Decide together, then write these family goal-setting check-in dates on the family calendar so you remember and stay on track.
7. Enjoy reaching your family goal.
When you reach your goal as a family, celebrate! This is a great accomplishment. You have worked hard together as a family to make this goal happen.
Besides achieving the goal you all set out to accomplish, think of a way to celebrate your achievement, like a family picnic or a fun family date night. It will help you to be motivated to conquer your next family goal.
Bonus step: Plan your next goal.
Don't lose momentum! Go through the steps again and to plan and achieve your next family goal. You will be glad you did.
Enjoy the fruits of following these 7 simple steps to setting family goals together.
Setting future family goals is a great opportunity to build teamwork and to have more fun together! As you work together you get to know each other better and grow closer as a family.
When is your family goal-setting meeting going to occur?
For more tips on goal setting and achieving, see Goal Planning in 5 Easy Steps, Secrets to Setting Goals, and Secrets to Achieving Goals.
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