The ‘shoulda-woulda-coulda’ monster is always knocking at my door when I read books or articles about helping your children set goals. It’s one thing I wish I ‘woulda’ spent more time doing with my now grown children. Thankfully, our children grow up in spite of us, and I’m always grateful God is in control!
In training your young entrepreneurs, goal setting is a critical skill for efficient business management. However, it you are like me, many of us struggle with the habit of setting and resetting goals.
“Why Wasn’t I Told?” is part of the title of the book these 14 goal-setting steps are taken from. The author, Lisa McInnes-Smith, writes and speaks all over the world encouraging others. The results she hopes to inspire is purpose-driven people who will in turn relate to and inspire those around them.
*14 Goal Setting Tips For Parents:
1. Know your purpose for living and decide what you want to achieve
2. Write it down as if it is already happening
3. Write down 5 good reasons why you want to achieve it
4. Decide how long it will take to achieve your goal
5. Write out a list of all the things you need to do to achieve your goal
6. Write down the obstacles you’ll have to overcome
7. Decide whether you’re prepared always to keep trying (PERSIST! KEEP TRYING!)
8. Imagine yourself achieving your goal – take time to sit or lie quietly and see yourself doing the activity perfectly in your mind
9. Write down whose help you’ll need- most goals require help from others, or maybe their support and encouragement
10. Write down any special information you’ll need to know or learn
11. Start immediately
12. Do a little every day
13. Read your goal out loud three times every day at three different times in the day
14. Keep adding new goals.
There are many ways to approach goal setting for adults and children, and like they say, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink”.
….However, God’s Word NEVER returns void, so ‘train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it‘.
Habits
I believe that helping our children develop good habits is one of the best things we can do for them. With three grown and married children I already see many of the good (and bad) habits they took with them. I know we aren’t responsible for everything our children do as adults, but we do what we can in the short time you have, right?
*Taken from the book:
…I’m a Walking Talking Miracle by Lisa McInnes-Smith. (pg 9)
Find this book at Amazon: I’m a Walking, Talking Miracle: Why Wasn’t I Told?
