In January, individuals around the world made resolutions as part of the New Year tradition. Individuals resolve to make changes to behaviors, accomplish goals or follow healthy practices. Unfortunately, most resolutions fail due to how individuals set goals, maintain consistency and handle challenges along the way. Goal setting is a critical step to successful results.
Goal setting is essential to a growth mindset and building positive habits such as consistency, self-discipline and persistence. Setting goals empowers individuals to have voice and ownership regarding what they want to improve or accomplish, leading to increased levels of interest and achievement. Parents need to help children set and accomplish goals. It begins with conversations with your children about goals and allowing them to think and talk about any goals they may have. Adults and children can overcome obstacles and achieve their goals through clearly defined goal-setting strategies.
Define the goalHelp your children begin with the end in mind. They need to define the goal and state what they want to achieve in clear, specific, and measurable terms. For example, if a student wants to increase a failing grade, a written goal could be the following:
My goal is to pass Algebra I. I earned a D during the first semester. By the end of the second semester, I will earn at least 83% or higher in Algebra I. This increase will enable me to pass the course with a final grade of C.
Determine an action planAfter the goal has been determined, the next step is to create an action plan with specific steps necessary to meet the goal.
For the example above, action steps could include the following:
Attend class regularly.
Take notes and copy examples as a study tool.
Complete assignments on time.
Ask for help.
Create motivation and self-disciplineMotivation is a goal-directed behavior that often leads to a reward or avoidance of an undesirable result. Motivation helps the individual approach tasks with a positive attitude. Motivation requires consistency and discipline to continue a task and persist even when a person would rather give up or be doing something else. Having clearly defined goals, action steps, and encouragement will help children stay motivated and persistent. Winston Churchill said, “Failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Monitor progressMonitoring progress requires setting smaller goals along the way in order to evaluate improvement toward the final goal. Tracking performance helps children become more accountable and helps them build independent learning skills.
An example of monitoring progress would be to check grades weekly. Teachers typically post grades weekly in an electronic grade book. Students can chart their grades to determine if they are making progress toward their final goal. Help your child monitor progress and encourage them to examine their action steps and make any necessary adjustments.
Celebrate successesParents can help children meet their goals by celebrating successes along the way. Acknowledging their efforts will motivate them to persist through the challenge. For younger children, parents can post the goals on a wall as a reminder of their intentions and use stars or markers to identify the successes along the way. Older children can artistically display their goals in a visible place to review on a daily basis.
It is critical that parents talk to their children about goals. Tell them about some of your goals that you had, as well as goals you currently have. Tell them about a time when you met a goal and a time when you did not reach a goal. Help them understand that failure to reach a goal teaches us that strategies and action steps need adjusted. Remind them that they should never fear failure but rather not trying or giving up. Effort, consistency, and persistence are keys to goal attainment.