The Wish List
The first step is for your child to create a wish list of things that she would like to accomplish, do, or have. Each should be worded as a specific goal: “I will raise my grade in math by one letter” (not “I will make good grades”) or “I will make three new friends” (rather than “I'll be popular”). Remember that a goal can be changed, revised, and edited as your child gets more clarity about exactly what she wants and what she will have to do to get it.
Next, your tween needs to decide when she hopes to accomplish each goal by establishing a specific target date. Like everything else about goal setting, emphasize that the dates are flexible and can be changed at any time.
Goals for LifeWhen teaching goal setting, suggest your youngster consider the following areas in developing goals:
Academic/school (for example: make all
Family/relatives (for example: get along with Mom).
Financial/money (for example: save up for a bike).
Hobby/recreational (for example: collect frog figurines).
Personal/self-improvement (for example: stop biting my nails).
Physical/health/nutrition (for example: give up sodas).
Social/friends (for example: get Bobby to like me).
Vocational/work (for example: get a job raking leaves).
Many successful adults formulated their lifelong goals in childhood. This is virtually required for people in especially demanding professions:
Most medical doctors and professional athletes choose their professions before they are teenagers.
Most professional musicians and dancers start taking lessons during early childhood.
Many poets and authors began writing during primary school.
Some artists know what they will do with their lives from the moment they make their first crayon scribbles.
Don't underestimate the power of a tween who is lost and drifting to begin shaping a life for himself! Don't underestimate the power of an average tween with a lofty goal.
