Many adults set yearly goals while others set monthly or weekly goals. Only a handful set daily goals. Statistics show that people who set daily goals reach more of their goals than those who don’t.

Regardless of how often parents set their own goals, it is common that they forget to include their children in this amazingly powerful process.

Enter the Soccer Game

So what does soccer have to do with teaching children to set goals?  Well, think of it this way: you have a soccer field, the halfway line, the goal box, the actual goal, the penalty box, the end line (a.k.a. goal line) and the sideline.  You also have a place for the fans, sometimes a snack shop, coaches, volunteers and other support staff and, finally, you have the ball.

A great deal goes into winning a soccer game.  You have to decide you want to play soccer.  You have to learn how to play and you have have to learn the rules.  You have to find a team to play on and learn what it means to be a team player.  You have to show up, play your best, move the ball forward to score, watch everything that’s going on and make quick decisions about which way to go to get the ball in the goal box and finally, you have to be ready to kick the ball into the goal when the opportunity presents itself–sometimes in a very brief window of time.

Sounds a bit like life, and you can use this scenario to explain goal setting to your kids.  Even if they don’t play soccer, they will relate to the sports metaphor much more readily than just trying to explain goal setting to them.

Inviting Your Children to Join Your Goal Setting Process

If you have children, include them in your own goal setting process and help them set a few of their own. If you’ve never set goals before, now is the perfect time to start.

Did you know that the major thing that sets successful people apart from unsuccessful people is that successful people write their goals down on paper AND they write them down on a regular basis?

If writing your goals down is one of the major things that defines whether or not a person is successful (that and a bit of action), then teaching your kids to set and achieve goals may be one of the many life skills you should seriously consider modeling for them.

First Time Goal Setting

Okay, if you’ve never ever really sat down long enough to consider WHERE you’re going or WHAT you want in life, it’s okay because you can start now. The future is like a brand new sketchbook ready for you to create, full of colors, shapes, feelings and expression.

Oh, you thought you were just going to WRITE your goals down on paper?  Well, that’s a great start but why not do a picture goal board, also called a Dream Board or Vision Board. Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich, once said that what the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.  We need to teach our children this concept early in life! This may the one thing that turns your children into leaders and the “CEOs of their own lives” instead of victims.

Creating Dream/Vision Boards

This is a fun and simple process which starts with the proverbial question: What do I really want in life?  Before you begin creating your dream board, write this question at the top of a piece of paper and sit quietly to answer it. Have each child that is creating a board with you do this exercise as well. Kids generally love this part!

Here’s what you and your kids will need:

1. Two to three hours of uninterrupted time to relax and create along with some great music to create by.
2. Poster board.  Half sheets work best but if you want to use full sheets, by all means have at it.  Note: poster board generally has a shiny side and a matte side.  If you’re going to use markers, use the matte side as the shiny side smears (ask me how I know!).
3. Lots of magazines filled with great photos, alphabet letters (for ransom note like cut out words), etc.  Magazines of your favorite hobbies and interests are great.  Thrift stores often have lots of magazines if you don’t have a ready stock on hand.
4. Tape, glue, scissors, markers, other art supplies for cutting out and attaching images to your poster board.

That’s it. Assemble the things you need, set aside the time for your whole family to create the next year of their lives (or more) just the way they want it and have a great time doing it.

After everyone in the family has created their own dream or vision board and put it on the door or wall of their choice, create a Family Dream Board for the coming year and put it on the fridge so the whole family sees it everyday!

Now, go plan your life and teach your children how to plan theirs in the process!  You’ll be surprised at how much fun it is. And, when things start coming true and showing up for you and your kids, you’ll be even more excited about creating one for next year.