If you are able to help your children establish goals in their lives, you are giving them a tool that will carry them through into a successful life.

The first time I remember setting a goal for my life was when I was in tenth grade. I had just learned about half way through my 10th grade year that I would have enough credits to graduate at the end of my junior year.  I was told that my high school didn't allow students to graduate a full year early. They only allowed a mid semester graduation. I wanted to get out of school!  Since I'm telling the truth here, the whole reason was because I was in love. I wanted to get out of school so I could start setting up house. Even though I would have enough credits to graduate, my character was not good. 

I sat down with my dad to talk about what I wanted to do and this is what he said, "They aren't going to let you graduate early so you can get married. You are going to have to come up with more compelling reasons." Then he added this, "What kind of life do you see yourself having? Make a list of all the things you would like to do if you could do anything."

And that's what I did.  I went to my room and began to dream on paper.  I saved that piece of paper because it changed my life. There were many tears as I began to dream.  I had to dedicate some time to this.

After I wrote out my dreams, My dad and I looked at the dreams and talked together about how to make those dreams a reality.  What would be my role in making my dreams come true? Some of the items on my list included become a lawyer, write a novel, have several children, etc.

The first thing he noticed was that I really wanted to have a successful life. I'm pretty sure he didn't think I would have that if I went off and married the guy I was "in love" with.

With each dream he encouraged me to write out the tools I would need to fulfill those dreams. Under lawyer a college degree would be required. What college would I go to?  What kind of grades would I need to attend there? All of these questions he asked me. Yet he did it in a way that made me feel like I was discovering something completely new about my life.  This was definitely an exercise in self discovery. Never once did he tell me my dream was out of reach or that it was unrealistic. He helped me to discover that on my own. Yet, he helped me to see which goals were attainable for me in the near future, and which ones would take a while to fulfill.

Armed with a new lease on life, I approached the school board with my list of life goals. I now had a clear picture of what I wanted to achieve and I wanted to get started toward these goals immediately.  I attended three school board meetings where I had to stand before them and speak. I had never really spoken passionately in public before. The energy I felt was amazing! I believe this event prompted another goal to be added to my goal sheet, "Become a Public Speaker." Three months after beginning my quest to graduate a year early so I could get married there was an article in the paper, "School Board Grants Student Early Graduation to Pursue Her Dreams"

One year before I was originally supposed to graduate I walked across the stage at my high school as someone stated, "Terri Sween, voted Most Likely to Succeed by her classmates." My dad stood and applauded, but I wanted to applaud him.  Without his influence, I would not have dared to dream.

#1 Tell Your Own Goal Setting Story or Stories

#2 Talk With Your Children About Their Dreams

#3 Encourage them to Create a Dream Sheet

#4 Help Them Discover the Path to Achieve the Dream

#5 Applaud Their Efforts