Goal Setting
A family is a team. Just like those we work, play and volunteer with, our families will benefit from shared goals and planning. We offer the following steps to helping your family work together as a team.

Mission Statement: The first step is to develop a Mission Statement. This is simply a short statement of your values and goals as a family.

Goals: The family mission statement helps define your values and long term vision. Goals that complement your mission statement should be set or revised on a yearly basis. This can be done as a family retreat. Each member of the family should participate according to their ability. The earlier you involve your children in the goal setting process, the better.

Roles: Life is hectic because each of us - adult and child alike - have many different roles that require our attention. Our roles identify our responsibilities to ourselves and others. By defining each family member's role, you provide a system for identifying important activities. Some examples include:

Identifying your roles allows you to choose what is most important to you and to include personal needs like introspection, woman, couple, etc. Each person will want to tie their roles to the goals they've chosen for themselves.

Family Meeting: Set aside a regular time once a week for a family meeting. Use this time to review appointments for the week, hear from each member how they will use their roles to achieve their goals, applaud the positive actions of the past week, discuss issues in a safe environment, develop tools for dealing with conflict, assign chores and review family goals.

The family meeting can become a treasured time where your family can work together to achieve your shared and individual goals.