Setting Goals in Uncertain Times

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

– Albert Einstein

Setting Goals

Setting goals in these uncertain times can be challenging for parents who are juggling many important tasks. We are working from home, homeschooling our children, taking care of the family and household, and making sure everyone is safe and healthy. Many of us are doing the best we can to simply make it through each day. And that’s OK. These are unprecedented times, and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. However, there are ways to help you manage your time and accomplish tasks. We researched expert advice and asked other parents for successful strategies to offer guidance in goal setting.

Many experts agree that goals should be specific and measurable. However, taking on too many projects isn’t necessary or feasible at this time and can be overwhelming, causing stress and avoidance. Dave Ramsey, bestselling author and radio host, says to “break your goal into doable chunks. Give yourself daily, weekly, and monthly steps. Focus on those first, then when you accomplish the first one, head on to the next one.” Allyson Schneider, a mother of three daughters who lives in Raleigh, NC, suggests breaking down bigger goals into smaller parts that your children can get involved in as well. Allyson needed to mulch the flower beds in her yard. She set a goal to work in the yard with her children for one hour each day. The kids enjoyed being outside and earning $5 per hour. By the end of the week, the mulch was finished and her kids had $35 to donate, save, or spend. “It was a great way for us to spend time together outdoors, and for my children to learn the valuable lesson of hard work paying off,” says Allyson. “We look at our beautiful yard and feel accomplished. It may have taken a bit longer, but it was manageable and not at all overwhelming knocking it out just one hour a day.”

Make your goals smaller – chunk

Breaking down your weekly goals into daily or even hourly steps is something Danika Brysha recommends to transform your life. Danika is a “Tastemaker” for Tastemade, a two-time contestant on The Food Network’s Chopped, and model for IMGModels. She realized that her concept of creating a happy life started with creating happy moments and so she developed a tool to help her monitor daily habits and behaviors on a “Daily Self-Care Checklist.” She used this checklist to get her goals down on paper and by slowly checking them off, day by day, she transformed her life and her future. You can find Danika’s “Daily Self-Care Checklist” and more about Danika’s journey to success by following @DanikaBrysha on Instagram. Making steady progress on your goals by breaking them down into a realistic but optimistic set of ideas around your future will help you take action and work until you get results. 

Track your goals

Here are some tools you can use with your family to get those goals on paper and start making steady progress. For daily goal setting, Amy McKnight suggests using a white board with an erasable pen. Her family puts quick, medium, and long projects on the white board. Once they’ve finished a goal, they erase it. “It’s uplifting to see a goal erased from the white board. We work together as a family to set our goals and when we reach them, it’s an amazing feeling.” “Research shows that when parents are actively engaged in a child’s exploration of something new, they can enhance what a child learns,” says Dr. Naha Chaudharg, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. This white board is a great way for parents to teach enjoyable and practical life lessons like cleaning, cooking, and laundry. You can find a magnetic white board for your refrigerator on www.Amazon.com for $15-$20. Having it placed where the whole family can gauge your goal setting progress can increase happiness and well-being. 

Online tools for goal setting

For online checklists, many experts suggest the SMART Goal Setting Checklist at https://www.process.st/checklist/smart-goal-setting-checklist/. The SMART method is an excellent approach to setting achievable goals because it covers all bases and leaves no room for misunderstanding. SMART stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

The checklist can be customized to your needs and edited as your life and goals change. Setting achievable goals by utilizing a checklist will help you create control in these uncertain times. 

Don’t be negative about goals

While you’re setting goals with your family, remember to be realistic and gentle with yourself. It’s OK to have “off” days as we’re all doing the best we can to manage our time and our lives during a pandemic. Allow your family some free time, play time, and yes, even screen time. It will be a tough road ahead and you may even feel like quitting altogether, so prepare yourself for setbacks and don’t give up! Just try again. 

Do you have any goal setting tips that work for your family? What strategies have you used to get your kids involved in goal setting? Connect with us on Instagram @MapsCookingKids or on Twitter @MapsCookingKids. Until next time, Agape, be kind, and happy parenting.