It’s a brand new year and the perfect time for setting new goals for the entire family. For Christian parents, this is also an opportunity to help our children align their ambitions with God’s plans. Of course, it’s a given that we should all strive to walk with Christ EVERY SINGLE DAY—no matter the time of the year.  However, January is a great time to re-evaluate, or simply readjust, routines or habits to help our families focus on the things that really matter.

Why Goal-Setting Matters for Kids 

Teaching children to set goals fosters responsibility and discipline. It helps them experience a sense of accomplishment and understand their God-given purpose. As Proverbs 16:3 reminds us, “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” When they understand that goals should be tied to faith, children learn to seek God’s guidance in all they do.

Steps to Help Your Children Set Goals

1. Pray Together for Guidance
   Begin with prayer! Also, read and reflect on Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
2. Reflect on the Past Year
   Help your children look back on both their accomplishments and challenges of the last twelve months. Celebrate successes, but also use challenges to create new goals. 
3. Discuss the Types of Goals
   Introduce categories such as spiritual, personal, academic, family goals, etc. Brainstorm and list 2-3 goals for each chosen category.
4. Write SMART Goals
   Teach children to create Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Specific goals. For instance, instead of saying “I want to read the Bible more,” they could set a goal to read one chapter of Proverbs each morning. 

Encouraging and Supporting Your Children

• Celebrate Progress 
  Recognize and celebrate progress to keep motivation levels high. When you see your children doing their best, give them a big shout-out!
• Provide Tools and Resources
  Help children find or create journals, checklists, or charts to track their progress. Sometimes visual tools are key.
• Remember God’s Purpose
  Encourage your children to pray about their goals. Remind them that everything they do and accomplish is ultimately for His purpose and glory.
• Model Your Own Goal-Setting Strategies
  Share your goals with your children and invite them to help keep you accountable. When they see you working on your own goal setting game, they will be encouraged to do the same. Moreover, letting them see how you handle your own challenges and struggles is a good lesson in patience—and trust.

Overcoming Challenges 

That said, discouragement and setbacks on the journey to achieving goal success are inevitable. BUT we must remember Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” We should remind our children to see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow—and remind them to trust in God’s timing.

In Closing

Helping our children set meaningful, faith-centered goals is a gift that will serve them in the upcoming year and throughout their entire lives. And as we encourage them to glorify God through their ambitions, we nurture their hearts and inspire them to live with purpose and faith.

Blessings,

Amy O’Quinn

Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash

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