Goal Setting for Families

What do you relish most about the onset of a new year? For many of us, it's a thrilling new chance to redirect the course of our lives. A new year offers a clean slate that teems with endless possibilities. As we recalibrate our lives and craft personal goals for the new year, it's also important to set family goals.

The biblical prophet Amos reminds us that two cannot walk together unless they are in agreement (Amos 3:3). Family goals are shared objectives that steer families toward a desired end. They help foster unity, growth, and communication. They also provide direction and ensure accountability. Here are some suggestions on setting family goals as you usher in the new year.

First things first: gratitude!

There's no better way for a family to usher in a new year than by expressing gratitude, first to God and second to each other. Expressing gratitude is not for only Thanksgiving day; we should do it all year. As the year turns, rally your family towards giving thanks to God. He loves it when his children pause and say thank you. Yes, the year may have been tumultuous, but your family can still count their blessings and be thankful. Paul urges us to give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for us (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Your family will also get a chance to express gratitude to each other. Hearing your family members appreciate or compliment you is invigorating. It improves family relationships, fosters positivity, unity, compassion, and resilience, as well as perks up one’s self-esteem. If you have a family gratitude jar or your family has been scribbling on their gratitude journals, it's time to pull them out and savor the moment.

Evaluate

It helps to step back and evaluate how the previous year panned out. What are the highs and lows you had as a family? What worked and what didn't? Are there unsavory habits that your family needs to ditch? Are there habits that are worth applauding and keeping? Evaluate from all angles, physically, financially, spiritually, socially, and professionally. You may, for instance, observe that your family has maintained healthy saving and spending habits but neglected physical health.

Make note of the the things that need to be tossed out the window in the new year. Is your family spending too much time on gadgets with little time to bond? Is everyone in the family getting enough sleep? When little unhealthy habits stack up, they end up sabotaging the progress and productivity of your family. An honest evaluation will help you spot and snuff them out as you hold on to the healthy habits.

“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom” (Song of Songs 2:15).

Stipulate your family values

Family values are the principles that define your family’s core beliefs. They spell out what is acceptable in your family and what is repulsive. They guide your day-to-day decisions as a family and shape your character. Even though your family may not have consciously crafted any family values, you may notice that you have instinctively followed some. As the new year unfolds, it's important to stipulate them as they are the building blocks for your family goals.

Healthy family values include love, respect, kindness, integrity, teamwork, forgiveness, empathy, generosity, honesty, gratitude, hard work, and resilience. Decide which values are appropriate for your family to focus on and write them down. Then, display them where your family can catch a glimpse as they go about their day.

“And the Lord answered me, ‘write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it’” (Habakkuk 2:2).

Prioritize

When you have a flurry of things competing for your attention, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and stuck. As a family, it's important to rank things in their order of importance. As you prioritize, you will be able to weed out your time wasters and improve your focus. It also helps you narrow down the activities that are most aligned with your family values.

Above all, remember that God wants us to prioritize our relationship with him over our earthly pursuits. The world is passing away along with its desires (1 John 2:17). It's not worth neglecting eternal things in the pursuit of temporary ones. Jesus taught that we should seek God's kingdom first and his righteousness. When we do, all other facets of our lives get aligned (Mathew 6:33). As you sift through the priorities in your family, encourage your family members to prioritize their relationship with God.

Write down family goals

Finally, it's time to define your family goals. Sit down with your family members in a relaxed setting and brainstorm as you envision how you desire the year ahead to pan out. Everyone should air their ideas, even the young children. Use your family values to define your goals. For example, if generosity is one of your family values, you can agree to identify and support one noble cause within the year. If spending quality time together ranks high for your family, mark down on the activities that will help you achieve that goal, e.g., having weekly game nights or an annual family vacation.

Ensure your goals are realistic and achievable. You can task members of the family to oversee the implementation of each goal. For example, if one of the goals is to have everyone read one book each month, assign one family member to identify a suitable genre or theme that your family can explore.

Other examples of family goals include reading the Bible at family meals, starting a garden, eating healthy meals, having a family chore chart, starting a family business, exercising together, exploring hobbies, and starting a family book club.

Check-in regularly

It's important to keep each other accountable in your quest to achieve your family goals. Check-in on each other during normal interactions in your household. You can also hold weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meetings to evaluate your progress. Be flexible and make adjustments where needed. Setting family goals ensures the family remains connected and pursues similar objectives. For Christian families, these goals enable members to grow together toward Christ-likeness.