Family Goals: Make 2017 An Awesome Year

by Amy · Published December 13, 2016 · Updated December 13, 2016

2017 is just around the corner. Why not do something a little different this year and consider setting goals as a family?

There’s something powerful about sharing your dreams and goals with other people. Because you have set an intention and voiced it, there’s a greater likelihood you will keep it. And if family members are aware of what you’re hoping for and working towards, they will be better placed to help you achieve it.

How Does It Work?

It’s a very simple process. Gather the family together and explain the concept to them. Let them know that on 31st December or 1st January (or whatever date suits) you’re all going to sit down and share your goals for 2017. You might want to have a discussion about this first. Talk about what constitutes a positive goal. It might be helpful to write down a few prompts. For example:

In 2017 I want to achieve . . . .

The reason I have chosen this goal is that . . . .

I will achieve my goal by doing the following . . . .

I will achieve it by [insert date] . . . .

Let them know that they should write down their hopes for the coming year. On the given date you will each talk about your goal and add it to a jar. The jar will remain sealed until next year. It’s a fun way to begin the year with intention and share your hopes and dreams with the whole family. Before repeating the process next year, you can take out your resolutions and see whether you achieved them.

It’s important to keep checking in throughout the year and to monitor how things are going. Life has a habit of creeping up on us, and all of a sudden our resolutions are forgotten. Remain focused by setting prompts in your diary to remind you of your goals.

Reduce Stresses

It’s always a good time to review and reflect. But the closing of a year and the beginning of a new one provides an ideal opportunity to figure out what is and isn’t working. If like many people, you felt as though the last year was quite stressful, it’s worth taking some time to figure out the stressors. What causes the majority of stress in your home? Does it tend to be one thing or many? Do you see any patterns? Once you have identified your stressors, you can take preventative measures.

One area that is stressful for many people is finance. In the current economic climate with a rising cost of living and low salaries, making ends meet is difficult. It’s worth setting up a fund for emergencies to take a little of worries away should something go wrong. But this is not always possible for many different reasons. Fortunately, services such as bad credit payday loans (direct lenders only) can help if you’re in a bind. As the name suggests, you may be eligible even if your credit rating is low. It’s worth having a contingency plan should something unexpected arise.

Focus On The Important Things

When dealing with day-to-day practicalities, it’s sometimes possible to forget the important things. While you’re working extra time to pay for life’s little luxuries, you may be missing out on the little things. For example, your child getting a gold star for his story or the joy of the first snowdrops. Don’t lose sight of what is really important and what you’re working hard for. Among the work and overtime, make time to talk to your family each day and plan fun activities you can do together. A good way to go about this is to safeguard dinner time. Insist that everyone eats together each day at a given time. During this time there will be no television, no cell phones or other electronic devices. Encourage everyone to talk about what happened with their day, good or bad.

Take Time For Yourself

Though you’re part of a family unit, everyone needs time to themselves. Make sure you factor this in when planning your year ahead. Treat it in the same way you would treat a work meeting. Schedule it into your diary and ensure nothing gets in the way of it. Jot down your own list of things you would like to do just for yourself this year. It could be any number of things. For example: