The 2023-2024 School Year Begins!

Written By: Sandi MacCalla, Founder - LifeSkills Academy ~ 9/11/2023

The school routine launches for students, parents, toddler siblings, pets, teachers, school support staff/bus drivers, principals, school boards, and the whole work world! As the summer respite ends, another life threshold starts! It’s prime time to reset our sights, our goals, and our dreams.

Part of ‘adulting’ is setting, measuring, and mastering goals – at all age levels. It also shapes our values, builds confidence, and reveals our innate talents. The best way for children to learn this is when an “adult” shares how they do this.

To get started, here are 4 easy steps:

• Write goals down. It keeps them top of mind.
  
  
• Create action plans. These steps help reach the goals.
  
  
• Share action plans with someone whose opinion is valued. This starts the process of being accountable and respected by the people they respect.
  
  
• The best of all: do a weekly progress report - in addition to the above. This keeps the focus on reaching those goals.

Learning SMART goals is also a great life skill. It creates realistic goals and actively develops a growth mindset (for all ages).

What are SMART goals?

• Specific - What specifically do you want to accomplish?
  
  
• Measurable - Is it measurable? How will you know when you have reached your goal? Who can help you?
  
  
• Attainable - Is it achievable? What could stop you from reaching your goal? What do you need to attain it?
  
  
• Realistic - Is it realistic? Why is this important and why do you want to do this?
  
  
• Time-Bound - Is it time-bound? When will your goal be reached?

By answering these 5 questions, this life skill can easily be explained to set SMART goals into action. These are great examples for kids to clarify their goals and experience powerful habits to attain their dreams! It works in steps to accomplish goals in small increments, so they are not overwhelming.

“Without dreams and goals, there is no living, only merely existing, and that is not why we are here.”
~Mark Twain

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