Setting the Bar

All children have dreams. It's part of being a kid, deciding what you want to do or be when you grow up. When they are younger, their goals might change every week, or they might know from day one what they want to do with their lives. Knowing that they have your support no matter how big their dreams get can make all the difference.

Encourage your child to have lofty ambitions, and encourage goal setting that makes them stretch their abilities. Once they have reached the first set of goals, help them make a new set, with even greater limits! Then they will always be ready to face whatever challenges come their way.

The importance of lofty goals cannot be stressed enough. If you only set goals you know you can reach, you will never know what you might be able to accomplish! Set an example for your children by setting and achieving goals in your own life.

Teach your children that they should not live their lives being dissatisfied, but on the other hand they should never be satisfied with less than the very best they can accomplish. You can be truly content with reaching your goals only if you have found the next great thing you were meant to do.

Don't squash your children's dreams because of money or other concerns. It might be hard for them to qualify for and put themselves through a difficult field of study in a good school while working two jobs, but they can do it if that is truly their dream and their passion. Your job is helping your children find their passion and their dream.

Be supportive of your children's goals, even if they are not what you would have chosen for them. Perhaps your son is not interested in football, preferring to play hockey instead. Make sure he knows that you believe in his ability to be the best he can be in what he chooses to do, and put away your own dreams of the winning trophy.

Likewise your daughter might want to be a veterinarian rather than a ballerina - if this is her goal, you should do everything in your power to support her and respect her decision. Any career or goal is worthy if undertaken with the intention of greatness.

You may think only you know how hard you have worked in your life to get where you are, but your children watch everything you do and learn from it. If they see you set and meet goals in your life, they will be inspired to do the same - and a few failures along the way will only make success the sweeter when it is finally won!