Building Goals with Puzzle Pieces

When we think about what goals should be, we sometimes assume they must be gigantic in size. We get caught up in all the hard work it takes to reach this goal, forgetting to acknowledge progress along the way. Young people need to experience short bursts of success to stay motivated. The idea isn’t that they never fail, it is that they understand that anything is attainable if broken into smaller pieces.

Help a young person experience those short bursts of success by turning their long-term goals into a puzzle.  Work together to identify something big they want to accomplish.  Then create "puzzle pieces" of smaller, easily attained goals that will get them closer to that larger goal.  Assure them that they are capable and be supportive always.   Be sure to celebrate the small successes along the way!

Teaching children how to set and reach goals helps them to grow. You not only get the reward of watching them achieve those goals and create new ones, but you also help them to become responsible, resilient and confident in themselves. Check out this great resource from PBS for more info on challenging and inspiring growth through goal-setting.