Goals: Something you work hard to reach.

Dear Parents,

The difference between a dream and a goal is you have to take action to turn a dream into a goal. We all have dreams of fitting into the jeans we wore in high school or running the mile as fast as we did at twenty. Those are dreams that can be goals by taking action to reach them.

This month, at LIFE 180° Martial Arts, we will be discussing with our students how to break big goals into smaller goals. Many times, we never get past the dream stage, because the dream is too big to accomplish in one sitting. However, by breaking a big goal into smaller goals, we are able to reach the big goal by taking one step at a time.

Unfortunately, in reaching for goals, we also hit obstacles. Some people see obstacles before they begin reaching for their goal, so they never progress past dreaming. By overcoming obstacles, you are able to appreciate the achievement even more. Join us this month, as we discuss what goals are and how you can reach them.

What can parents and caregivers do to help their children develop self-discipline?

Know what your children want. Sure, children want everything, but as caregivers, you are in the unique position of knowing these children well. You have the capability of determining what may be a passing fancy or what has really grabbed their attention. Encourage and help your children discover what will become their passion in life and then set goals to learn more or develop those interests.

Offer healthy rewards. We all have those horrible chores we don’t want to do; even adults face that one. Show your children how you reward yourself for doing them. Explain how you are going to take a long walk if you finish cleaning the closets.

Overcome obstacles. Depending on the age of the children, we often hide obstacles we face. Let them know certain obstacles you face and how you move past them to get what you want. You want to run in the charity 10K race, but you can’t get past 5K and you are facing overtime at work. Tell them, you plan on waking an hour earlier to get in extra running to get over the plateau you are facing.

Include everyone on taking action. If your family wants to take a special trip next year, show the kids the budget and ask how you can meet it. If you gave up eating out once a month and put that money in the savings account, you are taking action. Or you can watch a movie on DVD instead of at the theater. What else can the entire family do to help save money for a dream vacation?