Goal Setting with TEENS Part 2: They are the CAPTAIN
What does it mean to be a captain? Let's take a look at a captain of a ship.
The captain is responsible for every aspect of the voyage and vessel. They will direct the crew. They plot the course of action to get to their destination. They make sure the ship is functioning properly. They also take full responsibility for any failure of the voyage.
You may be asking, how does this relate to teens and goals?
They are the CAPTAIN of their goals. They plot the course, direct the crew, and lead the way all in their Anchor Planner!
The best part about seeing our kids take on the CAPTAIN role is; they are invested! They are excited! They have found their purpose!
You may be thinking this is great and all but what if my kids don't want to captain a ship to goals? What if they try and then stop? What if they fail?
I know I ask myself these questions all the time. The key concept here is THEY are the CAPTAIN of their ship. We, as parents, are here to guide, help, and comfort.
If your teen chooses to not take action, let them. Be encouraging and continue to be an example of how setting and achieving goals can lead towards a sense of self worth and purpose. Be gentle and supportive. Often teens don't know what they want to do. Help them discover their different interests. They WILL look to your example one day and set goals of their own. I've seen this in my own children!
If your teen starts on the journey, and chooses to stop, encourage them and chat with them about why they decided to stop. Sometimes the goal was to difficult and needed to be adjusted. Or they simply weren't interested in it anymore which is just fine. Now they know to try something else. They have learned what interests them and what doesn't!
Remember goals come in all different shapes and sizes. Goals don't have to be huge but they should be a way to learn and grow.
What if they fail?
As a parent, that is one of the hardest things to swallow. It is hard for us to watch our kids fail. We don't want to see them hurt. We want to see them succeed.
When we fail we have the opportunity to learn.
We do not want to take this opportunity of learning away from our children. Some things can only be learned from experience and we want to give this opportunity to our children. Imagine all the lessons our teens can learn now! They can take this knowledge and experience with them to adulthood! That is a huge advantage for them!
I love Angela Duckworth's words, "That was hard. It was great!"
As we guide our children, in being the CAPTAIN of their goals, we will find joy, excitement, frustration, and failure. This rollercoaster is part of life.
God wants us, His children, to grow. He has taught that growth comes through putting effort towards becoming who we were created to be. This effort can lead toward failure then knowledge then growth!
We're curious, what are your teens captaining right now? How are they sailing their ship towards their goals in their Anchor Planner? What growth are they having?