All of us have had to set goals for personal or professional reasons in our lives. Some might be in a habit of setting goals; others might be doing them out of necessity.
WHY are we talking about setting goals for Cloverbuds? A study from Brown University (Pressman et al., 2014) concluded that routines and habits in children take root by the third grade. This means that habits like household chores and responsibilities are unlikely to vary once a child reaches the age of nine. As a Cloverbud Volunteer, you are in a great position to start teaching the useful habit of goal setting. When encouraging them to set goals, think about the age of the child and their abilities. Younger Cloverbuds are more likely to respond to a picture of their goal versus words, but older Cloverbuds might be able to read and will find it fun to write out their goals for the year.
Setting one goal is the ideal place to start. Encourage youth to think about something they want to do (go to the zoo, play at the park) or something that they would like to learn (ride a bike, make cookies) to help them started. At this age, their minds are full of creative thoughts. A great place to start is with a blank sheet of paper with the wording “I would like to…” This gives them the option to write or draw a goal they might have for the future.
We feel much satisfaction from accomplishing our goals, so plan a way to celebrate! Celebrating achievements is vital to instilling joy and excitement of a job well done. That joy and sense of accomplishment is what drives us to set another goal!
