Adolescent Goal Setting

Posted by Joe Bruzzese Oct 30, 2007

As a follow up to a prior goal setting article and the number of people who reviewed it I offer these additional ideas for successful goal setting.

Plan with the beginning in mind. Although you may have always thought to begin with the end in mind, this counter intuitive approach focuses your thoughts on your child's current reality. Taking into account past achievements will form a solid foundation for plotting realistic goals in the future.

Overachieve. Not to be mistaken with becoming a habitual overachiever. Coach your child to create goals that have a high probability for success. In this case I define success as the achievement of a goal.

Snowball. Let the momentum of small achievement build. Small successes pave the way for more challenging goals. As your adolescent's confidence grows she will begin to take greater control of the goal setting sessions.

Acknowledge Effort. Comment on your child's effort as it relates to the pursuit of their goal. Making the connection between effort, perseverance and achievement is critical to developing confidence and a "can do" mindset.