Creating Visual Parenting Goals
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” Steven Covey
Some days parenting feels all about managing logistics:
Do we need to swing by the store for more milk? What time should we leave to make the bus/game/party? Are all of the school papers signed? Who is relieving the babysitter? When was the last time everyone (anyone?) saw the dentist? How am I going to get the glitter cleaned up?
Household operations are the “urgent” tasks, to be sure. They aren’t bad things, but you don’t want to confuse “cruise director” responsibilities with what’s truly important. As a parent, you have to do “both and…” Sure, you want a loving family, but you ALSO need to have shoes that fit your kids feet. How do you blend the urgent and important?
I am a visual thinker, so I use images to remind me of some of the biggest parenting goals we have.
If you’re wired like I am, creating your own pictorial goals might come in handy. Here’s a quick sampling of iconic images Team Phenix uses to remind us of our vision and purpose.
For us, the goal is in the headline. The first sentence explains "why" this is a goal for us. The second sentence tells the kids "how," as parents, we will help them reach the goal.
Love God. Love People.
We want you to know your purpose. We will work to model this love for you.
Communicate well
We want you to be quick to listen and slow to speak. We will stay interested in you, your stories, and your struggles.
Embrace your creative side
We know you are designed to be creative and your personal best is linked to your creativity. We will embrace the uniqueness of you.
Laugh often
We want you to have joy in any circumstance. We will value fun and laughing in good times and bad.
Welcome new adventures
We want you to be bold, embrace novelty, and jump into the deep end of the pool. We will give you opportunities for new experiences.
Serve others
We want you to learn that your life will be remarkable not because of what you get, but because of what you give. We will teach you how to serve others.
Play with reckless abandon!
We want you to live courageously and run after life with all you are. We will create enough space for you to have room to play.
I want the important to beat out the urgent, but when that doesn't happen, I like having a visual reset.
These ideas might overlap with yours, but edit and structure your pictorial to fit who YOU are as a family. Spend a few minutes going through your family pictures and see if you can find images that reflect your values.
How do you keep your parenting goals at the top of your mind?