Family Goal Setting (with Worksheets)

For several years, we've been holding a little family meeting where we all sit down and do a couple of worksheets to help us to figure out some goals for the year (and beyond). This post includes family goal setting worksheets and approaches.

We've tried several different goal-setting approaches throughout the years and there are a few goal setting worksheets we've found to be most helpful for brainstorming what you want your goals to be.

Free Printable Family Goal Setting Worksheets

This year, we broke these steps up into more than one family meeting, to make them more tackle-able and to give us some extra time to think about the next step.

If you're more of a video person, I've explained much of what I've written in this post in this video:

I hope sharing these ideas will give you some ideas & inspiration for how you'd like to approach goal setting in your family!

Free Printable 50 Goals in 5 Years Worksheet

1. 50 Things To Do in the Next 5 Years

The first thing we do, is pass out a sheet with space for a list of 50 things. We then take some time for everyone to write down everything they can think of that they would like to do in the next 5 years. You're not supposed to think about how likely you are to be able to do that thing, or what it would take to make it possible- you just write everything down that comes to mind!

Sometimes we make it to 50, but often we stall out a little before that. Just write down as many as you can!

Click this link to get your free 50 Goals in 5 Years Printable!

2. Share Your Dreams!

When everyone has filled out their list of 50 dreams/goals for the next 5 years, we take a few minutes to go around and let everyone share some (or all) of the things they wrote down. It's fun to dream together! It's also helpful to get an idea of what your family members dream of, and to think about how you might be able to help them to get closer to achieving some of their goals and dreams!

3. Choose Specific Goals to Work On

Now it's time to shop your list! This is when you think about what would be required to achieve or accomplish some of the things on your list. Which ones seem more urgent or important to you?

This year, we tried to choose 8 or less goals per person. Any more than that, and you can become quite overwhelmed!

4. Plan of Action

Choosing and writing down your goals is important, but don't stop there! Break each goal down into smaller steps or goals, so you have a clear idea of what is required of you, to get closer to achieving that final goal.

This is a good time to teach your family about SMART goals! Encourage them to think about each goal this way, and tweak it as needed, to make it a better goal!

Click this Link to go to a post all about SMART goals, what they are, and a free printable simple goal setting worksheet pdf to help your family members to break their goals down, to make sure they're "SMART"!

Another Idea: This year, I have started using a planner that is especially designed for goal setting and tracking that has really helped me with the planning part of goal-setting. It's called Powersheets by Cultivate What Matters (and I'll be sharing details with you about it soon!).

5. Display Your Goals

Out of sight, out of mind! You've worked hard to make great goals, now keep them visible to you daily, so you can remember to keep working on them!

Here are a few ways we've tried this:

- Draw a Vision Board (I sketched out pictures of my goals)
- Digital Collage (I used Photoshop to make a photo collage to represent my goals and then I saved it to my desktop so I'll see it every day, when I work on my computer. You could also print a collage like this, and hang it up)
- Goal Boards (We created bulletin boards with 4 sections- Physical, Intellectual, Social, & Spiritual- and each family members pinned their goals to their board, using photos, drawings, or written notes. We will hang ours in a grid in the hallway near our bedrooms and because they're bulletin boards, we can switch the goals out as we complete or change them.)

Setting Goals as a family with kids and teens

These are a few examples of different ways we've done "Dream/Vision/Goal Boards"

Having your goals displayed in a place where family members can see them also means that we can help and encourage each other in our goals!

6. Evaluate Progress Regularly

Once you've got everything set up, schedule a time to meet for another family meeting to talk about how everyone is doing with their goals. You decide when feels like a good time to you. You might do this every few months, or more often if you think you'll need the reminder.

When you meet, congratulate each other for the progress you've made, talk about what's holding you back from making progress on some goals, and see if you can help each other out! Help each other to figure out ways to be more effective at making progress, offer to help each other to work closer to goals. It's a great family bonding experience to help and support each other in this way!