If you're wondering how to talk with your children about setting goals, then making goals relevant is an important aspect to discuss. "Relevant" is what the "R" in SMART goals stands for (see the rest of our SMART goals series). Basically, it means knowing that a goal you set is part of a bigger vision you're working toward. For instance, perhaps you want to be healthier (eating nutritious food, getting more sleep, exercising regularly, etc.) because you want to be able to keep up with your kids when you're running around outside. Or maybe it's so that you can do your best to fight off heart disease that runs in your family. If you have a goal to learn piano, is it because you want your home filled with music or because you want to create more moments of calmness and reflection in your life?
When we know how a goal fits into our bigger picture of what we want our life to be, it's easier to be able to stay committed to our goal when we're trying to make changes. So helping our families (and ourselves) make sure we are putting efforts into relevant goals is important.
We don’t need to train for a half marathon just because a lot of other people are. We need to discover what development makes the most sense for our individual paths.
Today’s activity centers on family conversations about specific topics. It’s a game I created called, “That’s Irrelevant!” (If your children don’t yet know the words “relevant” and “irrelevant,” then this is a great time to introduce some new vocabulary defined in simple terms.) In this game, each round everyone has a conversation on a topic like oceans, toys, or holidays. (See the link in my bio for FREE printable cards!) Everyone in the group except for one person has a fact related to that topic; the other person has a fact that’s irrelevant to the topic.
To play, start a conversation about the topic, and everyone will try to naturally slip their fact into the conversation; for the person with the irrelevant fact, they’ll need to use some creative talking to make the conversation steer their direction! If someone suspects that the irrelevant fact has been shared, they can call out, “That’s irrelevant!” If they’re right, the group wins! If the person with the irrelevant fact is able to share their fact without anyone noticing how random it is, however, then that person wins that round!
As one of my nephews said when we played, “I love that game because not only is it fun but I also learned lots of cool facts.”
As for me, I love the fact that the game helps them see how much easier it is to focus on goals that are relevant to our larger vision.
DOWNLOAD OUR PRINTABLE “THAT’S IRRELEVANT!” CARDS.
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