Life is all about vision and you can only achieve what you believe can be your reality.

Vision according to Wiktionary is “an ideal or goal towards which one aspires”. Synonyms of vision are dream, desire, aspiration or fantasy. One can also refer to it as the compelling reason, the reason why one exists or something one wants to achieve in life. I believe one of our roles as parents is to ensure that our children understand the concept of vision and goal setting. If you never had this as a goal then you need to set it immediately. As a parent do you have goals? What is your life and family vision?

For kids, setting a goal and working towards achieving it’s success is a skill that will help them later in life. It is great when we are able to inspire them to have great dreams and hopes for their future as no one achieves anything except it was a goal. If you don’t know where you are going you will end up somewhere else. I am sure the question on your mind now is “how do I present this to children?”, especially parents who have younger children. A fun and inspiring way to get this done is to make a dream or vision board.

A vision board is a collection of images of things you would like to see, have or do. This can be done on a large piece of cardboard. This does not stop you from also encouraging your child to use a journal to document the dreams if he/she would rather write. In presenting goal setting via a vision board to your child(ren), tell them that it is a place to let their imaginations come alive. They do not need to be realistic at all. Tell them they are going to put into pictures all their dreams and hopes. After this is done they will then begin to visualise daily. This will birth motivation in them as it will help them to begin to think about why they want to get what they want and what they need to do to get it. It might also make them begin to make different sacrifices to get to their goals. A boy that wants to be an A+ pupil, for example, will not play all weekend. He will read as many times as possible so he can achieve his dream. The vision board will also enable your child track his/her progress. This process opens children up to a world of possibilities. It also helps them understand that sometimes we have to wait for things but that shouldn’t stop us from dreaming. It also gives the parent an opportunity to know what their kids desire so they can help them take daily steps towards the achievement of the goals. In the process of doing this, teach them that if they want something they have to believe they have a chance to get it. It might require them to go the extra mile and this is not just about being the best, but better than the best. Learning is great when we have a support team; most importantly, it pays to get a coach. Be one to them and see them soar.

In getting the vision board done, find below some questions you can ask your kids:

• Which people do you love and want to have around you?

• What would you like to be really good at?

• What would you really like to have or do?

• How would you like to feel?

• What would be your best day ever?

This list is not exhaustive. You can ask as many questions as you think of that can guide you in helping them come to a conclusion on what they want.

Vision boards also work well for teenagers. It is perfect for helping them clarify what they want from life. Get them to brainstorm different ideas for things they would like to do and maybe even set themselves a ‘theme-word’ for the year or their life.

In addition to getting them to have their own vision boards, you can also keep one for the family. Every member of the family should have an input. This helps to indirectly state family values and vision. A great way to bond towards achievement of goals.

You can have a go at this during the weekend and share our experiences. I can testify it’s worth your time and effort.  I did this with my kids and it was so fascinating  It was interesting to hear their thoughts but in words and picture form. Now they also keep an exercise book where they write down their desires. We all go through from time to time to see if their actions align with their desires. It’s indeed a beautiful experience. I can’t wait to hear how you fared doing yours!

Do have a refreshing weekend!

– Gbonjubola Sanni