“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” Francis Chan
As the new school year begins, schedules pick up pace. It’s easy for families to succumb to the urgent and forfeit the important. What keeps families on track?
Businesses have mission statements, staff meetings, and standard operating procedures. Classrooms have Grade Level Objectives, designated teaching times, and routines that provide order and structure. Families have…well?
In his book The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family Patrick Lencioni says, “…most of us go about leading and managing our families with almost no formal context. We don’t take time to explicitly decide who we are, what we stand for, what we want, and how we’re going to go about succeeding and thriving as a family.”
He says families don’t often think about the need for planning and strategy and don’t consider the cost of chaos.
It’s impossible to inoculate your family from every challenge, but like well-managed companies and classrooms, families that plan are more successful than those that fly by the seat of their pants.
For your family to thrive, here are three Timely Tips.
Timely Tips for family matters
KNOW WHAT REALLY MATTERS
What type of young adults are you hoping to launch down the road?
What are the most important character traits and abilities you want your children to have?
What values does your family hold in high regard?
What do you want them to take with them—good memories, skills, faith?
COMMUNICATE WHAT REALLY MATTERS - We are intentional about teaching our children many things—walking and talking, riding a bike, chewing with their mouths closed.
Don’t rely on the important things being caught and not taught.
Have a designated family time on a regular basis.
Make it fun and meaningful with activities, snacks, and time to talk about what really matters.
BUILD ROUTINES THAT MATTER
Create morning, after school, and evening routines that include time for personal care, chores, rest, play, homework, prep for the next day, etc.
Be as specific as necessary with start/stop times.
Schedule family mealtimes (without devices/tv).
Download family conversation starters to use at dinner.
For more information on the benefits of family dinners and the research behind it visit: Family Meals Movement
wise words
A good, simple plan that can be implemented quickly is better than a perfect one that takes months and years to put into practice. --Patrick Lencioni