New Year, New Goals: How to Align Your Family Goals with Your Values

As the new year begins, it's the perfect time to reflect on how we want to grow as a family. For many of us, the days fly by in a blur of school schedules, extracurricular activities, and busy workweeks. Setting goals together as a family can help us realign with what truly matters and ensure our time and energy reflect our shared values.  

Start with Family Values  

Before setting goals, take time to identify your family values.  If you attended our Parent Live event back in August, you might already have your family values defined. If not, now is the perfect time to start writing them down. Family Values are beliefs, principles, and standards that guide behavior and decisions within a family. They also help shape how family members interact with one another. Some examples of values are faith, kindness, generosity, relationships, and learning. Here's a simple way to uncover your family values:  

1. Reflect Together: Gather as a family and discuss what's most important to you. Ask questions like, "What do we want to stand for?" and "What do we want others to see in us?" Consider spending time praying over what your family values will be. 

2. Create a List: Write down 3–5 core values that you want to focus on. Encourage everyone in your family to participate. Use visuals to help you talk about family values in a way that is accessible to your kids and easy for them to understand. Use our “Family Values” download.

3. Display Your Values: Consider creating a family poster or vision board. Put it up in a high-traffic area to keep these values visible throughout the year. To get started try using our “2025 Family Goals” sheet for inspiration.

Set Goals That Reflect Your Values  

Once you've defined your family values, brainstorm goals to help you carry out those values. For instance:  

- If your value is faith, set a goal to read the Bible as a family or serve on a dream team together.  

- If your value is kindness, plan to volunteer during our Serve Days or write notes of encouragement to friends.  

- If you value adventure, schedule quarterly family outings to explore new parks or try something new, like camping.  

Making Goals Practical and Intentional

When setting goals as a family, make them clear and realistic so they're easy to follow. This will help your family be more successful in achieving your values.

Here are a few tips to help:  

- Be Specific: Instead of vague goals like "spend more time together," choose something specific, such as "have a family movie night every Friday."  

- Make your goals easy to track: For instance, "Read one chapter of the Bible together each night" is easier to follow than "read the Bible more."  

- Make It Achievable: Set goals that fit your family's current season of life. If evenings are already busy, a short family devotion in the morning might be more realistic than a long one at night.   

- Set a Timeframe: Give each goal a timeline. For example, "Complete 10 acts of kindness by the end of January".

Stay Accountable  

As the year goes on, check in on your goals regularly. Consider having a monthly family meeting to reflect on your progress and contribution towards the goals. Take the time to pray over your goals. During this time, you might want to celebrate any achievements and adjust goals if needed.

As you develop goals, remember that it is not about creating perfect goals or adhering to them one hundred percent of the time but about making meaningful changes in your family. By taking small, intentional steps, you can create a year full of purposeful moments.