Life gets busy.
And although your family may top your list of priorities, balancing life’s responsibilities can make it hard to set aside time for them. Planning a fun getaway, spending quality time together, or cooking a healthy dinner as a family might slip through all the chaos. Rushed takeout dinners and delayed vacations could become the norm.
Like any other type of goal, family goals require vision and planning. Creating short-term and long-term plans will help you nurture happy, healthy relationships and give your family the time they deserve.
What are family goals?
Family goals are shared aspirations that strengthen bonds between family members. These can be concrete goals, like saving for a home or setting time and money aside for a yearly family vacation. They can also be more nuanced ones that require continuous maintenance, like working on open communication through monthly family meetings.
It’s easy to take loved ones for granted when you see them often and even daily. But building healthy familial relationships is similar to creating strong bonds in your professional and social life: it won’t happen automatically. Interpersonal relationships require nurturing, care, and a little bit of planning.
Whatever your targets are, setting goals for family members can help you do everything from keeping a cleaner house to building and sustaining your personal connections. They give your family the chance to live more meaningfully, working toward a bright future together.
The importance of setting family goals
You may have personal goals for self-improvement, professional yearly goals to grow in the workplace, or life goals to integrate your overarching vision. And chances are, you already know that goal-setting drives productivity and success, even if you haven’t applied them to family before.
When you set clear and specific goals, you’re more likely to accomplish them — and family goals are no different. Here are just a few benefits of turning vague family aspirations into concrete SMART goals:
- Promotes open communication: Coming together to share personal goals and set group objectives is a great first step to opening the floor to deeper, more empathetic conversations. Setting goals as a family creates an environment that encourages honesty and understanding, giving everyone a chance to voice personal life goals, concerns, and needs. And regularly checking in on how everyone’s doing facilitates trust and fosters a deeper sense of belonging.
- Power in numbers: Between work, school, and countless other responsibilities, it’s easy to lose track of objectives. Family goals channel everyone’s efforts in a singular direction, creating support and accountability. Clear group goals create collective responsibilities, leaving room for some family members to pick up the slack or offer encouragement when others need an extra push.
- Builds a sense of unity: Working toward goals (and accomplishing them together) breeds a sense of achievement and purpose. You might feel a deeper sense of familial pride and build long-lasting memories as you achieve milestones together. Regularly checking in and celebrating wins can both facilitate trust and serve as bonding activities in and of themselves.
20 family goals examples
Goals can be big and small, from saving money for a new car to sitting down at the dinner table each night. They can also be practical or just for fun, like teaching kids healthy eating or having a regular family game night.
Everyone has different time limitations and types of relationships, so find goals that are realistic for your family’s dynamics and responsibilities. To help the entire family brainstorm, here are 20 examples of family goals:
Financial goals
Financial wellness does more than cover your current necessities. It lays the foundations for a successful legacy.
Whether you want to save for a more comfortable family car or splurge on a weekend adventure, financial goals will help you make overarching money decisions that benefit the whole family. And if you have children, being transparent about saving or teaching kids the value of money can build a healthy foundation for their futures.
Here are some examples of financial goals for families:
-
Save for a family vacation
Taking a break from the daily grind and going full vacation mode can help both kids in school and adults. A refreshing break contributes to everyone’s well-being and mental health. Determine an attainable budget and decide on a vacation spot as a family. Plus, a yearly meeting to choose your next destination can become a fun family tradition.
2. Build an emergency fund
You never know when an emergency will happen, whether a flat tire or a trip to the ER. A common rule of thumb is to save at least three months of your monthly income and a little extra for accidents. When you need emergency cash, breaking the piggy bank will be one less worry.
3. Invest in education
Setting money aside for your kid’s education is a common long-term goal. There are several initiatives for parents to build a college fund, including a 529 plan, a Roth IRA, or savings bonds. If possible, older kids can take part in their own college savings as they set their own goals for adulthood.
4. Plan for retirement
It’s never too early to plan for retirement, even in the early stages of your working life. Retirement planning can ensure your comfort later in life, easing stress for you and your caretakers, who might be family members. Working with an advisor and financial coach can help you choose the right strategy and build an action plan to execute it.
Health goals
A healthy family might already sit at the top of your list of priorities, and there are lots of ways to build healthy habits together. Prioritizing mental and physical wellness has a positive snowball effect in every aspect of life. Here are a few examples of family health goals:
5. Plan regular family check-ups
If it isn’t already in your family calendar, pencil in regular visits to your general practitioner, dentist, and other health professionals. Monitoring and maintaining your family’s health might not be a glamorous goal, but you can make it fun with post-doctor activities and rewards.
6. Cook healthy family meals
Maintaining a healthy diet may feel like a never-ending chore. But the right food helps your family sleep well, concentrate, and have the energy to get through the day. And according to the CDC, people with balanced diets live longer and have fewer health risks.
Healthy eating is deeply personal and involves your culture, budget, and time. When possible, prioritize fresh fruits and vegetables over processed foods. To cut down on time, you can meal plan and turn dinner prep into a family activity.
7. Prioritize activities that promote strong mental health
The stresses of responsibilities like work and school can strain anyone’s mental health. Consider unplugging from cell phones during family dinners, regularly sharing gratitude for one another, or creating a self-care plan together. You’ll promote 1:1 time and build transparency about protecting emotional wellness, which can open safe, meaningful conversations about everyone’s needs and concerns.
8. Exercise together
Family walks, bike rides, or dance-offs don’t just keep your family fit. They can strengthen bonds and improve mental health. Consider participating in a challenge, like completing a certain number of steps every day or attending a 10K fundraiser for more family fun. A little competitive spirit may motivate each family member to take control of their physical health.
Family relationship goals
Although many of your goals will foster family bonds indirectly, you can also set specific objectives to build better relationships. A solid family unit takes continuous effort, and making that effort together strengthens your bonds even more.
Here are some goals to nurture strong and respectful relationships:
9. Hold regular check-ins
Just as team meetings are crucial to keeping everyone in the office up to speed, family meetings and individual check-ins align everyone’s thoughts, concerns, and needs. A weekly or monthly goal to meet and talk without distractions is a great way to update everyone on significant family topics. This is also a great opportunity to set and track goals, even those unrelated to relationship building.
10. Set date nights
It’s easy to put romance aside amidst the responsibilities of family life. Mark one night a week (or month, depending on your schedule) to a night (or hour) dedicated to your partner. It can be as simple as a movie night at home, a dinner out, or a picnic in the park.
You can also set fun dates with other family members for 1:1 time. If you have multiple children or extended family members you want to stay close with, dedicated time spent together is a great way to get some quality time in the books.
11. Share a daily family meal
A family that eats together stays together. Aim for one meal a day where everyone is present.
This creates a habit of being in the moment with one another and checking in about everyone’s day, whether that’s over your morning coffee before work or recapping your day over dinner. Cooking together, trying a new recipe, or exploring local restaurants can also bring spontaneity to this daily habit.
12. Practice gratitude
Gratitude encourages positivity and fuels the mutual bond between you and your family members. And studies show that individuals who take the time to express gratitude to their partners feel more positivity and are more comfortable being open about their needs and concerns.
If going around a circle and sharing gratitude isn’t your thing, saying “Thank you” and giving genuine compliments can go a long way to making loved ones feel seen. Make it a point to express your feelings when someone does something nice for the family or goes out of their way to help someone.
13. Visit extended family
If your family members don’t all live in the same place, you can still make an effort to feel close. Plan a long weekend getaway, invite extended family to visit, or even organize a large family reunion. The satisfaction you feel connecting with your extended family may motivate you to prioritize quality daily interactions at home.
Home life goals
Home life goals ensure your spaces are organized, comfortable, and reflective of family values. Your home is your family’s sanctuary, so everyone should put effort into maintaining both their personal spaces and shared ones.
Here are some ways to improve your family’s home life:
14. Make a chore chart
Chores might seem like an annoying responsibility, but they teach everyone accountability, teamwork, and valuable life skills. Design a rotating chore chart, making sure you distribute tasks equally and fairly. Remember to practice empathy and flexibility. There may be moments where some family members can contribute more than others.
15. Practice manners
If you have young children, practicing manners is a great way to teach discipline and family values. These goals can be small habits like staying at the table until everyone is finished, saying “Please” and “Thank you,” or putting things away as soon as they finish using them.
16. Skills month
Each month, you can focus on learning a new skill together. Sewing, basic carpentry, or maintaining a family garden are all simple hobbies that can help everyone learn something new — and maybe even find a new passion. At your next family meeting or over dinner one night, ask everyone to chip in ideas for skills they’d like to learn together.
17. Encourage independence
One of the most important jobs a parent has is preparing children for life on their own. With each new year or month, promote a new life skill. Younger children might practice bathing themselves or making their bed. As they get older, they might prepare their own breakfast, do their laundry, or choose their own personal life goals. It teaches hard work and personal responsibility.
18. Explore a minimalist lifestyle
A minimalist lifestyle doesn’t mean getting rid of everything you own. It’s about reducing physical and mental clutter, and that practice can help everyone in your family have a clearer mind.
Think about the life you want for your family and take stock of the items or habits that detract rather than add to that vision. This could mean prioritizing experiences over material goods, implementing organization routines, or donating items you no longer use.
More fun family activity goals
Fun activities don’t just pass the time. They craft memories and create a family legacy. Laughter, shared experiences, and adventures can define your values and bring everyone closer.
Here are some goals for spending time together:
19. Build seasonal family traditions
Each season is an opportunity to build a family tradition, from pumpkin carving contests in the fall to summer trips to the lake. These sorts of traditions give your family something to look for every year.
You can track every experience with a family photo album to reminisce together and add to each year. Use holidays or birthdays as opportunities to form these traditions if you all have busy schedules and need the event to structure the tradition around.
20. A family book club
A family book club is a great way to learn and bond together. It can help younger kids learn to read, older ones explore new genres, and far-away extended family feel more connected.
Pick a genre, an author, or a theme, and then choose a book together. You can meet at home or online if you’re including family members who don’t live close by.
At the end of the month, discuss the stories and share favorite moments. If you aren’t sure where to begin, you can all join an established book club to help choose options and find question prompts. And when it comes time to choose a book, you can include everyone in the process with submissions and voting.
Happy family, happy life
Families come in all shapes, sizes, and definitions, but they all share one thing: connection. Strive for positivity and collective growth with measurable family goals that suit every member. And when you hit bumps in the road, you can rest assured that your family will have the tools and motivation to bounce back on your life plan together.
-1.png)
