5 Ways to Motivate Your Kids to Succeed
Motivation is our internal drive to want to change or be better at something. When we feel motivated, we are energized to make things happen. There are two main types of motivation:
Intrinsic motivation involves doing something because it rewards you personally.
Extrinsic motivation involves doing something because you want to earn a reward.
When we are intrinsically motivated, the quality of effort and therefore change will be more significant. So, how do we tap into our kids’ internal drive to help encourage them to make areas of their life better?
Take interest in what your kids are doing and encourage them. Ask your child about his/her interests. Listen to them when they are wanting to discuss an interest even when it’s something you are not very interested in yourself. This will further cement in your child’s brain that you care about them and they are free to tell you about the interests in their life.
Encourage them by letting them know that you believe in them. Tell them when they are doing great or have reached a new step or level. When your children know that you believe in them, they will feel more confident and secure in themselves and in their abilities.
Help your kids set goals and make a plan. Help your child set SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound. Following this goal-setting approach will help your child write a goal with a plan that they feel motivated to accomplish. The benefits of goal setting include an increased awareness of strengths and weaknesses, building responsibility and direction, improving self-image, and giving kids a chance to take a lead role in their life and future. Read more about the steps to effective goal setting with your kids in Kids Goal Setting Activities. In addition, you will find many goal examples to help guide you and your child at writing effective goals.
Celebrate accomplishments. As your kids make progress, take time along the way to celebrate these gains. While it is important to keep our sights set on the end goal, the destination is just as important in the learning process. Celebrate successes and discuss the changes you are seeing along the way. Your kids will keep the momentum in their motivation when they know you see all they are doing.
Help problem-solve. We know from our own lives that progress does not happen overnight and we don’t wake up everyday feeling motivated. In fact, sometimes we take a step backward before moving forward again. Discuss this with your child. I often remind myself that anything worth achieving is not easy. It takes hard work to accomplish a goal and to keep motivated and moving forward. If your child needs to change course or adjust their plan, help them problem-solve a way to keep improving.
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."-Colin Powell
Keep positive and keep your cool. It is hard as a parent to remember that we are here to guide our kids to live their best lives and not to control their lives. We ultimately want them to thrive in this world without us constantly by their side. This means they will mess up, there will be setbacks, and they will make mistakes. This is where a lot of the learning happens. When your child is having a rough time with an area of their life, continue to be positive and calm. Model how to work through conflict and grow.
With your help, your kids will discover the potential they have when they find the internal motivation it takes to accomplish things that bring them success.
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving"-Albert Einstein