How We Used the Wheel of Fortune To Help Our Young Child Author Set His Goals For 2024

Hey there, Skinner’s World friends! After talking about setting goals with our fun acronym in our post about Michael's goals for 2024, we wanted to share a personal story about the tool we used. Adults talk alot about SMART goals and that is still important even with children; but we needed a way that would make it a fun process, relatable and easy for Michael to do (even on his own). Afterall, this was for his development. Out of the different activities available, we decided on one with a visual component, included some art and was relatively simple to execute.

In this post, Michael and myself (his mom👩🏻‍👦🏻) talk about what we did, with a step by step guide, share some of Michael's own goals and how we plan on using it in the future. Before we share that tool and another awesome resource with you, let's talk about dreaming big, but staying real.

Michael's First Attempt -  Words by Michael

One of my big dreams for 2024 is to create more books. At first, I thought, 'I'll write 20 or 50 new books!' But then, my mom sat down with me and we talked about realistic goals. She explained that it's awesome to dream big, but our goals also need to be doable. So, after a little thinking, I decided on a goal that feels just right (for now 😉). And guess what helped me figure this out? Our very own 'Wheel of Fortune'!

The Wheel of Fortune Activity We Used 

Inspired by Big Life Journal's creative approach to goal setting and self-discovery, we decided to create our version of a goal-setting wheel. We personally use this Big Life Journal, which I got for Michael when he was just turning 7 as I wanted to introduce him to the concept of journaling and encouraging his writing and self-awareness. The journal was perfect as it includes prompts, images and many activities for a young child.  As an owner of the journal, we received a list of goal setting activities and decided on the Wheel of Fortune.

It's a simple, engaging, and visually appealing way for kids (and adults, yes I did mine as well!) to set and track their goals.

Here's how you can make your own Wheel of Fortune:

1. Materials Needed: Grab some cardboard, card paper or even regular paper, markers, a paper fastener, and decorations like stickers or glitter.
2. Build the Wheel: Cut out a large circle and divide it into sections for different goals; or simply draw a circle and divide it into section...like a pizza. Work with your child to decide on the sections that matter to them. For example, Sports, School, Family, Fun and Adventure. You could also be specific with this heading, so instead of sports, you could already write Running, Swimming, Soccer for example. Either way it should be areas in their life that they want to try or do better at, like Gaming for example.
1. Use this chance to also stretch your child but not too much. There may be something you would like your child to try for the first time, and maybe it is new to them. Suggest a "TRY SOMETHING NEW" section, and brainstorm with them about new things, including the one you may already want them to consider. This way you still support your child in creating goals that are theirs, while still encouraging their growth.                                      (Don't overthink this, it does not have to be perfect.)             
3. Personalize The Goals: Now write a unique goal in each section - be it reading 2 new books, reading a chapter book by myself, learning a new skill in my favourite game, or helping around the house. Start with one and allow them to write it in a way that they understand. For example, under the school section, they may write "Get better at Math". One of Michael's goals is writing new books. 
4. Breakdown The Goals Into Smaller, Actionable Challenges: After they have written their main goal. Talk. Talk to them and help them understand why their big goal should be broken down into smaller parts. 
1. For example, one question I asked Michael was "How will you know when you are better at swimming?" From there we were able to break down his goal for swimming into smaller 'Challenges' that he can work on. These included increasing the amount of time he holds his breath under water, not holding his nose while swimming and others.
2. These also help the child now know the things they need to do to reach they goal. Keeping with Michael's example of swimming, he now knows that he needs to practice holding his breathe more if he wants to reach his goal.
5. Plan to Celebrate: There is a reason why big companies now have departments and resources that focus on Recognition and Reward. It is important for motivation, to pay attention to what we do well and our accomplishments. This is no different and even more important for children, who are just learning the idea of self-leadership and self-motivation. Come up with your plan for monitoring how your child is doing and how you will celebrate the successes. 
1. As Michael loves gaming, we used the concept of "Bosses" to create levels for success. When he achieves the different challenges identified in the last stage, we will celebrate with a fun activity. These are the mini bosses, like they have in his Mario Brothers games.
2. His big goal is the Mega Boss. When he achieves his goals, we celebrate in a much bigger way. We will match the reward and recognition with the accomplishment.
6. Decorate: Get creative! Decorate each section, or the whole page - however you feel.  (Some of Michael's goals have been blocked off to respect his privacy)
7. Make It Visible and Top of Mind: Place the Wheel in a location that your child will see everyday. Ensuring that they see it constantly, will help remind them of what they set out to accomplish, without you having to nag.
1. You can consider having this done on hard paper, copied and printed, or maybe in a frame. We opted for the last option, as it was easy, but effective.

(Michael's Wheel of Fortune on his dresser)

Why Realistic Goals Matter Setting goals that we can actually achieve is important, especially for kids who are in the process of understanding our big world. It helps them stay excited and not get discouraged. It also helps them develop understanding of making reasonable choices, becoming aware of resources and the benefits of starting small when we have a big dream. During Michael's first attempt he started out with 20 or 50, after the exercise, he understood what would be required and that 2 books was just as much an accomplishment for him now.

At first I said I wanted to write more books, but my mom spoke to me about doing less, as it wasn't realistic (she said realisitic means something that I can manage and can be done). She asked how I would feel if I did not do the 20. I would feel bad. But with two books, it will still be hard work, but I think we can do it. - Michael

More Ideas from Big Life Journal If you're looking for different ways to help your kids set goals, Big Life Journal is full of awesome ideas. They've got activities, journal prompts, and so much more that can make goal setting a blast for kids of all ages. Check them out at Big Life Journal for more fun and creative ideas to tackle goal setting for kids and other activities.

Wrapping Up

Setting goals is an adventure, and for young children the goal should be to teach them how to do it, not being perfect. Atleast, that's my goal. Yes, we should allow them to dream big, but also making sure those dreams are broken down into goals that can be reached step by step. And the best part? We can have a lot of fun along the way, spinning our Wheels of Fortune and seeing where they take us.

Have you tried setting goals with your child? How do you make sure they're just right for them? Share your thoughts in the comments – we'd ove to hear from you!

Until next time, keep dreaming, keep doing, and keep having fun!