Let Your Children Learn the Importance Of Achievement

"My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others. That is nice but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success." -Helen Hayes

Are you wondering how to motivate your son who is feeling low as he lost a race? Are you thinking how to console your crying daughter who is upset because she came in second in her class? As a parent, it is important that you teach your children right from the early years the meaning of achievement.

"Build momentum by accumulating small successes." -Unknown

Achievement is about moving toward your goal and fulfilling one target at a time. You would have heard of the popular phrase - "Rome was not built in a day." It holds true for personal accomplishments as well. A mountain is climbed one step at a time, a book is completed one page at a time, and a building is constructed one brick at a time. The focus should be on what you are doing and on giving your best.
"A successful individual typically sets his next goal somewhat but not too much above his last achievement. In this way he steadily raises his level of aspiration." Kurt Lewin

All big accomplishments take time. And you need to teach children to take joy in the little things they achieve. This will help children feel motivated and prevent them from procrastinating. You need to encourage your child and appreciate her whenever hehe makes efforts and is able to do something. It can be as little as tying shoelaces, learning to ride a bicycle, or ride skates.

For instance, if your child is learning to play Casio, don't force him to learn a song fast. Rather appreciate him when he plays one tune right. When you appreciate your children for achieving these small things, they will feel confident and believe that the goal is achievable.

"A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement." -Bo Bennett

You also need to teach children that taking some action towards your goal is much more important than doing nothing at all. Setting a goal is the first step but it should be followed by a step-by-step action plan. For instance, if your son is fond of music, get him a guitar, help him to listen to some great songs and discuss various singers with him. If your daughter loves writing, then first get her some good books which she can read or you can also read with her. Similarly if your child is fond of animals, show her programs on NatGeo, or Animal Planet and encourage her to go through National Geographic magazines.

"All personal achievement starts in the mind of the individual. Your personal achievement starts in your mind. The first step is to know exactly what your problem, goal or desire is." - W. Clement Stone

Having positive thoughts is very important in achieving your dreams. Encourage your child to visualize what he aspires to be. Tell your child that our thoughts are windows to our future. So it is essential to eliminate negative thoughts and think positive. You can recite good positive stories from inspirational books to your child, or show them motivating videos that conveys the life's wisdom and importance of taking one step at a time for achievement and the powerful impact of positive thinking. Besides, watching such wonderful daily inspiration quotes also provide tips on parenting children and strengthens the parent child relationship.

"I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs that had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm and hard work." - Harry S. Truman

Hard work, sincerity and dedication can make turn impossible situations into the most welcome opportunities for learning and growth. Help your children imbibe these values from a tender age to achieve success in their lives.