Are We There Yet?

     I love to drive. I love to just get out in the car are drive around.  There is just something about the open road and having the freedom to really choose where you want to go.  One of the highlights of my week is going for a Sunday drive.  It usually happens just after lunch where I will ask the kids “Do you want to go for a ride?”

     I almost always get two different responses from my children.  My son will first ask, “Are we going to Grandma and Grandpa’s?”  Depending on the answer to that question will determine if he is down for a ride.  If we are going to end up at Grandma’s somehow, then he is in for sure.  If not it is going to take some good convincing to get him to go.  I get to work on my salesman approach on those Sundays.  Anyone can sell ice to an Eskimo, but can you sell a boring car ride to a 6-year-old?

     At the first of the trip, with our then 2 year and 5-year-old, we explained where we were going and about how long it was going to take.  Really all they understood is that we were going to the happiest place on earth and if they could wait in the car long enough, Mickey Mouse was going to be waiting for them at the end of the road.  On the way down we filled the car full of games and things to do on the long road trip. The funny part was the two people that had the hardest time were the two people in the front seat, my wife and I.

     There was no problem for the two little ones in the back.  They knew where they were going and what was waiting at the end, so they were ready for the journey.  The goal of Mickey by far outweighed any negative part of the trip from their point of view.

     The journey is so much easier to handle when there is a destination worth the trip.  Great organizations know what they are and where they are going.  The journey is important, there is no doubt, but we need to be pointed and going in the right direction to get to our destination.

     Our family organizations need the same thing.  We need to know where we are going.  With our destination in mind, we can make sure we are pointed in the right direction.  So many times with our families we ask ourselves the question, “Are we there yet?”  only to realize we have never really defined where “there” is.  This is the purpose of your family mission or purpose statement.  It lets you clearly define where you are trying to go.  This lets every person in the family understand why we do what we do.

     When we define where we are going it helps us give purpose to our family.  We can now explain to our family members why we do specific things.  Why your family may do something different from the family down the street.  You can circle back to your purpose statement and explain why a curfew helps your family get close to their destination.

     Refer back to this mission often.  This is something that great organizations over communicate.  Whenever there is a teachable moment that you can show why the mission is important, take advantage of that time.  Show others it is important to you and it will be important to your family.

     The purpose statement is a great place to start in starting to get your family organized with a purpose.  This is so important that we have made tools to help.  As part of our one-page plan, you can get your own destination for your family.  Simply subscribe to our newsletter where you will get updates on new posts and information from FamilyLead.  Take the first step on your journey and be ready to answer everyone’s favorite car ride question “Are we there yet?”