A movie entitled “The Bucket List” popularized the idea of creating a bucket list of things to do before you die. Do you have a bucket list? Reflect upon what’s on it. If it’s like a lot of the lists I’ve seen, it includes individual accomplishments like running a marathon or maybe visiting a beautiful place or landmark. An individual bucket list can be a great motivator. It can influence some decisions and provide certain direction in your life. Have you considered a similar list for your family? What about sitting down tonight for dinner and asking everyone what they would like to pursue or accomplish as a family during your years together? Depending on whether you have children and their ages, you may have to revisit this conversation several times over the years to capture everyone’s input, Maybe your family’s list includes visiting Disney World, hosting an exchange student,…

What’s the strategic plan for your family this year? You do it for your business or organization. You map out the year ahead, month by month, team by team or role by role. You reflect on what the accumulated effort and focus will need to be to achieve some very specific goals. Do you do the same for your family? Your children? Your marriage? Why are we so less strategic with our families compared to our businesses? Try sitting down with your family in the next few days and decide where you want to end up when the coming year is over. Work backwards to figure out what everyone needs to do to achieve individual or family goals. Be strategic, be intentional. Choose your family story. Do not just let the year happen. Plan, pursue and adjust along the way.