How to Create a Simple Family Challenge

Working in the corporate world (hospitals and outpatient clinics), we would have different themes to focus on from month to month. Instead of a simple quarterly team building activity, we would dedicate an entire month to a certain topic related to our workplace culture that we wanted to focus on. For example, we had a “Yes and…” month where everyone was challenged to use the phrase “Yes and…” instead of “but” or “no” when debating and sharing ideas. It was so incredibly effective in fostering a continuous growth mindset and a simple way to create traditions, too! Rallying around these monthly themes strengthened our workplace culture, formed better workplace habits and simply added a bit of fun to our office environment. (Everyone needs more fun, right?!)

Our families are teams, too! Actually, the most important team we will ever be part of. So, why not create monthly themes and challenges in our own homes with our favorite teammates?

One of the things that helps our family in the month of May is to have our own little “Finish Strong Family Challenge”.  Kids are finishing up school, we are gearing up for summer schedules, and the calendar is full. So we keep it simple, but focused. We simply write the words “Finish Strong” on sticky notes and brightly colored papers and post them around the house. WHY? It helps keep this theme front and center in our minds and gives us hope that summer is coming and change is on the horizon. And the words matter! We don’t want to limp across the finish line and feel beat up—we want to “Finish Strong”, break the tape and enjoy the refreshing reprieve of summer.

If you’ve never tried rallying your family together around a common theme for a month, I encourage you to try it for the rest of this month. Whether you’re gathered around the table sharing a meal together or driving in the car somewhere, tap into your family's competitive spirit and challenge everyone to a  Finish Strong Family Challenge!

Pro Tips for the Challenge:

• COUNT it DOWN on the calendar!  Mark off the days leading up to the last day of school or end of month-whatever marks the finish line for your family! Everyone likes a visual showing the finish line in sight!
  
  
• Announce a REWARD at the beginning!  Dinner out, day at the arcade, trip to the zoo… make a celebratory family event once you’ve finished your challenge!
  
  
• Make it MEASURABLE!  Help each person pick 1 small goal to work on daily, like the “Yes, and..." challenge. (Maybe it’s getting out the door on time every morning, finishing all school work before screen time, going to bed on time, laying out clothes the night before, or simply not complaining).
  
  
• WRITE IT down!  Help each person write their daily goal on a piece of paper and post it where they can see it. This is a vital step in the challenge—focused attention on the goal!
  
  
• Pure POSITIVITY!  Compliments only. No pointing out “failures” or calling out “the slacker”! As parents, all you have to do is throw out a compliment when someone has made progress toward their goal! EASY!

Teamwork makes the dream work, right?!  Let’s take a page out of the corporate world and unite our families in a positive, growth mindset where everyone feels like they belong! 

We all want the same thing for our kids' future. We want to be able to set them off  into the world, knowing they are respectful, responsible, loving, caring, hard-working, faith-filled human beings that are going to truly thrive. We want them to FINISH STRONG!

A simple family challenge is a great place to start building their character, one theme, one month at a time. You in? Share with us in our private FB group, The Thrive Community, and tell us how it’s going at your house!

Not on social media? Shoot us an email at hello@familiesofcharacter.com and let us know what your family is up to!

Ready to dial it up a notch with a bi-monthly subscription kit that has every theme all mapped out for you, with extra “top of mind” activities for each member of your family? Opt into our Adventure Into Character Kits and keep that momentum going, every month. You’ll notice the camaraderie of your team sky rocket in no time!