Can You Still Pursue Personal Goals As A Parent?

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For many parents, raising happy children becomes the primary goal, but that doesn’t mean that you should set aside all your personal goals and stop achieving things for yourself. We all need personal goals to give us a sense of purpose beyond simply being a parent. Aiming for a personal goal could even benefit your kids – if they see you constantly striving to achieve new things, they’ll be spurred on to do the same.


You may have to make some compromises, however many goals are likely to still be achievable whether its travelling the world, developing a skill to a professional level or chasing a dream job. Here are just four ways to balance parenthood and personal goals.


Embrace the internet


The internet has made it possible to do many things more flexibly, allowing you to work around the demands of being a parent. There are many courses that can be studied entirely over the web such as this online criminal justice associates degree. This could allow you to chase your personal goals of getting higher education qualifications, potentially then leading on to a dream career. Many employers are also now taking on virtual employees. This could allow you to take on your dream career without having to spend too much time away from your children.


Pursue goals with your kids

There may be other goals that can be achieved with your kids. Many couples think that becoming parents stops them from being able to travel the world, but there’s nothing stopping you from taking your kids along. It will be a lot more challenging and a little more expensive, but many parents do it. Similarly, you may be able to take up a new sport or a new instrument with your child – you could be helping to develop your child whilst helping to develop yourself.


Get advice other parents


It could be worth talking to other parents who have juggled the two successfully in order to gain advice. You’ll find online support groups for parents studying with children or parents starting their own businesses. There are also many blogs written by families that have travelled the world, offering success tips and tricks to make it easier. Such advice could is anything inspire you to pursue your goals by showing that it is possible.


Use routine and structure


Unfortunately, being a parent means that you can’t just pick up your personal interests as you please – you have to work them around your children. For some personal goals such as studying a degree or starting a business, you may need to dedicate set times each week to these personal goals – this may involve having to get someone else to babysit the kids. When it comes to a goal such as travelling the world, you similarly may not be able to do things as spontaneously, which could mean having to plan every small detail ahead. This structure will keep you motivated and also ensure that you dedicate enough time to your children.

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