Teaching children how to succeed. (1) There is no 'one way' to success - only the one that suits you and your child. (2) Each child is an individual and they are perfect enough. (3) We decide our own limits and do not let others set them for us.
It is beneficial that children have positive friends who support their dreams and ambitions.
Goal setting: Decide on a goal (can be big or small). Break it down into long term and short term. Make goals precise and specific enough to be able to visualise it. Look at possible obstacles and how to overcome them. Prioritize action on goals and obstacles - which needs to be tackled first?
Use visualization - seeing is believing for the human brain. For the goal (e.g. becoming a chef) imagine wearing chef's clothes, being in the kitchen, the food and smells and sounds, and how proud you feel inside; this helps the brain work in a positive way.
Use what works best for you in the way you learn. If a difficulty occurs, find out exactly what the problem is and work from there. If there is an obstacle, see if there are short term goals that will help you get over them.
Let child set and how to reward/celebrate when they achieve them. Along the way new opportunities may arise - which change the route to the final goal. There will always be ups and downs, and physical exercise is a great way to sharpen a child's sense of self-belief; a family walk which involves reaching to top of a small hill will give a feeling of achievement.
Main source: Make Your Child Brilliant by Bernadette Tynon. Quadrille, 2008 (ISBN 978-184400-579-6)
