Reach for the Moon

One of the things I love about kids is that they’re not afraid to reach for the moon. Their imagination is still active and hasn’t yet been tainted by the limitations that the world places on them. I have a saying in my seminars: I believe that reality beats us to the point where our imagination is limited more and more the older we get.

Using Imagination with Setting Goals
When it comes to setting goals and dreaming about the “what ifs” I reckon us adults are useless! We seem to have accepted a glass ceiling that limits our thinking. By that I mean that there is a self imposed limit that we put in place, and we set our goals below this limit because that is what we think is possible. How much are we squashing our potential by doing this? And who says we can’t achieve more? Aren’t there people out there that are? If so, why not us?

What if we could?
I love talking to my kids about what they can achieve. When my daughter Grace was a little two year old I used to get down to her level, look into her deep blue eyes, and say “Gracie, imagine if you could�.” Her big blue eyes would light up like dinner plates as she saw in her mind’s eye what she was imagining. To her at that age there were no limits. She hadn’t experienced the knock backs of life. In short, she hadn’t been beaten up by reality. I’m sure she would have tried to fly off the roof top if I’d suggested it was possible.

If you are a person that has little people that love you and look up to you then please take this to heart. Maybe you’re a Mum or Dad, a Grandparent, an Aunty, Uncle, Cousin, Brother, Sister, or friend. If you have a little person watching you with their expansive imagination then why not take up the challenge to help them to use it?

Challenge Childrens’ Imaginations with Moonjars
The Moonjars we now have are an exciting and practical way for you to do this. You can help the little people in your life with support and encouragement to set some goals and then help develop a practical way for them to get there. Is the Moonjar absolutely necessary? No, a friend of mine commented that he had used the principle of the Moonjar for years using small plastic bags. But the Moonjar makes it more fun and more structured.

The fantastic advantage in using this theory when teaching kids about financial goals is the power of using coins. Kids are tactile, visual learners. Remember what kindy was like and how much they learnt? By using coins to teach them about money you can show them that money is a limited resource and that their decisions and choices will have a direct impact on the outcomes they can achieve. But obviously you won’t say it like that!!!

You’ll show them by choosing to spend $5.00 on a small toy and $10.00 on a movie they will not have money left over for buying Daddy a present. And vice versa, while spending $30.00 on Daddy’s present will make him feel loved, they have no money left over and it will cost Mummy the $15.00 difference! (All the Dad’s don’t mind, do we?)

Money is about making wise choices.
What I also love about the Moonjar is that the concept encourages kids to think about Sharing and Saving as a priority for their pocket money. I think that growing our kids to be generous and good savers is something we should all be challenged to achieve.

To find out more about Moonjars and to read some fantastic tips about Kids and Money have a look at our Moonjars Corner.

Whatever your situation I challenge you to think about your own personal thoughts around your goals and how they relate to any glass ceiling you may have put in place. After all, the best way to teach kids is to demonstrate the behaviour yourself.

Have fun.

Phil Strong
CEO Wisemoney