Throughout the high school journey, you and your student may encounter several million-dollar questions. What are your plans for after graduation? What wakes you up in the morning or keeps you up at night? What drains your energy or sparks excitement? What’s your purpose? Some of these questions are easier to answer than others, so let’s chat about purpose!

One way to look at purpose is a steadfast commitment to achieving a meaningful goal that also impacts the world beyond you or your student. Choosing a central focus for your daily tasks and everyday actions can help keep you motivated through the mundane as you work toward your individual or shared goals.

If you’re still not convinced, check out this short list of benefits for developing goals and determining a purpose for you and your student:

• Students who set purposeful goals for themselves are often higher academic achievers because they can see how their everyday actions can impact their futures more clearly. Later in life, these intentional individuals exhibit greater career satisfaction and leadership in the workplace, even achieving higher incomes.
• People with a defined purpose regularly report feeling happier and physically healthier in addition to greater resilience, satisfaction and self-esteem throughout life. As a result, these goal-getters tend to live longer and find more enjoyment in overcoming challenges.
• Finding purpose is not a one-size-fits-all process. Take advantage of this time and partner with your student. If you set goals together, you can support each other as you work toward your definition(s) of success. Nothing is better than more time together!

Here’s a short, helpful list of suggestions for how to pinpoint your and your student’s purpose:

• Apply classroom lessons to real-world situations. “Learning by doing” is a tried-and-true method that helps translate concepts and transform them into action items. As you and your student understand new concepts, develop new talents or learn new abilities, share how you incorporate new ideas, techniques or skills into your everyday life. Don’t forget to note what inspires or discourages your student so you can learn and grow together.
• Ask the tough questions to help your student understand the “why” and develop a deeper understanding of themselves. Set aside time for self-reflection on weekly activities or events. Facilitate conversations that help reinforce personal values or encourage students to present friendly feedback to their peers. Record these discussions for future reference as you determine what’s most important to you. Each question will lead yours and your student’s steps in the right direction.
• Life is full of ups, downs and unknowns. That’s why it’s important to prepare for the life events you can predict and plan for whenever possible. Get everything you need for graduation as the countdown to Commencement Day begins. Shop grad packages today to secure Senior swag and graduation essentials specially selected by your school.