There is no better image of family identity than the family crest, which appears in the FamilyWorks logo. In history, crests were used to identify families—on them were pictured things that were important to that particular family, and they were emblazoned onto clothing, buildings, and artwork. In our logo’s crest, we have identified four different values that we as a company believe are particularly important to us, values that help us to help your family.

Great leaders, great organizations, and great individuals understand their “why,” or their purpose. Families, too, are a special type of organization that needs a shared sense of purpose—a “why.” They need to understand and buy into who the family is, so they can work together as a team to accomplish their goals and realize their dreams. They need a vision, something to motivate them and to work toward.

For individuals, setting goals is linked to higher motivation, self-esteem, self-confidence, and autonomy. Goal-setting is also associated with higher achievement. These benefits of goal-setting can also apply to families, with the added benefit of increasing connection and a sense of community and belonging with the people you love the most.

The back-to-schools sales are here! Time to stock up on notebooks, pencils, and binders. Time to start figuring out new schedules, pick-ups, and after-school activities. Summer is over, the general messaging seems to go, as soon as August hits.

But before you dash to your local office store to get all the kids’ school supplies, slow down! Most American families have a couple weeks of summer left before school starts. You still have time to make memories, prepare for the upcoming year in an intentional, mindful way, and reflect on all you did together this summer.

Your young kids may be off-the-wall crazy, or your teens may roll their eyes. But if you consistently emphasize the importance of the family meeting, show mutual respect and affection, and keep it fun, your family will eventually come around. And just like The Berenstain Bears, you can use family meetings to plan, problem-solve, and reinforce your family’s top values on a consistent basis.

It may surprise you, but Nordstrom offers some worthwhile lessons for families. The retailer is unique for its unswerving focus on the customer, and it works hard to promote values that enable the company to provide industry-leading customer service. Families can learn from this. One of the first steps for families in their quest for purpose and identity is to identify the values they hold to be most important. Values are crucial; they set the parameters for how a family behaves on its journey to fulfilling its purpose.

Kobe’s life tells us a lot about “vision”—the ultimate dream, your family’s biggest goal, where you want you and your family to go. The vision is the thing that keeps you motivated and on-task. It is an example of what author Sean Covey in The Four Disciplines of Execution calls a “WIG,” or “Wildly Important Goal.” Covey writes that in the business world, “only 15 percent of employees actually know their organization’s most important goals—either there are no goals or they have too many goals.” Intelligent, ambitious people want to do more, not less, says Covey. But to achieve true greatness, it is crucial to narrow your focus to one wildly important goal—and that goal then becomes the prism through which you view your other day-to-day goals or activities. 

We are wired to need each other to fulfill our greater purpose, and we find that belonging and purpose first in the family. From earliest childhood, human beings experiment with belonging in the family unit.

Discover your unique family purpose, simplify decision-making, collaborate with a community of like-minded families, and integrate related apps and resources. Create a roadmap of where your family wants to go, and the specific steps you will need to take to get there.