Above and beyond

5 of 10 in the series ‘Children Home Rules - They’re Not Just for Kids’

Here at W. Kim Tae Kwon Do, we have a set of rules that we give every child that joins our program.  This list is called Children Home Rules.  Basically, it’s a set of rules that aren’t any different from the rules that parents already have at home.  They aren’t new, but they serve as a handy tool for reinforcement.

Children Home Rule #5 - 

Children must help with household chores

Responsibility is a big word.  We want it but we don’t necessarily always want to put the time in to get it.  When we were kids, our parents progressively gave us chores and jobs around the house.  They were daily, weekly, or even monthly.

I’m sure many of us grumbled many times at the responsibilities that were assigned to us but our parents only wanted us to become successful adults.

There are few different types of people who come to mind when it comes to doing tasks.  Some are lazy and figure someone else will take care of it for them (the worst kind).  Some get the job done but just up to the point that is necessary for completion (adequate).  And then there are some that go above and beyond the task or tasks assigned (best). 

Those in that last category are ideal, of course.  They are the ones who ask if there is anything else they can do to help or make things better.  They are the ones who tend to be more successful in what they do.  People look at them in a positive light.  Many times, they’re wishing they could be more like that person who goes above and beyond.

But how can we get to that point (best) if we aren’t kids any more?

I believe that if we can identify 1) What our goals are and 2) What we realistically need to do to achieve them, then we can get a better handle on becoming more successful in taking on our responsibilities. A lot of the time if it’s something we are interested in or something we really want, it’s easier to engage in and work hard towards a favorable result.  All the responsibilities are taken more seriously, even if they are mundane, and get finished at a higher rate of effectiveness.  Because of this, when we put the same effort into something else, even if it isn’t related to one of our current goals, we see a greater result when finished.

There is a certain pride that comes with a job well done.  It’s okay to be proud of what you are responsible for because you know the hard work that went into it and the results that happen because of it.

In some ways it feels like I should be waiting to write this for a New Year’s resolution, but one of the biggest ruts is that we wait for the perfect time to roll around instead of deciding to act now.

So, hopefully this can help renew some interest in getting your responsibilities done better than before.  If nothing else we can use our example to help guide our kids to be the ones who step up and go above and beyond in their own responsibilities.