Frequently Asked Questions for Parents
How can Running Start™ help my children achieve what they want in life? How can it teach them to think for themselves about their future lives?
Running Start™ will guide them through:
- Creating a personal life success plan
- Defining a vision of a successful, satisfying life
- Exploring educational, career and life interests
- Developing goals related to their vision
- Setting priorities
- Understanding the progress they have already made
- Discovering bottlenecks to future progress
- Committing to concrete steps to achieve their vision.
What can we expect?
- Running Start™ provides a bird's-eye view of your children's current ideas about what they want in life and how to achieve them. These ideas will most likely change over time, sometimes very quickly. Running Start™ also provides a way to plan and manage these changes.
- Running Start™ takes 3-6 hours to complete, done thoroughly. Encourage your child to take breaks between steps. This allows for reflection and thoughtfulness, without becoming burdensome.
- Running Start™ encourages growth. Typically, students become more focused, motivated and independent. Many become more willing to ask for adult support; others become more self-sufficient.
- Running Start™ enables parents to help their children identify and achieve their goals. You'll find materials for doing this in the Running Start™ script and Life Success Coaching Manual.
Why should I invest in Running Start™ for my child? Can I get help?
Creating a personal life success plan will enormously help towards accomplishment of purpose, success and happiness. Materially, statistics show that education from graduating from college increases average earnings by more than 80%.
Encourage your school, college or state department of education to provide Running Start™. Contact your state's finance authority or other agency that handles college scholarships. Look into government or non-profit agencies that might be encouraged to provide Running Start™.
How can we help our children after they complete Running Start™
1. Ask questions and offer guidance, rather than giving directions. For example:
"Has your thinking changed since you finished Running Start™?"
"How do you feel about these changes?"
"Do you want to include these changes in your personal life success plan?"
2. Learn about your children's interests, from their points of view:
"What about your goals really excites you?"
"Do you think you would enjoy doing this through the years?"
"Are there other careers that might give you the same kind of satisfaction?"
3. Offer direct help:
"How can I help you make progress?"
"Who else do you know who might be helpful?"
“Is there anyone else I can help you ask?”
4. Talk about resources:
"Do you know anyone who could teach you about that?"
"Can you find information about that on the Internet?"
“What qualifications could help you achieve your goals?”
5. Comment on changes:
"You seem more excited about school."
“You seem motivated.”
“You have a real sense of direction.”
“You have put together a well thought out plan!”