Day 22: Family Planning: Dispensational, yearly, quarterly and monthly objectives

As noted yesterday, family planning includes vision and targets. These perspectives of family planning are essential for fostering harmony, stability and growth. Consistent and periodic family meetings provide a viable opportunity for goal-setting discussions, addressing challenges and making collaborative decisions. Proverbs 15:22 says, “ Without counsel, plans fail, but with many advisers, they succeed.” Through family meetings, we can ensure that our family planning is collectively established.

Importance of Family Planning?

Family planning is essential for several reasons:

● Provides Direction: It helps set clear goals for the family, giving each member a sense of purpose and direction.

● Improves Communication: Regular discussions foster open and honest communication, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

● Prepares for the Future: Planning allows families to anticipate and prepare for future challenges and opportunities.

● Fosters Oneness: Planning collaboratively enhances a sense of unity and togetherness between the couple. 

How to Conduct Family Planning

Family planning can be effectively carried out through structured family meetings.

Set a Regular Schedule: Choose a consistent time for meetings. e.g, the first Saturday of every month might be your family meeting day.

Create an Agenda: Outline the topics to be discussed, ensuring that each member has a chance to contribute.

Encourage Participation: Make sure everyone feels heard and valued during the discussions.

Set Clear Goals: Define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.

Document Decisions: Keep records of the decisions made and the responsibilities assigned.

Follow-up: Review progress in subsequent meetings to stay on course.

Focus Areas for Planning

There are key areas that families should focus on when planning:

● Finances: Budgeting, saving, and investing to ensure financial stability.

● Education: Setting academic goals and plans for both children and adults.

● Health: Scheduling regular health check-ups and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

● Spiritual Growth: Planning activities that enhance the family’s spiritual life, such as Bible study and prayer.

● Leisure: Ensuring time for recreation and bonding activities, planning vacations, etc 

Frequency of Family Planning Meetings

To ensure effective family planning, it is beneficial to organise meetings and set objectives at different intervals:

● Dispensational Objectives are long-term objectives that may span some years or decades. It involves creating family values, academic pursuits, career plans, financial and ministry plans, long-term family projects, childbearing years, etc.

● Yearly Objectives include annual goals such as financial budgets, vacation plans, and major projects.

● Quarterly Objectives are regular check-ins to monitor progress on yearly goals, adjust plans as necessary, and set short-term objectives.

● Monthly planning involves detailed planning meetings to handle day-to-day activities, immediate concerns, and monthly budgets. 

In conclusion, family planning through regular family meetings is invaluable for building a strong, cohesive, resilient family. Families can navigate challenges and seize opportunities effectively by setting clear goals, fostering open communication, and working together. As Psalm 127:1 reminds us, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.” Let us ensure that our planning is guided by faith and wisdom, leading to a thriving family life.

Mrs Oluwatofunmi Ganiyu

The phased objectives highlighted above are all critical and require different plans. Money, opportunities, resources, time and the gift of people are not fixed assets; hence, couples must dynamically align to where they are in their family lives. Notably, family planning in this way entails anticipating what lies ahead and putting measures in place to ensure that family needs and objectives are met. Tuition and rent (for those in Nigeria) are yearly plans. Monthly direct debits recur quickly, more frequently and quickly than a woman’s menstrual cycle. Dispensational objectives overarch all other phases.

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