#020 Why Am I Learning This? Helping Kids Connect School to Their Personal Goals

As another school year begins, many parents will hear their child ask the classic question:

“Why do I need to learn this?”

And it’s a valid question.

When kids don’t understand the why behind their schoolwork, it’s easy for them to disengage. They start to see school as a chore instead of a tool. But there’s a powerful shift that happens when we help them connect what they’re learning in school to what they want in life.

That’s what goal-minded education is all about—connecting purpose to learning.

Why Aligning Personal Goals with Education Matters

Purpose Over Pressure

School shouldn’t be about memorizing facts just to pass a test.

When your child understands how learning supports their goals, education becomes empowering—not stressful.

When they see that math helps with their dream of starting a business, or that writing helps them express their creativity, school becomes for them—not to them.

Personal Relevance

Every child is different. One might be passionate about coding, another about baking, or designing their own comic books.

By helping your child explore what excites them, school becomes a place to gather tools for that interest—not a list of unrelated assignments.

Self-Responsibility Through Vision

When children are guided to set goals—even simple ones—they begin to take ownership of their growth.

It’s no longer about meeting someone else’s standards; it’s about becoming the person they want to be.

And when kids start to see school this way, something incredible happens:

They show up differently. They become more curious, more driven, and more resilient.

How to Make Education More Purposeful at Home

You don’t need to overhaul your child’s curriculum to help them find purpose. You just need to connect the dots between what they’re learning and what matters to them.

Here are a few ideas to get started:

1. Ask About Their Interests

What do they love to do? What are they curious about? What do they want to be better at?

2. Link Subjects to Their Goals

If your child loves sports, show them how math relates to tracking stats.
If they love animals, reading can help them explore how to care for wildlife.

3. Set Personal Milestones

Let them create a goal for the semester—write a book, build a robot, bake five new recipes. School then becomes the toolkit, not the obstacle.

4. Talk About the Bigger Picture

Remind them:

“You’re not learning this just to get a grade. You’re learning this to grow.”

That single shift in perspective makes a huge difference.

A Mindset Shift for Parents, Too

As parents, we can sometimes get caught up in grades, deadlines, and report cards.

But what if we focused more on who our child is becoming—and how school fits into that?

When we prioritize purpose over performance, we empower our kids to find their own motivation—and build lifelong confidence in the process.

Want a clear strategy for helping your kids connect education to purpose?

👉 Download the free ebook: How to Create Family

Inside, you’ll learn the foundational strategy I use to help families clarify their goals, values, and vision—so school becomes a tool for growth, not a battleground.