How to Set Real #momgoals and Achieve Them!

0

Call me cheesy, but I LOVE the feeling of a fresh start!  A new year.  A chance to have a clean slate.  As moms, we take on everyone else’s agendas, problems, schedules and essentially dreams and goals.  What about YOUR goals?  What about the things YOU are trying to accomplish?  I’m here to tell you – no matter how big or how small – your goals MATTER!  

Take one hour, a few nights this week, to map out your goals and vision for 2021.  Grab a new notebook (TJ Maxx has the best!) and start brainstorming for each of these seven categories.  Use the questions to guide you along the way.  Think about setting goals that you can measure AND that you can control.  For example, you can’t control losing 5 pounds a week, but you CAN control working out three times a week and meal prepping!  

Here’s to achieving REAL #momgoals in 2022 

  1. Health & Exercise – Chances are you want to lose weight, maintain weight, eat cleaner, or become better with meal planning.  So let’s think about what you can control!  You can control how often, where, or the type of workouts you will do.  Can you do home workouts and walk the neighborhood with your kids in the stroller?  Are you motivated by group classes?  Will morning or evening workouts be best for your family dynamic?  You can choose to meal prep, follow a structured program, or order delivery meals (and I’ve tried all 3 myself!).  Do you need a program with accountability?  Will your spouse be on board?  (Ain’t nobody got time for making 3 sets of dinners!)                                         
  2. Business/Career/WorkWhere do you see yourself in your career in 1 year?  5 years?  10 years?  What steps are required to achieve those goals?  Do you need to attend trainings or obtain new certifications?  Are you ready for a career change or shift?  Do you have a hobby you can turn into a side hustle?  If you’re currently a SAHM, are you ready to rejoin the workforce?  Would you be able to work from home?  Don’t stay stagnant – be the girl who decided to – GO FOR IT!  
  3. Personal & Self Care – This is the hardest to schedule, yet it’s the most important category!  Why?  Because you can’t pour from an empty cup!  Everything begins with YOU!  This area is always challenging for me to find time for, and it typically gets put on the back burner.  But whenever I notice that I’m EXTRA irritable with little to no patience, I quickly realize that I haven’t had ‘me’ time in awhile.  What is something you are truly passionate about?  What hobbies can you introduce or re-introduce into your life?  What can you do for YOU to bring happiness, peace, and calmness into 2019?  What helps you feel relaxed, balanced, or centered?  Ideas:  A weekly bubble bath, a quarterly massage, a monthly pedicure, a new yoga class, crafting projects, at home spa treatments and facial masks, seeing a movie, lighting candles and reading a new book, TAKING A NAP!  Pick 2-3 ideas to start off the new year and take care of YOU!                                                               
  4. Money Management & Charity -This is obviously a category for you and your spouse to work on together, but here are some questions to consider:  Is it time to implement a budget so you can have a better handle on your money?  Are you ready to pay off your student loans?  Do you need to contribute more to an emergency fund?  What are your savings priorities for this year?  Retirement?  A family vacation?  College fund for your children?  Which charities will you focus on donating your time and/or money to this year?  
  5. Marriage/Family/Parenting
    1. Marriage:  How often can you schedule time together in the new year? Every other week?  Once a month?  
    2. Family:  How many family fun days can fit around your schedules in one month?  What goals do you have for the kiddos?  More nutritious food choices?  Learning to be more gracious?  Being a kinder friend?  Help with new chores?  Increase fine motor skills?  Learn a new sport?  Start a new hobby?  Last year we set a goal to explore one new place in our county every month!  
    3. Parenting:  My goals in this category usually include some (or all) of the following:  Put my phone down and be more present in the moment, spend at least 20 uninterrupted minutes a day on the floor playing with my kids, set a timer so we aren’t rushed when leaving the house, yell less, take deep breaths, implement daily “quiet time”, less snacking, and more positive reinforcement.
  6. Mind/Spirituality/Emotion – “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”  Yet despite this, we so often ignore this category completely and find ourselves on autopilot going through the motions of parenting and work.  Would you have a calmer start to your day by reading for 20 minutes every morning? Do you want to join a mom group, Bible study group, or read a new book to refocus your mindset (40 Days To a Joy Filled Life, Pivot, Unglued, Breaking Busy)?  Would you consider having one day of the week to completely unplug?
  7. House/Organization/De-Cluttering – “Clutter in your physical surroundings will clutter your mind and your spirit.”  I LOVE LOVE LOVE purging and de-cluttering after the holidays.  You can’t bring old junk into a NEW year!  There’s TONS of ideas on Pinterest, but my go-to de-cluttering method is this:
    1. Pick one week to spend one hour a day in each room of your house.
    2. Have 2 boxes – “Toss” & “Donate”
    3. While in each room, find things that you no longer use or are no longer in the vision you have for your home going forward.
    4. Toss or donate items from #3.
    5. Consolidate and condense what’s remaining in each room.
    6. DONATE IMMEDIATELY.  Don’t let the bags sit in your car for 4 months!

What goals will YOU set for 2022?  

Previous articleEat Local: Ideal Nutrition
Next articleGalentine’s Day Gift Guide
Melissa Emmons
Melissa is a native Florida girl, originally from Boca Raton. She is the proud wife of a firefighter and mother to Jackson (3) and Juliet (1). She admits there are challenges, but enjoys balancing the busy yet exciting life of a firefighter wife, part-time teacher, and full-time mama of two. She loves writing, discount shopping (maxxinista mama!), trying new fitness classes, COFFEE, reality TV, going on adventures with her family, exploring new places in PBC, AND all things beauty (can you ever have enough lipstick?). Melissa is passionate about supporting fellow mamas and showing them how to “map out their month” to make the most of their precious family time, which combines her two favorite things – planners and family! Melissa’s ultimate dream is to be a published author. Keep up with Melissa on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest and read her favorite articles about motherhood, affordable style, party planning, and organizing, plus her latest discount finds!