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Inside: Discover 25 powerful mom goals that will make you be a better mother and help you build a happier family life.
What I love about the beginning of a new year is the great power it has on so many people: we dare to dream more, we are not afraid to set big goals, and we feel more motivated and energized!
When it comes to big goals for this new year, I noticed that there are two that got mentioned in almost all the conversations I had with other moms.
One of them is losing weight (or just getting in better shape) and the other one is being a better mom. Hearing about that second goal always makes me remember my own struggles and doubts about parenting.
Being a better mom has always been something I aimed for. Especially in the difficult moments when I felt like I’m failing.
And it took me a long time to let go of mom guilt and be more compassionate with myself.
Because the truth is that being better moms is something that we learn and practice every single day. It’s an on-going lesson that we sometimes need to learn the hard way.
All those struggles and challenges that we face as parents are chances for us to get better. To learn from our mistakes. To become more patient, understanding, and supportive. And to be more of the parents we want to be.
It took me some time to understand that those things I felt like I’m “supposed to do” for being a good mom are not necessarily what my kids need or what I’m capable of offering.
Also, what others define as a good mother is not necessarily compatible with my personality and abilities. And this is perfectly okay!
Being a good mom has nothing to do with those “perfect standards” that we are surrounded by. Once I understood this, accepted who I am as a mom (and who I’m not), and let go of the pressure I was putting on me, my life changed.
The most important lesson I’ve learned along the way is that being a good mom is not about fitting into the standard of what others define as a good mom.
It’s about defining what being a good mom means to me. And learning every single day how to make those changes that take me closer to my goal of building a happy family life.
Why setting mom goals can change your life
Being a mom can easily become overwhelming. You face new challenges, you have to manage a busy schedule, and you have a lot going on in your life every single day.
It’s easy to get caught up in the everyday struggles and forget to take a step back and focus on building that happy life you dream of.
The best solution to prevent your life to become more chaotic and overwhelming is to set goals that can help you stay focused on what really matters to you.
As soon as you’ll start to set mom goals and become intentional about working towards your goals, you’ll see that your life will become more meaningful and you’ll feel more accomplished and happy.
How to set mom goals that you can actually put into practice
Many people set big goals at the beginning of the year and forget about them even before February starts.
Last year was the first one when I tried a different approach and it worked amazingly well!
Here is how you can implement this:
✔️ Start by setting your most important intention as a mom for the next year.
You can sum it up in one word (e.g. “calm”, “connection”) or use a phrase to describe it (e.g. “I want to be a more patient mom and stop yelling”, “I want to build a better relationship with my kids”, “I want to make family time a priority”, etc).
✔️ Then write down a list of goals that you would like to accomplish as a mom.
You can use the below list as inspiration. Write all the goals that are important to you and that you feel will have a positive impact on your family.
✔️ After you finished the list, use it to choose 3-4 goals for every quarter of the year.
Make sure that you don’t have 5 big goals in one quarter. I always try to combine big goals with smaller ones that I feel confident that I can accomplish.
✔️ In the end, you’ll have a list of approx. 16 goals divided into 4 quarters. (You can set fewer goals if you like. Do what works best for you!)
✔️ Display that list in your home to help you remain focused on it throughout the year.
At the end of every quarter look back at your goals. Check off the ones that you managed to accomplish and reevaluate the goals for the next quarter.
This method works great because it’s very easy to implement. Having a list of your goals will help you stay focused and will offer you an additional motivation when going through difficult times.
As soon as you’ll start checking off goals from your list you’ll feel even more motivated to keep going. Every single change you’ll make will help you build a happier life for you and your family.
25 powerful mom goals to add to your list
There are many great goals that you can add to your list, but make sure that you don’t make your list too overwhelming. Even small changes can have a big impact on your family!
Mom goals focused on raising happy kids
1. Create a daily habit of spending quality time with your kids, even on the busiest days.
To get started, download this free activity guide and get 7 easy and fun ideas that will help you connect with your kids in just 30 minutes a day.
2. Set a daily or weekly unplug time when you turn off all distractions and just focus on your kids.
3. Help your kids develop a growth mindset. It will have a huge impact on their lives and will help them overcome chellenges easier.
4. Implement family contributions to get your kids involved in household taks in a playful way and help them become more responsible.
5. Start planning monthly (or weekly) dates with your kids.
For more inspiration, check out these 52 awesome date ideas to try with your kids.
6. Declutter all your children’s toys. This will not only make cleaning up easier for you, but it will help you kids become more focused and creative.
(Here is a step-by-step guide on how to declutter toys.)
7. Start a mother and child journal that will bring you closer.
A journal will encourage your kids to open up to you. Also, it’s a wonderful way to capture little happy moments you enjoy together.
You can try this nice mother-son journal or this lovely mother-daughter journal.
8. Implement daily routines for your kids.
Routines are great for kids because they prevent many power struggles and make things easier for you as well.
9. Start a no-yelling challenge.
If you struggle with managing your parenting anger and you want to change this, starting a no-yelling challenge can be life-changing!
Mom goals focused on building a happy family life
10. Implement positive parenting and use gentle solutions for every parenting challenge.
💙 This is a life-changing goal that can make a huge difference in your life! For me, using positive parenting has been the best decision I ever made as a parent. It can make parenting a lot easier and enjoyable for you and it will impact your child’s life in so many ways!
You can find many positive parenting tips online but if you are looking for a step by step approach to help you become a peaceful parent, check out the “Peaceful Parent Happy Kids” online course.
It’s the best course you’ll ever find about peaceful parenting and I’m sure that it will help and inspire you a lot!
11. Make family dinner a daily habit and use that time to connect with your kids.
12. Start planning regular family meetings.
They are great for solving problems as a team, discuss any challenges that the family is facing, get the kids involved in family decisions, and get your family life more organized.
13. Implement weekly family nights to connect and have fun with your kids.
(Here are our favorite family night ideas to inspire you.)
14. Set monthly date nights for you and your spouse.
15. Create a weekly meal plan for your family.
This will save you money and time and it will also help you make better food choices for your kids.
16. Start a reading challenge with your kids.
This will encourage them to read more books and also help you connect and spend quality time together.
You can also start a reading journal together.
17. Practice gratitude as a family.
The easiest way to do this is to create a gratitude jar and invite all the family members to contribute to it.
Another way to practice gratitude is to invite every family member to mention one thing they are grateful for every day at dinner.
18. Create a bucket list of family activities and start implementing it.
Invite the whole family to create a bucket list with easy activity ideas to try together. Display the list in your home and try the activities one by one anytime you want to spend time together as a family.
Mom goals focused on self-care
Self-care is not only a gift we give ourselves. It’s also a very precious gift that we offer to our kids by making sure that we give them the best version of ourselves.
19. Wake up 30 minutes earlier than your kids.
If you have young kids who don’t sleep through the night this might not seem a good idea. But if your kids already outgrew this stage, waking up 30 minutes earlier can change your mood for the whole day.
Having that half an hour of silence to read something, plan your day, or just enjoy your coffee without interruptions can make wonders for your well-being.
20. Set a weekly “mom pause”.
If your spouse or a trusted friend or relative can take care of the kids for a few hours a week, start planning a weekly mom pause.
Make it a habit to spend 2-3 hours alone every week (on the same day and time to make it easier to plan). Use that time to relax and do something that makes you happy.
21. Set a regular “technology-free” time.
Being able to disconnect from all “screens” on a regular basis has a great impact on your mental health.
Create a daily habit to spend some time without access to your phone, tablet, TV, or laptop. It will make you feel better and it will also help you be a calmer mom.
22. Replace chaos with planning.
Taking care of children comes with a little dose of chaos because life with kids is unpredictable. But this doesn’t mean that every day needs to feel chaotic and overwhelming.
23. Do something just for your every week.
It doesn’t have to be something big, but make sure that you do something for you every week. It can be as simple as taking a bubble bath or watching a movie while enjoying a glass of wine and your favorite sweets.
24. Start a daily journal.
You can either start a gratitude journal to help you focus on the positive aspects of every day or you can choose a guided Q&A journal for moms that will become a precious family keepsake.
25. Start an exercise routine.
Going to the gym on a regular basis can be difficult when your kids take up most of your time. But you can use a DVD to exercise at home. Or you can invite the kids to weekly bike rides and exercise while having fun with them.
Exercising will have a great impact both on your physical and mental health and this will also reflect on your ability to be a more patient and playful mom.
I hope that this list will inspire you to set meaningful goals that will help you build a happy life!
photos from depositphotos.com
This is so helpful. Thanks for sharing. My life as a Mom of 3 has been so chaotic but I want to change this and be a better Mum this year and to save my family.