Did you know that less than 25% of people stay committed to their goals after just 30 days? And only 8% actually accomplish them. Sound too familiar? Here’s realistic goal setting for busy moms that will bring results.
The problem with most goal setting is that it’s not based in reality. That reality has to take into consideration things like:
- season of life (toddlers or teenagers or both?)
- health
- personality
- time of the year
- plus more!
Many of us have a to-do list that’s a mile long, especially if we’re moms, spouses, volunteers, teachers, chauffeurs, business owners, and homeschooling moms!
But how many of us also get to the end of the day or the week and collapse into bed thinking about how busy we were, while not quite sure what goals we were working towards?
Do you have some big goals, big dreams, and big plans? Then let’s stop dreaming and start reaching them!
If you’re tired of having a big to-do list without seeing progress toward your big goals, then let’s dive into a solution.
Consider the natural energy of multiple new years
We all can relate to the natural energy that comes each January – let’s face it, that’s exactly why we all start diets in January, begin exercising, or declutter the house! We are motivated to jump in and improve our lives in some way.
But we also can fall off the bandwagon pretty quickly.
But if you learn to harness the natural energy at other “new season” points in the year, then you’ll be able to keep that momentum going longer than just one month.
What does this look like?
Well, consider the natural excitement and energy to work toward your goals at the start of the school year, which is normally about September in the U.S.
Even if you don’t have kids in school, the whole world, including the stores, gets into this momentum. New notebooks, new planners, new pens, new goals. See if you can harness this energy to set new goals and work toward completion.
Or, what about the natural energy that comes when the school year winds down, the weather gets more favorable (especially in the frigid north), and the kids change from a school year routine to a summer routine? There’s a good reason we love to fling our windows open and do a deep clean of the house every spring.
Make your goals align with that seasonal energy, and you’ll find them more easily attainable.
Learn how to set SMART goals
One other roadblock with accomplishing our goals is that we don’t know how to set them properly. They’re just not realistic.
Even busy moms can progress toward their goals if they’re SMART.
These letters stand for characteristics of really great goals:
- specific
- measurable
- achievable
- realistic
- time-bound
You see, if you give a general goal with no way to track your progress, you’re less likely to meet it.
For example, a goal that is not SMART would be: declutter the house.
What does that mean? Decrease items by 25% or 10%? What’s the deadline? How will I know if I’m successful? Can I even really get this done?
So, instead of just any type of goals, you need to make sure your goals meet the SMART goals criteria.
You Need Mini Goals
Then, after your set SMART goals, you need to break them down into mini goals. These mini goals will give you the pathway to success. What does each day’s work look like if you’re going to accomplish the big overarching goal?
If you’re decluttering the house, then the mini goals will look like small areas to tackle, maybe each Saturday morning. After a whole year of mini goals, you’re likely to have successfully decluttered the house.
Best Practices
But if you’re constantly distracted (I know, I know – this is the life of a mom!), then it’s harder to work toward your goals.
Even if you can only carve out 1-2 hours per week to work on your goals, that’s better than nothing!
Depending on your season of life (remember, toddlers or teenagers or both!), the speed at which you can work toward your goals will vary. But always be progressing, even if it’s just at a snail’s pace. Because that’s better than nothing.
My best practices for reaching your goals are always batching and deep work. I’ve talked a lot about both of these strategies in other places, so I’ll link to some related posts here:
Now it’s your turn to go and crush your goals~! You can grab a free printable that will walk you through these steps.
