Last week my son turned 7 months old. I thought for sure I’d get back into blogging by the time he was 4 months old. I tried many, many times. I really did. But the ideas, the words, the passion, just didn’t come. It’s torture to write when you have nothing to say.
When I started blogging three years ago, my life was “easier.” I had two kids, my husband was an employee, and it was fairly easy to find time to work. These days I have 3 kids, my husband runs his own business, I help my husband with administrative duties for his business, I cook more, and I do much of the cleaning and shopping. In short, I’ve just been overwhelmed and uninspired. I truly apologize if you follow my blog and have been waiting to hear from me.
© Alena Ozerova – stock.adobe.com
I Had Grand Plans for This Year
Now that you know all that, I’d like to share what’s been on my mind the last few months. Before the New Year, I was determined to NOT set New Year’s Resolutions.
I know, right? Kind of strange. I just wanted to try a different approach.
Setting goals is great, but I knew that my bad habits were keeping me from reaching any real goal, big or small. Many of the good habits I had worked on earlier in the year were now replaced by these older, bad habits. Even though I had a lot on my plate, I still found myself watching an awful lot of TV, staying up late, and sleeping in until my kids were waking me up.
So, I decided to try establishing good habits.
But Something Tripped Me Up
My goal (or New Year’s Resolution, if you’d rather) was to work on one new habit every month, and post about it here. Sadly, neither of those things happened. For one, I didn’t write any of my plans down. They were all just floating around in my head. That is a big no-no if you want to follow through with a new habit.
I also had one too many excuses. If there were a job titled “Excuse Maker,” I’d be a top qualifier for it. I’d also be stupidly perfect at it.
So now it’s three months into the year, and I.am.kicking myself. Why didn’t I follow through with my plans? I could have been well on my way to a better life and helping you as well.
So today, even though it’s not the beginning of the year or the start of a new month or even the first day of the week, I am going to commit to constant change. I am so tired of all the excuses. There will always be something that comes between me and my goals. But I have to be stronger than that.
“Better Mom” Habits
Let’s talk about moms and their habits for a sec. Have you ever envisioned yourself going through your day and accomplishing all that you wanted to without interruptions? Only to have that vision dashed to the wind two minutes after jumping out of bed in the morning? Yep, me too. I guess you could say it’s a daily occurrence.
Back when I had great habits (before my third child was born), I got a lot more done. I would wake up by 5 or 6 and spend time working towards my biggest goal at that time which was to write an ebook. It took several months of early mornings, but I got it done and it felt so good! And, guess what? Because I was already awake and ready for the day (with 2 hours of work behind me) by the time my kids woke up, I was a much better mom. We had more time to read, snuggle, and take random trips to the library and park. I was also so much calmer.
Oh, how things have changed since those bad habits crept back into my life. I have a shorter fuse now, and you would think the dishes and dinner were my top priorites rather than my husband and kids. I want to make sure my priorities are in order, but today? They are completely out of whack.
Why Do Moms Need Good Habits?
Good habits are absolutely necessary for any mom, whether she works outside the home, works in the home, or is a stay-at-home mom. There are several reasons why moms need good habits:
- Without good habits, a mom can lose sight of her end goal. I doubt we are here to make sure all the dishes are done every day. No, instead we’re here to nurture our relationships with our spouses and kids and support each other through our failures and successes.
- Good habits help moms to act with love and kindness toward her family.
- A mom who practices good habits will find more time to spend with her family.
- When a mom has established good habits, she is much more calm and sane. She knows exactly what needs to be done and when she will do it.
- A mom who has many good habits under her belt has more time to work on her goals and what she wants to do with her life.
- If a mom has established good habits for the things that are urgent, but not super important in the grand scheme of things (like dishes, laundry, cooking, etc.), she will have more brain space. This is because each habit will be automatic and no longer occupy her mind. Hello? Did you catch that?! This means you’ll actually be able to focus when your child is telling you something that is important to them. Your to-do list won’t be constantly popping up in your mind while they talk, and you can truly give them your full attention.
Certainly there are even more reasons to kick those bad habits to the curb. Can you think of any? Comment below!
© Alena Ozerova – stock.adobe.com
51 “Better Mom” Habits
After all we’ve discussed above, do you have a desire to change any of your habits? Yes? Then it’s time to start thinking of some “Better Mom” habits you want to work on! Browse through the list of habits below to find one that you can work on (or come up with your own) and let me know which one you will be doing first. My plan is to work on one habit a month, but, if things change, I’ll be sure to update you. I can’t wait to share with you what my first habit is going to be!
- Wake up early (or before the kids)
- Get adequate sleep to feel rested each day
- Eat healthy
- Exercise
- Smile or laugh more
- Make yourself a priority
- Make your bed every day
- Stretch every morning
- Pray or meditate daily
- Eat breakfast
- Write every day
- Express gratitude vocally or in a journal
- Enjoy the little things
- Work on your marriage every day
- Think positively
- Read for pleasure
- Volunteer at least weekly
- Spend one-on-one time with your children
- Play with your kids
- Read with your kids
- Wear makeup every day
- Get dressed every day
- Date your spouse more often
- Cook for your family daily
- Drink plenty of water
- Practice yoga
- Budget your money
- Save money
- Spend less time on social media
- Avoid email in the morning
- Plan meals every week
- Pack lunches
- Implement a 10 minute pickup each day
- Do weekly meal prep
- Avoid sugar
- Use a timer to do housework
- Learn one new thing every day
- Take one picture every day (and include yourself!)
- Do a spending freeze
- Cut down on paper clutter
- Declutter something every day
- Listen intently when a family member needs you
- Sing to your kids at bedtime
- Make handmade gifts
- Work on thinking skills
- Keep up with a planner, calendar, or a bullet journal
- Do an extra chore each day to avoid deep cleaning weekends
- Spend quality time with your family at least weekly
- Lay out your clothes the night before
- Nurture a neglected relationship
- Avoid spending money on things you don’t need
And the list could go on!
Don’t feel overwhelmed as you look at this list. I personally have so much work to do when it comes to at least 90% of the habits listed. Get excited to establish JUST ONE habit and give it your all. It’s okay if you fall short several times in a row. As long as you are working at it, without giving up, you will succeed. You might even decide that a particular habit just isn’t right for you. That’s okay! Move on and try something else. After all, “the goal is growth, not perfection.” (I couldn’t find the author of this quote)
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I’ve struggled with my habits as well this year! Here’s to a fresh start of good habits for both of us!
Go, Kristen!
You go girl yes spending money on things we do not need is such a hard habit to break