How to Set Goals as a Stay-at-Home Mom: Ideas to Help You Succeed
As a stay-at-home mom, it can be hard to figure out how to set goals that will help you feel successful. It seems like there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done! But don’t worry, I’m here to help! Today I’m sharing ideas to help you set goals as a stay-at-home mom and feel successful.
If you’re like most stay-at-home moms, you probably feel like you’re constantly juggling a million things at once. It can be tough to know where to start when it comes to setting goals and achieving them. But don’t worry, I’ve got some great ideas to help you get started!
I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for over 31 years and I wouldn’t trade these years for anything. I loved being able to stay at home full time with my five kids and homeschool.
But for sure, being a stay at home mom has challenges. It’s easy to feel as if you aren’t getting much done or that you’re not good enough.
One way to combat these feelings is by setting goals for yourself. It’s important to set realistic goals that you can actually achieve. Start small and then build up from there.
It’s also important to keep your goals in mind every day. One way to do this is by writing them down and keeping that list somewhere where you’ll see it often.
One thing’s for sure. If you don’t have a purpose for your day, you won’t feel very successful. It’s important to have a few small goals that you can work toward each day – and it’s important to know what those goals are when you start your day so you don’t feel aimless.
Why should a stay-at-home mom set goals?
There are a lot of good reasons!
#1 It’s important to have a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day.
When you set goals and achieve them, it gives you a sense of purpose and makes you feel good about yourself. Setting goals helps to keep you motivated. It’s easy to get discouraged when you don’t see any progress being made. But if you have a goal in mind, it will help you to keep pushing forward even when you feel like you can’t do it.
#2 Setting goals helps to keep you organized.
It’s easy to let the days slip by without really accomplishing anything when you don’t have a plan. But if you have a goal for each day, it helps you to focus and use your time more efficiently. It’s easy to get sidetracked when you don’t have a specific goal in mind. But if you know what you’re working toward, it will help you to stay on track and not waste time on things that don’t matter.
#3 Having goals gives you something to look forward to.
It’s easy to get bogged down in the mundane tasks of daily life when you don’t have anything to look forward to. But if you have a goal that you’re working toward, it can make each day more fulfilling.
#4 Goals help you to measure your progress.
It’s easy to feel like you’re not getting anywhere when you don’t have anything to compare your progress to. But if you have a goal, you can look back and see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve accomplished.
#5 Setting goals helps to keep you focused and feeling positive.
Goals give you something to work toward. It’s easy to feel like you’re just going through the motions when you don’t have anything to strive for. But if you have a goal, it gives you something to look forward to and helps you to stay motivated. It’s easy to get down on yourself when you feel like you’re not doing enough. But if you have a goal, it gives you something to be positive about and helps you to keep your head up.
Make a plan of action to reach your goals
Set realistic goals that fit into your schedule. Realistic goals are ones that you can actually achieve given the time and resources that you have.
As a stay-at-home mom you will definitely have interruptions throughout the day and that’s okay! Your job at home is about more than just doing chores. Your children are not an interruption of the most important work – they are the most important work! Being a stay-at-home is a ministry to your family! The work you do in your home and for your family is nothing short of noble.
C.S. Lewis said: “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.”
So, when you’re setting your goals for the day, make sure that your children fit into your schedule and that you’re realistic about what you can actually accomplish.
What are some goals that a stay-at-home mom can set?
Figure out what you want to achieve. The first step to setting goals is to figure out what you want to achieve. What are your priorities? What do you want to accomplish in the short-term and the long-term?
A few key areas in your life you might want to set goals for include:
- Your personal life
- Your family
- Your finances
- Your health and fitness
- Your faith
Once you know what area you want to focus on, you can start setting goals.
related: Planning 101: Setting Priorities Based Goals
Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Once you know what you want to achieve, it’s time to start setting goals. But not just any goals – S.M.A.R.T. goals.
S.M.A.R.T., which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely, is often used in business settings, but can also work great for stay-at-home moms!
When you’re setting goals, make sure that they are:
Specific – What exactly do you want to achieve?
Measurable – How will you know when you’ve achieved your goal?
Achievable – Is your goal something that you can actually accomplish?
Realistic – Is your goal something that is realistic for you to achieve?
Timely – When do you want to achieve your goal?
For example, let’s say that your goal is to lose weight. A specific goal might be to lose 20 pounds in the next six months. A measurable goal might be to weigh yourself once a week and track your progress. An achievable goal might be to exercise four times a week and eat healthy meals. A realistic goal might be to lose one pound per week. And a timely goal might be to start your weight loss journey on Monday.
Set goals that are important to you
One of the most important things to remember when setting goals is to make sure that they are important to you. Don’t set goals just because someone else thinks you should or because you think you’re supposed to. Set goals that are important to you and that will help you to achieve your priorities.
For example, if one of your priorities is to spend more time with your family, then a goal might be to have family dinner together every night. Or if one of your priorities is to get healthy, then a goal might be to exercise for 30 minutes every day.
Choose goals that are challenging but not too challenging
It’s important to choose goals that are challenging, but not too challenging. If a goal is too easy, then you’re not going to get the motivation to achieve it. But if a goal is too difficult, then you might get discouraged and give up.
The best way to find the right balance is to start small. If your goal is to exercise for 30 minutes every day, then start with three days a week. Once you’ve achieved that goal, then you can increase it to four days a week. And so on.
Find an accountability partner
Even stay-at-home moms need friends to help them stay accountable! Find a friend or family member who will help you to stay on track with your goals. This could be someone who checks in with you regularly to see how you’re doing or someone who is also working on similar goals.
For instance, I’m currently working really hard to lose weight. I lost 3 pounds in the month of June! Every morning I weigh myself and text a friend. It helps to stay the course and work toward my weight loss goals.
Having an accountability partner is a great way to make sure that you stay motivated and achieve your goals.
Track your progress and make necessary adjustments
As you work toward your goals, it’s important to track your progress. This will help you to see how well you’re doing and whether or not you need to make any adjustments.
For example, let’s say that your goal is to save $500 over the next three months. At the end of each month, check in with yourself and see how much you’ve saved. If you’re on track, great! If you’re not on track, then you might need to make some adjustments. Maybe you need to save a little bit more each month or maybe you need to find ways to cut back on your spending.
Habit Trackers can be a great way to help you track your progress. I like to use printable habit trackers to help me stay on track.
You can print out a free habit tracker at the bottom of this post!
Celebrate your accomplishments
Last but not least, don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments! When you reach a goal, take a moment to celebrate. This could be something as simple as taking a break from your usual routine or treating yourself to a new book.
Take the time to celebrate your success. You deserve it!
Free Printable Habit Tracker for Stay-at-Home Moms
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No matter what your goals are, these tips will help you to achieve them. By being specific, setting goals that are important to you, choosing goals that are challenging but not too challenging, and finding an accountability partner, you’ll be well on your way to success!
And don’t forget to track your progress so that you can see how well you’re doing. And celebrate your accomplishments along the way!
I’d love to hear from you! What are some of your goals? How do you stay motivated? Let me know in the comments below!
