8 Game-Changing Mommy Goals To Set This Year

Balancing the many demands of motherhood can often feel overwhelming, but setting realistic mommy goals can offer a sense of direction and accomplishment.

The journey of being a mom is unique for everyone, yet most of us share a desire to nurture both ourselves and our families while juggling so many responsibilities.

Establishing achievable goals can empower you to thrive in your role, reduce stress, and create moments of everyday joy.

In this post, I’ll discuss eight practical goals that all stay-at-home moms can start setting today to enrich their lives and the lives of their spouses and children.

Setting Mom Goals Matters

Setting goals provides direction and purpose while promoting self-care to maintain well-being.

Set Meaningful Mommy Goals

Setting achievable mom goals is essential for personal growth and a fulfilling motherhood journey. By embracing self-care, you create a blueprint to balance your time, energy, and well-being.

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Setting Achievable Mom Goals

Setting achievable mom goals helps you focus your energy on specific tasks and measure progress.

Achievable goals ensure that you don’t feel overwhelmed, allowing you to build confidence as you tackle one task at a time.

Set Your Intention

Setting your most important intention as a mom for the new year is an empowering way to align your actions and values.

Crafting your goals and values transforms your motherhood experience into a personalized, intentional journey of growth and fulfillment.

Write Your Goals Down

Writing down a list of goals as a mom is a powerful way to clarify your aspirations and keep them at the forefront of your mind.

By documenting these goals, you create a tangible reference point that constantly reminds you of what you want to achieve in your motherhood journey.

Use the SMART Goal-Setting System

Following the SMART goal-setting system is essential to ensuring your goals are practical and actionable.

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, providing a clear roadmap for success.

By applying this framework to your goals as a mom, you can create well-defined, attainable objectives that align with your aspirations.

Goal 1: Prioritize Daily Me-Time

Setting aside time for yourself each day is essential so you don’t burn out. Whether it’s a few minutes of prayer, reading your favorite book, or indulging in a hobby, prioritize a little time for yourself each day.

Fifteen to twenty minutes is a good place to start. It’s tempting to skip over this goal, but trust me; you must give yourself time to enjoy things you like.

Examples of “me time”:

• take a walk outside
• listen to music
• call a friend
• watch a movie or YouTube

Goal 2: Establish a Morning Routine

Set up a morning routine – it helps you set the tone for the rest of the day. Start your day with a little quiet time, exercising, or planning for the day ahead.  

A morning routine can help you start your day on a positive note, which will help you to feel more organized. I always feel so much more prepared when I’ve taken the time to write out goals or things I’d like to accomplish for the day in my planner.

Even if I don’t accomplish everything on my list, it still helps me to get more things done; otherwise, I might forget to do something I wanted to do that day. Whatever I don’t get done, I transfer it to the next day.

You don’t need a planner. You can simply use a spiral notebook and write your to-do list in it.

Ideas for a morning routine:

• prayer or meditation
• journaling
• stretching or yoga
• making breakfast for yourself and your family

Goal 3: Practice Self-Care

With all the responsibilities of being a mom, it’s easy to neglect self-care. But don’t do it!

Taking care of yourself is crucial not just for your own well-being but also for your family’s. Here’s an old saying that’s so true: “Ain’t nobody happy if mama ain’t happy.”

Here are some self-care ideas:

• Get a massage or do self-massage
• Spend time with friends
• Treat yourself to something you enjoy, like a facial
• Take a bath

Although many moms falsely believe self-care is selfish, nothing can be further from the truth. Taking the time for self-care allows you to recharge yourself to be a good mother and better equipped to take care of your children.

As a busy mom of nine children, I neglected myself in the early days of motherhood. I was continually running on empty. I would spend so much time caring for everyone else, and I mistakenly neglected myself.

I have learned that even a little bit of time to do even a tiny thing that I want helps refresh me so I don’t feel constantly ragged and on edge.

Tips:

• Focus on achievable self-care goals, such as drinking enough water or exercising for 10 minutes a day.
• Don’t compare your self-care routine to others.
• Ask for help from friends or family when needed.

Goal 4: Create One-on-One Time with Each Child

Something I want to improve upon in this new year is to spend quality time with each child.

I homeschool, and this time is different than individually doing their school work with them. Since I have so many kids and so much going on, it’s hard to find quality time with each one individually.

I have been attempting to do this more often because children feel more special and loved when they have individual time and my full attention.  

Even just fifteen minutes of undivided attention can make a huge difference in a child’s day and overall relationship with their mom.

Here’s some ideas for One-On-One Quality Time:

• Take your child on a special outing, like getting an ice cream cone, just the two of you.
• Watch a movie or YouTube (my daughter loves that I would watch My Little Pony episodes with her).
• Play a game or do an activity that your child enjoys.
• Talk together.
• Read a book together.

Goal 5: Plan Family Fun Days

Plan a family fun day once in a while. Children love doing things together.

Family time creates memories and strengthens relationships between siblings and parents. Family fun days don’t have to be extravagant or expensive.

Here are cheap family activities for family fun days:

• Visit a local park
• play in the snow
• go to the lake or beach
• Go on a bike ride together
• Have a picnic in the backyard
• Go on a hike
• Make homemade pizzas or bake cookies together

Goal 6: Set Healthy Boundaries

Setting boundaries is crucial for a family. My husband and I have struggled with this in our family life.

My toxic mother-in-law and father-in-law continually disrespected our parental authority, causing significant strain on our family. We could not resolve our issues with them because of many years of this behavior coupled with narcissistic behavior on their part.

My advice is to set boundaries early on before any major issues arise. Be firm, yet respectful when communicating these boundaries and stick to them.

Tips for setting healthy boundaries:

• Communicate your boundaries and expectations for behavior.
• Be firm in enforcing consequences when your boundaries are violated.
• Take a break or distance yourself from toxic family members if necessary. Your mental health and the well-being of your family should always come first.

Goal 7: Simplify Meal Planning

It’s 5:00 p.m., and you have no idea what to have for dinner. Has that ever happened to you?

Meal planning can reduce your stress level by taking the guesswork out of what to have for dinner. You won’t be scrambling near dinner time to figure something out.

Meal planning prevents last-minute store runs and expensive takeout that will save you time and money.

If you can coordinate your meal plans with a shopping list and budget, that is the ultimate win-win.

Tips for meal planning:

• Plan meals for the week in advance, considering busy days and activities.
• Create a grocery shopping list aligned with your meal plan.
• Consider batch cooking or freezer meals for busy nights or limited time.
• Get input from all family members to include their favorite dishes in the meal plan.

It’s essential to adopt a practical and stress-free approach to feeding your family.

An effective strategy is to create a basic meal rotation, where you plan a set of meals.

Also, consider prepping your ingredients in advance. Chopping vegetables or marinating meats for example, saves valuable time.

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Goal 8: Pursue One Personal Passion

Moms know the drill: days filled with endless tasks for everyone else. But let me remind you—you matter too!

It’s crucial for moms to pursue their personal passions and interests outside of parenthood. Participating in a hobby or other interest helps maintain a sense of individual identity and promotes mental and emotional well-being.

Ideas:

• List activities or hobbies that you have always wanted to try or used to enjoy before becoming a mommy.
• Set aside time each week to engage in your chosen activity, even if it’s just for 30 minutes.
• Pursuing passions enriches life and sets an excellent example for children.

Here are some activities or hobbies you might enjoy:

• crafting
• journaling
• gardening
• cooking/baking
• photography
• exercising/yoga
• take an online course

Overcoming Obstacles and Staying Motivated

Recognize that a healthy mom life requires a flexible goal-setting approach that adapts to the often unpredictable rhythms of your family life.

Try not to strive for perfection. Instead, focus on making progress.

Finding a community of like-minded moms can be immensely valuable in providing support, motivation, and understanding.

Pursue interests and passions to enrich your life which sets a positive example for your children. Taking time for yourself is a strategic approach to maintaining personal resilience and preventing mom overwhelm.

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Final Thoughts on Mommy Goals

Setting and pursuing meaningful mommy goals can be a powerful way to maintain personal identity and motivation during parenthood. Start small, focusing on one or two goals at a time and gradually building upon them.

Celebrate every milestone – even small ones. Never stop telling yourself you are doing an incredible job as a mom.  

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