It’s a new year, new quarter, even a new decade according to some (even experts don’t agree on this). If you’re like many, you have new goals to go along with the year starting. I’m sharing tips to help working moms achieve their goals this year. I’ve got 8 that I learned from my own experience and research and the interviews I did for my books with 110+ professional working moms. Let’s do this!
It’s a few weeks into the new year and you’re coming out of the holiday haze after what was a really rough year for many working moms. We had a rocky start to the year, which might have sucked you back into the rut of 2020. I saw plenty of social media posts about wanting to return 2021 after the 7-day or 10-day trial period. We need to shake off the challenges and try to focus on what is ahead of us. We need to hit our groove again since we were thrown for a loop last year.
Small changes can lead to a big impact over time
Sometimes we want sweeping changes, but big changes can be hard. I know you’re hearing about making this your best year yet, but that’s hard to do, especially as you come off a year like 2020. You might need big shifts because of a big change (e.g., layoffs, a new baby, etc.) in 2020. It’s likely you don’t need a big change, though, so focus on a series of small changes. Or think of it this way. Break down your big goals into smaller goals. You’ll see a big impact long-term. Plus, you can build momentum over time as you continue to achieve goals.
Be specific
Are you too broad when you set your year-long goals? If you often struggle with setting goals at the start of a new year, one reason might be that you’re thinking big picture instead of specifics. This is a time for laser-focus on what you want to achieve so that you can measure it.
Don’t say, “Lose weight.” Instead say, “Lose 1 pound each month.” Don’t put a goal of bigger clients. Say you want to work with one 5-figure client per quarter or one 4-figure client each month.
Figure out specific things you can talk to your manager or leadership team about and start tracking those metrics. This is especially the case if you’re trying to move up a level on the corporate ladder and want to know what to strive for. Know how you want to measure yourself so you can efficiently use your efforts and energy. (Hint: On this specific topic, Carla Harris, author of Expect to Win and managing director and senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley, suggests talking to your manager and/or senior leadership a year before you think you’re ready to be promoted. That way you know what to measure over the course of that year.)
Reward yourself
You’ve taken your big changes and broken them down. And you’re being specific so that you can track how you’re doing against your resolutions or intentions. Both of these things make tracking easier. They also help you reward yourself. Yes, reward yourself for achieving goals and for consistency! So often we move on to the next thing on the list without rewarding our successes, big and small.
For example, your long-term goal is to work out for 30 minutes every day. Start by rewarding yourself for working out for 10 minutes each day for the first month. And then for 15 minutes each day. And then 20 minutes. All the way up to 30 minutes. It could take you several months to get there, but you’re working toward your goal. You’re being consistent. You’re building momentum.
You want to reward yourself with something meaningful that makes sense and matches your level of effort. No going to Tahiti for working out consistently for a month. Something too small and it’s not motivating enough. Something too big and you’re giving yourself a big reward when it should be something smaller. Only you know what will truly motivate you and reward you in a meaningful way for what you’ve achieved. Let’s not focus too much on rewards because it’s a strategy. Let’s get back to the tips to help working moms achieve their goals.
Make things happen mindset
Part of the benefit of small changes and rewarding yourself for achieving those small changes is that you keep moving. I don’t want to wait for things to happen to me. I want to make things happen in my life. Ya feel me?
Are you more of a go with the flow kinda gal? If you prefer to see how things present themselves, I can understand that approach. It’s good to attract the right opportunities. You still need to make changes to help you set up the right vibe and right mindset to be open to changes.
The idea is to have a mindset that things will go in the direction that you’re aiming for. If you don’t think it’s possible to achieve your goals, you’ll only get in your own way. It will be harder and you might not even reach those goals.
Attraction mindset
If you focus energy on the law of attraction and have the attraction mindset, you can skip this paragraph. Maybe you can share your own advice on this in the comments, especially as it relates to setting goals and intentions for the new year.
If you’re not so familiar with attraction, it’s the idea that you attract what you put into the universe. Want more of a specific kind of client? Focus energy on that client and not on the clients you don’t want. Want more of a specific opportunity at work? Talk to your manager, team members, mentors, and sponsors about that type of opportunity. When you start to let everyone know what you’re looking for, you’ll start seeing more of those opportunities pop up.
Having this mindset can help you. Think it’s too much woo woo stuff? An old manager of mine who had not even a little bit of a woo woo side described it as you start to make small adjustments to get to your goals when you truly articulate what you want. He did a PowerPoint as the year started with his year-long goals. It was his private document that he didn’t share (he told me about the process, though). Consider all those small shifts that can get you to achieving your goals.
Get rid of bad behaviors and habits that don’t serve you
As you start making changes, even small changes, it’s helpful to get rid of behaviors and habits that no longer serve you. It’s really hard to change your behavior if things you are actively doing are holding you back. Consider what is no longer working for you and get it out of your life. Think about what you didn’t achieve this year and understand what held you back. See the same thing over and over? See how you can get rid of it. I wrote about this in a post on the Mompowerment blog.
Maximize your time
If you’ve heard me on a podcast or read any of my previous books, you know that I feel strongly that work-life balance doesn’t have a formula. There is no guaranteed way to do things. The one formula I do share is how to maximize your time. Ultimately, so much of work-life balance is being more intentional with your time. You want to maximize the time you have. Think of it this way:
Maximizing your time = time management + productivity + staying on task
Essentially, you must plan and control your time (time management) + be productive with your work and personal time (productivity) + stay focused. You need all of these things to work together to maximize your time. Often people leave out the staying on task piece and focus only on the time management and/or productivity parts. Consider it this way, if you’re trying to work and get distracted by people or social media, are you really maximizing your time? Chances are that you’re not, which shows how much the focus piece matters.
And this approach can help you at work and at home. It will likely look different, so be open to applying it how it makes sense in the different areas of your life.
Pause to get unstuck
It’s not uncommon to have a moment during the year when you feel stuck as you attempt to achieve your goals. That’s totally normal. Instead of continuing to do whatever isn’t working and getting frustrated or trying something new for the sake of continually moving, take a moment. Pause. Then reassess the situation. It’s hard to do that while you’re in motion. Don’t let your stumbles stop you. You’ll find a way around, but it’s hard if you’re constantly trying to take action.
That’s it. You’ve not got my tips to help working moms achieve their goals this year. You might not need all of these. Consider the ones you don’t currently need as additional tools in your toolkit for when, not if, you need to make changes.
What changes will you make this year? How are you going to make things happen in 2021? How will you apply these tips to your goals, intentions, and resolutions?
If you’re wanting to make changes related to work-life balance, consider downloading a copy of my Know Your Why Guide. Make sure to sign up for my email newsletter that I send out twice a month. I’ll continue to share nuggets that help you with making the most of your time, including elements of work-life balance.
