Easy Goal Setting Tips for the Busy Mom

Do you set goals for yourself? I was mid-thirties when I stumbled into the goal-setting world. And let me tell you, learning how to set goals changed my life! I’m not exaggerating when I say that. Goals brought clarity and focus when I was in a season of uncertainty.

We all have set finite days in our life. I decided I didn’t want to meander the days away any longer. I stepped into the calling that I was created on purpose for a purpose. And so are you, sweet friend. You have a worthy life to live!

Goal setting takes practice, and it can feel overwhelming for someone just starting out. Here are my tips for learning how to set goals for your life.

Start with the Big Picture

What do you want your life to look like when you are 80? This was the question that sparked something in me. It occurred to me that I needed to be doing stuff now if I was to have the life I envisioned when I’m old. I want to be active, and I want to be living life to its fullest. I don’t want to be feeble!

So, here I am asking you this same question. Think about all the aspects of your life. What do you want them to look like 50 years from now, and why? Why do you want your life to look like this vision? When you’re struggling, always refer back to your wy.

Break It Down

Now that you have your long-term picture, it’s time to break it down. Grab a piece of paper and write out various categories. Things like family, hobbies, spiritual life, finances, and so on. You tailor this to you. Next, write out what needs to happen in each category for you to reach your end-of-life vision, and once again, don’t forget the why.

Bust Through the Doubt

It’s going to happen. We all encounter doubt and fear in life. Your goals might seem pretty far off right now, almost unreachable. You might be hearing whispers of insecurity, or maybe you feel trapped in the comparison game.

I am going to ask you to do something deep here. I am going to ask you to do a deep introspection. Meditate and/or pray about the root of your fear. Think back to the first time you felt that feeling. Replace those lies with truth. You are WORTHY.

No one can do what you were divinely created to do. Dear friend, let me encourage you. I am here for you, and I am cheering you on.

Write It Down

Let’s get after it. Go back to your categories and start thinking of small actionable steps you can take this month to move to needle forward on your goals. Small steps over time lead to big progress. You are not required to make perfect progress. In fact, I can guarantee that there will be mistakes and missteps along the way.

I know. I don’t like the idea of making mistakes either. However, I would rather make a mistake and learn while making progress on my goals, than stay stuck in the same place for the rest of my life.

I have daily, weekly, and monthly check-off items when I am writing out my action steps. A daily step might be as simple as drinking water every day (why is this so hard??), while a monthly step might be paying down debt by a certain amount. You do you. This is your one life.

But, wait, here is the MOST important thing. Put your action steps in a place where you will see them every.single.day. I have mine taped to my bathroom mirror. It is so easy to get distracted by the day-to-day. Having your goals in front of your face will help to keep you focused.

Tips and Tricks

1. While you do not need any special tools to set goals, I really like the resources from Cultivate What Matters. Makse is another popular tool, but I have not personally used them before.
2. Set a word for your year that encompasses all of your goals. I know it’s not January, but here’s a secret – there’s nothing magical about January 1st. You can read all about my word for 2021 here.
3. Your goals should stretch you. Be really honest with yourself about what you are capable of. Have realistic expectations of your goals, but you should also be stretching yourself. I will usually set my monthly goals to where I know I won’t accomplish them perfectly on purpose so that I am always reaching. Does that make sense?
4. Decide today is the day, because why not you? Why not today? You got this!

Tell me about your goals, and as always, please like and share this post if you enjoyed it.