11 Mom Goals For the New Year To Help You Thrive and Survive!
With a new year ahead, it’s the perfect time to reset and set some realistic mom goals.
2024 was a year of transition for me. I left my career as an actuary in June so I could focus more on being “mom”. I had been grinding my way through the days but wondered what was it for? Yes, the money was nice, but I was unhappy and really struggled to be present with my kids. I feared that the years would go by and I’d look back and wonder if it was really worth it. I didn’t want my girls to grow up and remember me being stressed and rushing around all the time. Also, I didn’t want these precious years where my girls want to be with me pass me by. I’m excited for this new year. I’ve decided to set intentional mom goals, that drive me toward my true purpose, to be a better mom, and I wanted to share those goals with you.
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11 Mom Goals For the New Year
I want to find ways to prioritize what truly matters in the new year as well as create space for myself in this busy mom life. I know that all of my mom goals may not apply to you. Feel free to jump around to the ones that resonate with you the most!
1. Keep using my planner to reduce the overwhelm.
2024 was the first year I used a planner, and I felt much less overwhelmed. I will be using the Clever Fox Planner Pro Premium Edition next year. It’s very similar to the version I used this year. It has undated weekly, monthly, and budgeting sections, as well as calendars, goal-setting tools, and stickers.
Using a planner has been so beneficial, helping me be a more organized mom. At the end of the week I write out my tasks by day for the following week. It really helps that I can focus on each day instead of worrying how I will get everything done. Sometimes I have to make edits. This past week I was feeling overwhelmed with all I had to get done with the holidays coming up. There was class party prep, goodie bags, teacher gifts, etc. However, just adding each of those tasks to different days made me feel so much less overwhelmed.
Once it was down on paper I knew that I would get it done, and I did! If you’re the type of person that has so many things running through your head and you have no idea how you will get everything done, I highly recommend using a planner.
2. Find a job that allows me to work on my own terms.
I want to work, but the corporate world just wasn’t for me anymore. I’d love the unicorn job – a job that keeps me busy while the girls are in school most days, but also gives me the flexibility to not work (and not have to rely on vacation time) if one of my girls are sick or if I want to do something at their school for the day. I’d love to work on my own terms.
After doing some research I’ve decided to give health coaching a try. I’m currently going through a certification course that I’m really enjoying, and already purchased additional courses for further learning. I haven’t started coaching yet, so I don’t know if I’ll be successful. That part is a little scary, but I do have faith that even if health coaching doesn’t work out, I will have learned a lot, and can hopefully still use that knowledge for something else.
3. Cook more nutritious meals.
I find it really difficult as a busy mom to cook nutritious meals. I’m always looking for quick recipes, but they aren’t always the healthiest. Through my health coaching course, I’ve learned about the benefits of limiting grains (hard as an Italian who loves pasta!), eating healthy fats, and avoiding processed foods as much as possible. Those are some diet changes I’m going to try to make in the new year. I see the benefits already! When I eat healthier, I feel better – but I still have some of those unhealthy cravings. I know that any changes I make are better than doing nothing. I’ll try not to be too hard on myself when I want some chips and salsa on a Saturday night.
4. Continue having a creative outlet.
In her book, Fair Play, Eve Rodsky describes the importance of having a creative outlet, which she refers to as a unicorn space. This blog has been my unicorn space. I’ve always loved reading and writing, and writing about motherhood and self-care has been a healthy release for me. Doing something creative gives me energy and makes me happier! Whether it’s this blog, or if I pick up another endeavor or hobby, I want to continue to make the time to be creative as one of my mom goals for the new year.
5. Keep up with my exercise routine.
Another of my mom goals for the new year is to continue with my exercise routine, but to not be too hard on myself when workouts are missed. I started taking Peloton rides a few years ago to lose the baby weight after my second daughter. I wanted to compete on the leaderboard and hit PRs. I pressured myself to keep up with my workouts, even when I wasn’t feeling up to it, had a sick child, or didn’t get much sleep. If I skipped a workout, I was hard on myself. I love exercising – when I’m up for it. Instead of working out 7 days a week, I now shoot for 5 days, and some weeks it’s even less. I’ve been trying to listen to my body more. When it’s telling me I need a rest day, I take the rest day.
6. Do one thing I truly enjoy each day.
It’s very easy to just get caught up in the daily grind, checking off all the tasks on my to-do list. It feels great to get things done. However, one of my mom goals for the new year is to take some time out each day – even if it’s just for five minutes – to do something that I enjoy, for the sole reason that I want to do it. Whether that’s sitting on the couch reading when I’m home alone, enjoying a TV show without trying to multitask while watching it, or taking a walk on a nice day, it’s extremely important to be prioritizing self-care each day. On the days that I do something for myself, I’m happier, energized, and a better version of myself for my family.
7. Get enough sleep.
Sleep is critical, but most busy moms don’t get enough of it. I like to stay up after my kids go to bed and read, or watch a movie with my husband, but I also like to wake up pretty early on the days I’m going to work out. Once I have a few days in a row where I didn’t get enough sleep I’m much more sluggish, impatient, and moody.
One of my mom goals is to prioritize sleep and a good evening routine. I want to go to bed early enough so I can wake up before my alarm goes off, having more natural sleep cycles. If I do stay up late, I won’t pressure myself to get up early to work out like I’ve done in the past. Instead, I’ll skip the alarm and sleep until I naturally wake up (or my kids wake me!). Our bodies need rest to heal as well as maintain our health. Therefore, sleep is something to prioritize over almost anything else.
8. Say no when things don’t serve me.
I hate to disappoint people so I have a hard time saying no. Another of my mom goals is to protect my peace and really think before accepting an invitation. Is this something I really want to do? Do I have the time and energy to do it? Is saying yes going to give me more stress because I’m pushing off things that are a higher priority? I know it’s going to be hard for me, but if the answer is yes to those questions, I’m going to really try hard to say no.
9. Try to be more patient with my kids.
I want to be more patient with my kids. Even though I say that every year, I believe that I have more capacity to work on my patience now. I want to have tools in my toolkit so when my girl start to drive me nuts or refuse to listen, I have tactics to try instead of just yelling.
I’ve learned that it helps to get eye level with your child. Sometimes they’re just looking for some attention and want you to see and hear them. Sometimes we also just need a break! As long as our kids are safe it’s okay to step away for a couple of minutes and take a few deep breaths. I want to add more tools to my toolkit in the new year. In the moment, it’s not always easy to think of different patience tools to try, but I know with more practice, I’ll get better and you will too!
10. Be kinder to myself and compare to others less.
When you scroll on social media it’s so hard not to compare yourself to others. Most likely you’re just seeing the best parts of everyone’s days, not the times that they wanted to pull their hair out because their kids weren’t listening. Still, it’s hard to see all these perfect photos and fun activities people are doing and not feel like you’re falling short. Deep down though I know I’m a great mom and I’m doing my best, so I want to be kinder to myself and focus on that. (Easier said than done, I know!) My kids are happy and healthy, that’s really all I can ask for.
11. Take some time to be truly present with my kids each day.
The whole reason why I left my job is June was so I could be more present with my kids, so I want to make sure that happens! Being present means no screens or other distractions and giving my girls my undivided attention. I catch myself grabbing my phone or thinking about what I will do next when I’m also trying to focus on one of my girls, so I know I can do a better job at being truly present. That’s one of my most important mom goals for the new year.
Mom goals are not about perfection.
They’re about making small, meaningful changes that help you thrive and feel more fulfilled in the year ahead. Whether you tackle one goal or all of them, remember to give yourself grace along the way.
You’re already doing an amazing job, mama, and setting these intentional mom goals is just another way to show up for yourself and your family. So, here’s to a new year filled with more laughter, less stress, and plenty of moments where you can celebrate the incredible mom you are.
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