How to Spark Self-Motivation in Motherhood
Early motherhood can be filled with passivity. I mean, when you are full of diapers and sleeplessness, you don’t really care about much. If you are a sahm, it’s even worse. The days can seem like an endless string of crying, feeding, and sleeping. On top of that, you also have to take care of baby’s needs *wink*. I don’t blame you for lacking self-motivation.
Many moms are alone during the baby stage, friends and family are sometimes absent. You may have stepped away from your career for a time and just feel lack-luster for motherhood and life.
But don’t despair! In the midst of all of that, you can still be successful in motherhood!
I understand motivation can quickly be lost and the exhaustion becomes indifference towards life. Every day can feel like a repeat of yesterday’s trials. Somewhere inside you do want more but you put it off because of the season. You end up losing your own identity.
Ladies, life doesn’t stop because your little one is needy. Yes, you may not feel like the same aspiring, achieving, awesome mom you thought you’d be, but maybe it’s because you haven’t cultivated it.
Getting MOM READY is a process that can be fast-forwarded with intentional living and learning.
Mom Get Goals
Why should you try to plan anything? Or create goals?
Tomorrow won’t be any different you say. You’ll get up with the baby before sunlight, nurse, fall asleep. Half wake up when your husband leaves for work, and put the baby in the crib.
Go back to sleep again, only to be awakened by baby 20 minutes later. Then you nurse again, get breakfast, get baby ready for the day, try to clean up the house a bit while holding baby. Nurse again and go for a walk (or to storytime), come back and have a snack, lay baby down, etc. etc. etc.
The WHOLE day is baby. The story gets even deeper with 2 kids under 4, or under 3! Yikes!
I do get it.
I had 2 kids under 3 myself. But I’m here to tell you – each day matters. Each day there are moments that you can take for you. Do you see them? It’s okay to analyze your time. Actually, this is one of the things that successful moms do.
But how are you using those moments? While the baby is napping, do you always sleep? Give the right answer because I already know moms don’t always sleep. Sometimes you can’t sleep, so you take those moments to read a leisurely book or magazine. You might watch a movie that you won’t even care about next month.
Come on girls! How do you think you’ll ever slay it when you are wasting those precious moments that are for you. If you don’t need to rest you should be gathering the coals for your goals. Time to plan, create, and educate.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosures page for more information
Spark Self-Motivation
Plan
If you are not a person that plans much, I know it may be difficult to get this concept. Don’t skip this section, you can become a planner. You can become a forward-thinker simply by taking the time to do it. Planning, in this situation, is all about knowing yourself.
Think about your gifts and talents. Ask a friend what they would say your gifts are. Pray that God will reveal your gifts.
Once you know what your skills and talents are you can now begin to sketch out what you could do with those skills. You can literally draw it out or write a list of possibilities. Then look up those possibilities and find out what’s involved. Doing your research is as much about planning as knowing yourself.
Afterward match it up even more with who you are and what you want for your future. But don’t neglect the now. Could you invest in learning more about these ideas while you care for your kids? Is this something that would make sense money-wise?
Always seek out goals that would benefit, not hinder, your family’s financial goals.
Create
Create your opportunities, create your product, create your artwork.
Take what you’ve learned about yourself, your skills and your desires (the above goals for your life) and think of things you can create. Basically, you want to start a hobby (or volunteer), but remember the end goal, you want something to help your financial situation.
Don’t just start collecting craft items, beads or ribbons with the goal of JUST enjoyment. There is a place for simple mom self-care. However, many times these types of hobbies end up costing your family more money and clutter than what was your original intent.
I wish someone had told me this process before I became a mom blogger. When I started I put in a lot of effort for the fun of it but never thought concretely about how to make money with it.
The wasted years.
Now that I’d love to go full-time doing my “hobby” I am still only at the beginning, although I’ve been in the online space for years. Create something of quality and think quality for money.
Ever think how you could start your own blog?
Educate
Now you have a plan and you are creating something unique to you. These are the steps for getting back to who you are. Victory!
Well, almost.
As you are creating you will always hit bumps. Either with the project you are working on or even in who you are developing into. Remember, it’s not just intentional living, it’s intentional learning.
You can intensify self-motivation each day through learning your motherhood purpose, learning to hone your skills, and understanding more about the goals you’ve set forth. You have been created to touch many but you won’t ever do that if you don’t get beyond the diapers.
Don’t despair that all you are is a mom. If you enjoy being home and serving your family that’s great – do it for His glory.
But if you feel piled down, worthless and indifferent about life because you want more but you don’t know what to do, pray and seek it out …
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
Start by reading
There are many benefits associated with reading, and starting today will help you re-engage your brain and boost your focus.
Take a Course
You may want to take a career course at Training Connection. If you want to learn how to start a business or build a website you could try:
How to Create Your First Website
Growth Strategies for Business (FREE!)
Join a Group
There are tons of forums and groups online for every possible subject. Facebook is a great place to start since most people have an account already. Just search for a group by topic. Make sure it’s active and join in. Ask questions, read other peoples questions and answers is a great way to grow a community and learn more about your topics and goals.
Are you a mom blogger? We are welcoming new collab friends all the time! 🙂
Now you have your plan, you are creating and educating yourself. Look how fulfilling this is! Yes, sometimes it will be stressful with the demands of motherhood. And yes it may be months or even years before you can fully engage in it. You can definitely lose your fire among the day-to-day.
So let’s talk about ways you can keep your plan hot.
Keep that Self-Motivation Spark Burning
Do Something Completely Different
There are tons of things you can do with kids, that will occupy your mind and talents. Don’t think you’ll just ride into the sunset with your new plan.
It is easy to get bored and fall into a sense of complacency for moms, especially sahms. Make a bucket list for yourself of things you can do easily from home. Things like:
- Learning a Language (reasons to learn another language)
- Learning to Draw
- Finding a Pen Pal
- Joining a Book Club
- Running a Marathon
- Trying Geocaching
- Teaching yourself to Knit
Listen to Something Completely Different
I find that when I’m just listening to my thoughts I can get stuck. It’s hard to change your attitude and keep moving along when you are just in your own head. Yes, the kids are around but you need maturity and experience to intercept your reality. So try listening to things like:
Tony Evans
This is Your Life Podcast
Morning Mindset Christian Devotionals
Abiding Radio
The Homemaking Foundations Podcast
Look at Something Completely Different
The way we see life is the way we live life, so why not put on some new glasses. It’s easier to tune into where we want to go if we keep looking at what’s next and what our goals are.
This is hard, especially if you are exhausted or think you have enough time to get there. It’s easy to just coast if you think you’ll eventually get to it.
But don’t – DO NOT – put it off.
I’m telling you, when you put it off you will instantly become de-motivated and start seeing the flaws in your life. Instead, you want to look at things like:
The Sky or Stargazing. Great time to pray, reflect, rejoice!
The Bible. it might be time to get back to basics.
Paintings. Sometimes just seeing the hard work someone put into a piece can spark your own inspiration for life.
New Surroundings. Getting out, away from your home and sometimes into someone else’s can cause a motivated mindset.
Someone in need. Reflecting on our own blessings, or ways we can be a comfort to others gets our minds in gear.
Takeaway
What are your goals for your motherhood journey? Do you have goals for this year? How about this week? Let’s go beyond your playdate on Friday.
Don’t let the same thing cycle wear you down. See what else is awaiting you, right now in this season. Have goals! The days quickly turn into months and years and what will you have when you look back? Will you spend all your time weeping or will you be working for your future?
First, have the plan to create and educate yourself.
Let that lead you to make some solid decisions about where you want your life to go.
Then routinely do something different to keep your perspective fresh. You will automatically lead a life, not just of self-motivation and ambition, but of meaningfulness.
Are you down about your life as a mom? Let me lift your spirits when you sign up for my Hope for Mom Challenge I will spend 3 days encouraging and empowering you. Sign up below.
For years I lost my identity. Sure I had a career but I was always introducing myself by my job title or my husband’s wife or the all time favorite…my kid’s mom. I now make an effort to live more intentional and seek out education that fulfills my own passions. This article is a great reminder to do just that.
Love this…”Remember, it’s not just intentional living, it’s intentional learning.” So many things get better when we just learn a little more.
This is something I needed to hear! With 4 little kids ages 7 and under, I often feel stuck under a pile of to-dos and lose sight of myself. Thanks for the reminder for me to choose to get motivated!
Thanks for joining #WanderingWednesday! 🙂
I love these ideas. I’m not a mom yet but these are good to keep in mind for the day that I hopefully do become a mom – or even those who aren’t moms! I think some of us need a good reminder of living a life of purpose and setting goals and you have set it out very clearly here. Thank you!