New Year Goals: Ideas For Moms

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As moms, we already do so much. We devote our lives to taking care of others, and while we wouldn’t have it any other way, many of us are guilty of neglecting ourselves in the process. Chances are, your wants and needs are right at the bottom of the priority list- but it shouldn’t always be this way. You matter too, and as a bonus, when you feel happy and fulfilled it can ensure you’re able to better take care of others. Maybe your children have started school this year so you have a bit more time on your hands, or perhaps you just want to start prioritising yourself a bit more. As we move into the last months of the year, you might be considering what your goals and aspirations are for 2023- here are some ideas for your new years goals. 

Start your own business/ side hustle

Starting a business can be a fantastic way to get back to feeling like ‘you’ again after taking a break from employment to raise your kids. Thanks to the internet and technology it’s now perfectly possible to do this from home, making it a great flexible way to earn money and build skills. You could buy items cheaply and sell them for a profit. You can hire reverse logistics solutions companies and all kinds of fulfilment companies to deal with stock and shipping too if you reach a stage where you’re selling more than you can store at home. You could start a blog and earn money through ads and sponsors. You could use any existing skills you have to set up an Etsy business and sell your craft. Decide on your niche, and then build your business around this. Keep it focused and research marketing and promotion methods as a way to get yourself out there. Starting a successful business isn’t something that will happen overnight, but if you do your research there are plenty of resources out there that can help you. And once you’re established, being able to work around your family means you’ll be able to gain a great work/ life balance. 

Study

Maybe you want to gain qualifications to be able to apply for specific jobs, or perhaps you just want to learn more about a topic for your own enjoyment. Either way, you can study just about anything online these days through universities and colleges. If you want to study in an informal way there are plenty of free courses you could undertake. Studying is great for the mind, it could get you thinking in new ways and could open the door to new opportunities. Again, it’s something you could do in a flexible way in any spare time that you have, and is a great investment into yourself. 

Spend time on your appearance

As moms we tend to be so guilty of neglecting our appearance. And it’s understandable, more than likely you don’t have the time you once did to work on these things so practicality wins over style. But if you can, invest a little time into you to make yourself feel good. Go to the hairdresser and have a low maintenance cut and colour done, that way it will look nice for months at a time and you can come up with some quick and simple styles to do at home. Come up with a five minute makeup routine that you can do in the mornings, and every now and again treat yourself to eyebrow tinting and shaping, a facial, nails or whatever beauty treatment you most enjoy. If it’s been a long time since you bought new clothes, buy some guilt free. If your children are immaculate but you walk around in worn out items then it’s not going to make you feel great- you deserve some nice outfits too. If you’re on a budget, check out charity shops and apps for preloved clothes where you can find some real bargains. 

Take up a new hobby

Hobbies are important for everyone, they help you to relax and unwind, build skills and can make up an aspect of your identity. As a busy mom you might feel like you have no time for hobbies, but they don’t need to be time consuming or expensive. Instead of spending an hour scrolling your phone in the evening, how about picking up a craft project? Maybe you could enjoy a hobby that gets your kids involved too, such as gardening or baking? Consider what you enjoy doing and how you could incorporate this into your life. 

Learn a new life skill

Your own learning and skills were probably put on the backburner when you had children, so how about gaining some of those skills that you had on your to-do list previously? This could be learning to drive and getting yourself a car, not only will this give your self esteem a boost but it’s practical and enables you to be more independent. Maybe you could learn to cook, there are plenty of cooking classes both online and in person to help you build your skills. You might want to take a basic DIY or car repair course, anything that interests you or you feel would add value to your life. Have a look around and see what’s available, then once you get the chance you could go for it! Gaining skills is always a worthwhile investment in yourself and definitely something to consider as a mom looking for self development ideas. 

Don’t be afraid to put yourself first in certain situations, you can still be a great mom and ensure your kids are well provided for while spending some time, effort, money and energy on yourself. Have a think about what will most benefit your self esteem and your life and work out what’s doable based on the budget and time frames that you have.