Be the Mum You Want to Be in 2017

Happy New Year! While I know some of you deserve an ‘I survived 2016’ T-Shirt, I hope that this new year has you looking ahead with a bit of hope towards the future.

I always feel a little under-prepared for a new year: I feel like the last few months have gone so fast and I didn’t actually get to all the things I really wanted to do… and now that January is here, I want to spend some time journaling, reflecting or planning, but the full-on period of summer holidays has me totally out of routine. (And to be honest, I am enjoying the lazy pace of eating outside and watching endless summer cricket!)

word-for-2017

One of the practices that I started doing with a group of friends last year was to nominate a word for the year which we felt would help us focus on the right things and keep us going. We would check in every so often and share what we were learning, and how we were going with the word. I found it a really valuable exercise because it provided an overall theme for the year, and some accountability through the year to get things done.

And so as we start off another new year, I am planning my new word for the year, but I am also planning a focus word for my role as a mum. This year, I want to be a purposeful mum, and here are some reasons why:

  • My boys are growing up, and we are starting to have some pretty deep conversations. I want to be purposeful in creating opportunities for these conversations to take place so that we keep building open communication in our relationships.
  • I really want to be more purposeful in how the boys contribute to our home and family life: helping out with chores, being more independent in packing/unpacking their school bags, and also contributing to decisions about holidays, spending and recreation.
  • I need to be purposeful in developing habits that will keep the household running: think meal planning, cleaning schedules, being careful about what we consume and bring into our home. I’ve just spent the first few days of 2017 decluttering garbage bags of clothes and boxes of books, and I don’t want to keep making more work for myself!

purposeful-mum

So, since the New Year is a great time to reflect on our lives and who we want to be, I’m going to issue a challenge to you as well. I want you to think intentionally about the values and character you want to focus on in your motherhood role.

Who do you want to be as a mum, and what does this look like?

  • Will you be a fun mum, an organised mum, an involved mum?
  • What will it mean for you and your family to achieve this? How will your life be different?
  • What are the action steps you can take to achieve this?
  • What commitment are you going to make to achieve this?

I’ve created a free downloadable PDF to take you through the steps to define your word for 2017. And as an extra special freebie, email me with your word (tanya@coachingmum.com.au), and I’ll create a free personalised 4×6 inch printable so that you can keep your word in front of you throughout the year!

I’d love you to share your ideas! Write a comment below: “In 2017, I want to be a …… mum!”

 

About The Author

Tanya

Tanya lives in Canberra with her husband and two sons. She is passionate about helping women to live fulfilled, purposeful lives. She enjoys reading, cooking, craft and creating memorable moments for her family.

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