Like most mothers, I have a natural tendency to focus on my children, my husband, and my home. These are important for sure, but I do my family and myself a disservice when I don’t have a more balanced approach to life. Specifically, I must learn to focus on me.
Mothers who fail to focus on themselves lose their identity, struggle with their fitness, and become disconnected with friends and loved ones. The moms tend to struggle with regret as they move further down the path of their motherhood journey.
Whether you have infants, teenagers, or adult children, there are steps you can take to keep the “ME” in Mommy. Here are some things I wish I knew when I first became a mother:
5 Ways to Keep the ME in Mommy
- Put yourself as a priority in your life. Put some of your desires and dreams higher on your priority list, so you can live a life without regrets. Yes, there are seasons in mothering that prevent you from chasing all your dreams, but you want to pay attention to some of your own plans and wishes along the way. You have gifts and talents that can be used no matter what stage of mothering you find yourself.
- Schedule fitness into your life. When our kids were little, this looked like a double stroller and a walking buddy doing the two-mile loop in our neighborhood – rain, snow, or shine! Now it looks more like a personal trainer and workouts at the gym or walks with friends. This one is a work in progress since I started back to work 5 days. Your health matters. Find time to keep yourself healthy.
- Go on dates with your husband. Early in our parenting journey, this looked like a babysitting swap or paying babysitters. Now, we look forward to our weekly date night, and we are excited about life after our kids leave (even though we’ll miss them) because we’ve invested in our relationship all these years. We’re planning for our 20th anniversary this summer!
- Keep up with your girlfriends! You will need and cherish these special friendships as you get older. Remember that your kids are not your friends and one day they’ll leave the nest. Your girlfriends will be there through the day-to-day and all your transitions and seasons of motherhood and life.
- Live your life with no regrets. One of my regrets is that I didn’t start subbing earlier in my life. I was chicken. I was too afraid. I don’t know where my subbing adventures will lead, but I’’m moving forward. I know that God has this, and I’m clinging to His hands. What are you waiting for?
As a mom, you have a very important job. In fact, it’s one of the most important jobs in the world. Don’t forget, you have another important job – to take care of you. If you want to keep the ME in Mommy, you have to take intentional steps today. When you do this, you’ll be surprised to see the positive impact on your family.
