How to Thrive as a Homeschool Mom with Goals.

Being a homeschool mom is a beautiful, exhausting, fun, all-consuming lifestyle. I am totally in love with our homeschool life and would not change it BUT there is no getting around it. It takes over your life. No down time, no breaks like when we were initially in the traditional school system. It is very easy to get swamped by the enormity of the task.

You might say, “why add extra work with more goals?”. The short answer is I thrive more when I get time to work on my personal goals. I try to be an engaged, present and intentional mom, but to achieve this, I need to have time to work on my own goals and passions. It’s that simple.

So. If you are a busy homeschool mom who has a desire to carve out a little time for yourself, the good news is you are in the right place.

Let me make one thing clear before we start. When I talk about setting goals, I am not specifically talking about work or career goals. Your goal might be to get fit, run a marathon or declutter and simplify your life. Or you might be a working mom building your home business. You might simply be on a journey of personal growth.

All goals are welcome here.

Why Homeschool, Moms with Goals Thrive.

1. Goals give you a chance to find your old or new identity. How many times do moms say “I have totally lost who I was”? This is especially true for homeschool moms. It’s hard to find the lines between your homeschooler role and your own self. Working on your own goals, no matter how small, gives you a glimpse of your very own identity again, and this feels great.
2. Working on goals increases your confidence. You might not be the person you were before you had kids. That just means there is extra space for someone even more amazing to emerge. I needed to find my confidence again and establishing my goals has given me a massive confidence boost. In turn, this makes me a calmer, more resilient mom and homeschooler.
3. Goals need organization. I will hold my hand up and say I am not as organized as I dream of being. I have to organize my life to an extent if I want to make use of the limited free time I have (more tips on this to follow). If you need a little more Zen and a little less chaos in your life, setting some goals might just be the ticket.
4. Goals set a good example for your kids, “Your child will follow your example, not your advice”-unknown. Working on some goal is a great lesson for your children. If you say you are going to walk 50 miles to raise funds for a charity and then put the work in doing it; what a great lesson on grit, determination and compassion for your child. There is no better education. Go momma.
5. Goal setting encourages greater mental and physical health. Many studies have shown that setting goals increases your health and happiness. Happy and healthy homeschool mom, happy family. It’s a win-win situation.
6. Goal setting benefits your whole family. A happy, thriving mom, a happy family. Even if you spend a little less time with your kids, the time you spend will be more aligned and joyful. I am ALL for that.

How to Thrive as a Homeschool Mom with Goals.

1. Set some goals. Yeah, that’s obvious I hear you say? Hang on there. When you have been a mom for a while, it’s hard to determine exactly what your own goals are. I’ve had months where my only goal was to wash my hair and find clothes without food or mud on. Think about what you need and want, then set some measurable goals. A good way to work on this is through journalling and I have many journal ideas and prompts for you. Post: 51 Positive January Journal PromptsPost: 51 Self Esteem Journal PromptsPost: 41 Morning Journal Prompts
2. Organize those goals. Once you have established a few goals you need to sort them out. You can split them into obvious categories such as health, homeschooling, family, career, self development, finances and spirituality. By doing this, you can see if your time and energy is too heavily focused on one area and where there may need some attention.
3. Create a map of smaller goals that lead you towards your big goal. Dreams are one thing, but goals are the stepping stones to your dreams. Goals are where action takes place. Map out the route to your big goal and set a serious of much smaller steps to get there. This map can and will change along the way, but it is a huge help in keeping you on track.
4. Work out what you need to work on your goals. What needs to drop? What do you need more of? For me, I needed to drop social media to a minimum, establish a daily routine, set boundaries with my family and friends, and surround myself with a great support team. I am pretty disorganized by nature, so learning to schedule my time has been invaluable. I have recently started using Asana for my business and home management. It’s an epic tool.
5. Celebrate your achievements. I keep a gratitude journal. I don’t write in it every single day but I like to dip in and out. It’s a powerful way of seeing just how far you’ve come on the journey to your final goal. By celebrating your wins and accepting your stumbles and challenges, you are stepping into the place of a thriving mom.
6. Accept the season of life you are in. If you are a homeschool mom of young children (like myself) you need to accept that life will always be a little messy, right now. There’s no point in trying to keep a beautiful home, perfectly prepped meals and the ultimate homeschool schedule. That would be unrealistic and lead to disappointment. I don’t want that for you. I have accepted that some days flow great and others I just need to give in to what’s happening at this moment.
7. Spend time with people who light up your soul. Your environment matters. You are much more likely to be a thriving mom if you surround yourself with people who talk positively, support you and live in a way you admire. The quickest way to thrive is to find other homeschool moms and people who you admire and connect with. Acknowledging that I can change and should pick my friendships wisely has been the biggest step for me in my own personal development. This can be a really hard lesson, so go gently on yourself.
8. Create nurturing routines for yourself and your family. I am reading The Brave Learner at the moment (I am late to the game; I know). One thing that shines through for me is the need for routine, ritual, and nurturing. Creating routines for your enchanted homeschool experience will filter down to your own personal goals. I have a homeschool goal of learning through rich experiences. To attain this, I have worked out we need to slow down to allow for curiosity and exploration and spend more cozy days just reading and enjoying being together. Slowing down has also allowed me more time to rest, read and fill up my cup. This gives me more energy to work on my business and goals. You see how it works?
9. Declutter your life. This one I am still working on, but it’s hard to thrive when you have a cluttered home or mind. Meditation allows me to declutter my mind. It may only be 30 minutes a day, but the trickle effect keeps me more mindful and present throughout the busy days. Decluttering my home? I am working on that constantly. If you have any winning tips on how to declutter a homeschool home, then please share them below. I am still a long way from this goal.

Examples of goals for thriving homeschool moms (or parents).

I’ve won you over and you want to set some thriving homeschool mom goals but stuck for inspiration? How about thinking about one of these ideas?

I will commit to reading one inspiring book a month (ideas for books here).

I will join my local run, swim, bike club and make some new friends this year and get fit as well.

I will stop judging other moms, whether they are a stay at home mom, working homeschool mom or anywhere in between. I will support and hold up my community (this is really powerful).

I will run 5k by the end of the year and commit to weekly runs to achieve this.

I will start my own side business and sell handmade items on Etsy.

I will get over my fear of judgement and start a blog (this was my goal two years ago!).

I will declutter one room of my house every month.

I will never stop working to become a calmer parent.

I will set boundaries with my family who overstep.

I will start that business, from my kitchen table, I have thought about for years.

I will run a marathon for charity.

I will volunteer 2 hours a month, my older children may want to join me.

I will batch cook once a month to ensure I have some healthy meals in the freezer for the days when it all goes wrong.

I will take time to offer my partner dedicated attention every week and stay thankful for our relationship.

I will meditate for 15 minutes a day, every day.

I will drink one extra glass of water a day.

I will go to bed 15 minutes early at least 3 times a week.

I will create a vision board for next year.

Final thoughts on how to thrive as a homeschool mom with goals.

There is no formula to what makes a successful homeschool mom. How could that ever be measured, anyway? The important thing to remember is setting goals should make you feel good, empowered, and happy. If goal setting makes you even more exhausted and stressed, then leave it for a while. Homeschooling is a marathon, not a sprint. The challenges ebb and flow.

When the time feels right for goal setting in your homeschool life, go for it. You never know what you might uncover and please don’t forget to keep a journal. I can’t stress enough how important this step is. You will be amazed by what you have achieved in the small time you have. I know I am, every day. I have come from being a mega introverted mom with a fear of judgement to an active member of my local run club and mom blogger with big goals and a calm(er) mind. Big steps.

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible to the visible.

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible to the visible.

tony robbins

Do you have any thoughts or tips to share on being a homeschool mom with goals? Did you find your goals changed after starting homeschooling? I would love to hear from a veteran homeschooling mom as I am still a relative newbie. Tips on time management? Would love them! Share your thoughts below. Send me a message or find me over on Instagram or Pinterest.

Here with you.

Amanda x

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