How to Have a Productive Weekend so You Can Have a Productive Week
It’s important to have a productive weekend so you can have a productive week. This allows you to get more set, set yourself up for success and feel like stressed. Systems and routines allow you to live less stressed life and give you freedom to get done what matters.
I intentionally take one day off a week. I started this practice 2 months ago and am so thankful that I did. Prior to this, I was just go, go, go and didn’t rest, felt myself pulled by my to-do list, and was starting to burn out again. I knew the feelings of burn out, I had been there before. 5 years ago, I left teaching to become a full time entrepreneur and work at home mom because I felt the same feelings start to creep in. Now that I’m running my own business and family, I decided I needed some preventative measures to make sure that I was still taking care of me.
Hence… my Saturday’s off. I decided to take Saturday ‘off’ so that I could really just do what matters. The only work that I do on Saturday is what I just feel like doing, no pressure or to do list. On Saturdays if I don’t want to do laundry, house cleaning, or other ‘mom duties’, I don’t. I don’t really make too many plans unless it’s something we really want to do. Oh… and I take a nap.
I really love my Saturday nap.
But in order to make my Saturday rest day really work for me, I needed to make sure that I had a system for being very productive the rest of the week so I could relax, guilt free. And once I decided that I was going to schedule out a day of rest, it became so freeing. The week started to go more smoothly because I knew that I had a day to chill coming up, I didn’t feel guilty anymore about letting myself decompress, and I just started to laugh and enjoy our family time more. I learned to use my weekend to set my entire week up for productivity and keep it moving.
I chose to have my rest day on Saturday rather than Sunday for a few reasons.
On Sundays since we go to church, I still have us on a schedule to make sure we get out of the house on time. My husband delivers the newspaper as a side job right now so, he works Sunday mornings and I want to make sure I can give him rest time when get gets back at 6am before we go to church. Sundays are also my day to set my week up for success.
I may do some grocery shopping (though I often like to do that on Saturdays. I actually really like grocery shopping because I love to coupon and it’s a hobby for me and on Saturdays I get to go without kids!), I’ll meal prep so that I can save time during the week, and I’ll work on organizing my week, my planner, and other work tasks that I need to have a super successful and productive week.
This post may contain affiliate links which cost you nothing extra to use but may provide me with a commission. To read my full disclosure head on over here.
How to Have a Productive Weekend
There are a few things that I make sure to do over the weekend that help me have a productive week. I tend to spread them out over the weekend but you can create a schedule that fits best for you. You may have a busy Saturday and want to use Sunday as your prep day or you may spread it out – it’s up to you!
Tips for a Meal Prep System
The #1 thing that I suggest you start your Sunday with is meal planning and preparation. I actually have a system where I make the meal plan on Friday, shop on Saturday and cook on Sunday so that I don’t do it all on one day. This saves me time and decreases the overwhelm that I can face when it comes to getting it all done.
However you decide to do it, make sure you plan out your meals for the week. We keep it pretty basic and have a rotation of 2-3 breakfast, lunch and dinner options each week. My husband doesn’t mind eating the same thing each day and it’s easy to be predictable with the kids.
I’ll spend some time doing some basic preparation like cutting up fruits and veggies, making salads, cooking up rice, steaming veggies, browning some ground turkey for quick lunches, and boiling some eggs.
I then make sure that I have listed out what’s for dinner each week so that I can check the fridge and see what I still need to get at the store. I try my best to make our plan from what we already have to save money and not have to go to the store as much.
Honestly though, I cannot stand cooking dinner. I struggle so much with thinking of what to make and it was becoming super stressful. This month I’ve started using the Theme Night System from my friend Elisa at Meal Planning Blueprints. This allows me to sit down one time and create a monthly meal plan. I thought this was going to take way too long and be a waste of time but it’s proven to be a game changer! You can check out theme nights here!
I suggest even packing out as many salads for lunches in tupperware as possible (even if you stay home) because then you can grab and go instead of preparing things. This helps a ton if we decide last minute to go to the park, or meet up with friends because the food is ready to go. It also prevents me from running out of what we need or knowing what i have to stop for. These are the ones we used in the picture below!
Weekend Cleaning Routine
Even though, I have a cleaning routine where I do a little cleaning each day so that it doesn’t pile up that doesn’t mean I don’t do anything on the weekends. Often, after my Saturdays off, my house needs a little more TLC since I probably didn’t do as many dishes or pick up as much. What I have now just come to accept as a mom is that my house will probably always be covered in stuff, things will be out of place, and everything will just be sticky.
But just because my kids will always make a mess, doesn’t mean that I won’t try to make it just a little more clean and tidy. I also find that when the clutter builds up, my anxiety peaks and for me ‘outer order leads to inner calm’ so taking time on Sundays to clean up really helps.
My suggested Sunday system includes laundry (I do 1-2 loads each day so that it’s easy to put away so my Sunday laundry is normally the same), sweep and mopping the floors, vacuuming the playroom, and doing a Zone clean up.
We do a Zone Clean Up as a family after church on Sundays where everyone is in charge of a room or area (My 11 year old or husband normally does a zone with my toddler). I put on a 15 minute timer and everyone is in charge of putting away things that don’t belong in their zone. This really helps all of the out of place items to find their way back home and means that I”m not the only one picking up the books that have been on the floor for 2 days and everyone walks around (you know what I’m saying!). If you’ve never done a 15 minute pick up, read about how it can change your home here!
Before I go to bed on Sunday, I make sure that I’ve done my typical evening routine and an additional 15 minute clean up. There is nothing more exciting for me (I know this is going to sound really nerdy) than waking up on a Monday morning where there are no dishes in the sink, my kitchen table is cleaned up, and the clutter is gone. It’s really my favorite way to start the week and having a productive weekend is the first step in having a productive week!
Organize Your Weekly Calendar and To Do List
The last thing that I do to set my week up for success is make sure i have a plan in place. Often, people ask me how I can be so productive and get so much done and, while I have some hacks that help, one of the things that helps is that I always take the time to plan.
I took a training with the Franklin/Covey system once that really changed the way that I planned. I learned all about the power of weekly and nightly planning and have since been implementing it for years. It’s what I do in my life, what I teach the moms that I coach and what I teach in my e-book and course; Design Your Day; Time Management for the Busy Woman
On Sundays, I take out my planner (I use a mix of a paper planner from Erin Condren , google calendar, and Trello) and look at my week ahead.
I start with putting in all the dates of things that I cannot change like doctor appointments or meetings. We use a family calendar in the kitchen so these things always get written on their first and then transferred to my digital system.
After those dates are in, I then plan out what tasks I want to accomplish that week. I create a list of personal items, business items, and projects (around the house and for work) that I want to complete. I break them down into 20 minute tasks so that I know they are manageable and easily can be accomplished in a day, rather than over planning myself and getting frustrated when it doesn’t get done.
I then go into my planner and actually assign 3-5 tasks for each day. I split them up so that I Pick 1 personal task (call grandma, put pictures in frames etc….), 3 work tasks (write blog post, create images, email clients….) and 1 project task (brainstorm ideas for birthday party, work on mother’s day scrapbook etc….).
Assigning those things to a day BEFORE the week starts allows me to know what is going to happen and have a plan. This way, when it’s nap time and I get to work, or I have free time after dinner and want to work on a project, I’m not wasting time thinking about what to do, I can just take action.
Trust me when I say that if you set up your week for success you WILL be able to get more done, feel more accomplished and actually take a day off to rest and not feel the mom guilt! You can have a productive weekend for a more productive week!
I challenge you to start using this system (or one that works for you) to take more control in your life!
Finding time to workout as a busy mom can be super hard. Taking care of ourselves and focusing on healthy living is something most moms struggle with. We feel guilty about taking time to exercise. Our time and attention is pulled in a million different directions. The to-do list becomes so long that taking care of ourselves doesn’t always seem like a top priority. We’re tired and don’t always have the energy to do it. And honestly… we just sometimes don’t feel like it.
The reality is, exercising can be tough enough when you don’t have kids but, adding kids to the mix can make prioritizing your health and self-care even tougher. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.
This post may contain affiliate links which cost you nothing extra to use but may provide me with a commission. To read my full disclosure head on over here.
Self Care Activities for Mothers
I know that it can be super hard to create the time for you between the real like stress and the guilt but can I tell you something?
You matter.
Yup, you matter more than you realize and more than you’re willing to admit.
Because if you take the time to actually acknowledge how fabulous you are, you’ll have to admit that you haven’t been treating yourself the way you deserve.
You’ll have to admit that you’ve put yourself on the back burner and that you need to get back to it.
But taking that time to workout a few times a week (I currently work out 5-6x a week for around 30-40 minutes) does more than just get your heart pumping. When you leave a workout, you feel accomplished. You feel proud and you are reminded that you are worth that effort.You are better when you fill your cup and when you do, you can be a better mom.
There is a reason that on airplanes, you are told to put on your oxygen mask first. It’s because if you’re a panicked mess, there is NO way you’ll be able to help someone else. And it’s the same situation in life. If you aren’t taking care of yourself and have little energy, poor health, low self-confidence, and just feel generally bad, then that trickles down to your family.
I find that when I am exercising regularly (which I do now and, though it’s taken years, is now a habit that I hate to miss in my day), I am happier, I snap less at my kids, I feel good about myself, I have more energy, and am just a better mom.
The thing is, and I’m going to toss you some real talk right now, your kids deserve a happy and healthy mom. None of us can guarantee how long we’ll have on this earth but, don’t you want to spend as much time with your kids as possible? And wouldn’t you do anything you could to make that happen?
If you can say yes to that question, you need to find a way to fit exercise into your life and take care of your health. For you, for them, for the grandkids you’ll hopefully get to be around for, and the pictures taken of memories that you aren’t hiding in because you hate the way you look. The self care matters for everyone!
How to find time to workout as a busy mom
When it comes to working out, you need to decide what you need and how you want it to happen. I personally, haven’t stepped foot in a gym in years and love working out at home. Some people need to leave the house to get that extra motivation to get it done. Determine the type of person you are, be okay with it (because you don’t have to be like anyone else), and come up with a routine that fits that.If you need alone time and want the gym to be your sanctuary, then go for it!
I coach and talk to so many moms that tell me they’d love to workout at home like me but really need to get out of the house, have interactions with people, and get time alone. If that’s you… go for it! Find a gym that has a daycare included so that you truly can feel at ease. It can be pretty tough to find childcare for just an hour or two to go to the gym each day but, if your gym has a daycare center then you’re kids get interaction, which they need, and you get the time to workout. The first place I’d recommend checking out is your local YMCA. Not only do they have great rates but you can get family packages, which includes childcare, classes, swimming and something for the whole family.
If you’re going to leave the house to workout, make sure you pick a time in the day that works and makes the most sense to you. You don’t want to go when you’ll be cutting it too close to nap and fearing cranky littles or the dreaded car nap. We have a 2-hour chunk in our mornings that is our only time where we can leave the house to do anything without someone napping so if it were me, I’d make sure that we left for the gym then.
Get yourself prepared the night before so that you don’t waste any time. If you know that you have 2 hours to hit the gym after one of the kiddos naps but before the next nap (which is our schedule), take 5 minutes the night before and lay out your workout clothes and pack your diaper and gym bag. If you bring bags for the kids with activities for them, make sure they are packed along with any water cups and snacks. This way, as soon as the kids are up and your window to workout begins, you’re not wasting 10-15 minutes packing things up.
If you can pack the bags when they are sleeping, you can get it done super fast since you’ll have limited distractions.Make sure you also sleep in your workout clothes to save a step and have any shower stuff packed. Many gyms have showers you can use so, you can grab a quick one before you pick up the kids and be on your way! This diaper bag would be perfect for the gym since it’s big enough for both your stuff and the kid’s stuff!
How to Workout at Home with Kids
Working out at home is my jam. I get to wear whatever I want, get all sweaty and not care, try moves I would never do in public, and get my groove on to some great dance workouts all while looking pretty embarrassing. I also don’t have to worry about commuting or taking the kids anywhere and can be flexible if they are fussy.
That being said. It’s not easy. Getting my daily workout in at home takes planning and a system that it’s taken us a few months to really get the hang of. But, once you get the routine it can also be fun.
My kids LOVE workout time and a tantrum normally happens on the weekends when I go to workout in our home gym alone since my husband is home. I get to be an example of health to them and they get to join if they want. I always invite my 12 year old stepson to workout with me and, though he almost always says no, the other day he asked if I could help him train for basketball and my heart swelled up with excitement.
My first suggestion is to find a workout you love. I use Beachbody On Demand (get a 2 week free trial here!) and have for the past few years. I used Beachbody workouts to lose 70 pounds before I had my kids, the 50 I gained with my daughter, during both my pregnancies andcurrently using it to stay healthy and drop the baby weight after my son.
There are so many workouts out there that you can pick but, here is the thing… if you don’t love it, you won’t do it. In the past few years, I did some soul searching when it came to workouts and decided that just because everyone else was trying the newest workout, didn’t mean I had to. I love to stretch out of my comfort zone and try new things but, if I don’t like doing a workout, I just pick something else.
Now, at first you might not like any workouts because working out isn’t the most fun all the time (particularly when you’re out of shape), but I guarantee there is something out there for you! When I was pregnant and my goals were different, I did some home dance workouts or yoga because I knew it would make me feel good. Find what lights you up, challenges you, and makes you happy and I swear, over time exercising will become a part of your lifestyle.
You can also find something that your kids love to do can include them. Another reason that I loveBeachbody on Demand is that they have a kids channe! My toddler loves doing the dance workouts with me, climbing on my back for pushups, and kickboxing is her fav! Your workouts with them may not be as hardcore as before, but remember DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT!
You can always workout at home during nap time if your kids still nap. I choose to do it when they are awake because I use nap times to work but, you can make that your time to take care of you, grab a shower, and then get to all the other tasks. The cleaning and laundry can wait… your self care cannot!
How to Workout with Kids
My first tip is to find an area of your house that is the most conducive to you getting the workout done, not being frustrated with interruptions, and sets them up for success. I tend to do more bodyweight exercises than weights because, when I do have to use our gym and bring the kids in there, they are ALL over the place. On those days, I put my 9 month old in the pack and play and my daughter plays with her kitchen set or easel that I’ve left in there but, since there is so much more to look at and touch, it’s normally more of a headache for me.
I choose to workout in our playroom on most days. Their stuff is there, they can watch a TV show, and it’s baby proofed. That does mean I have to pick and choose workouts that fit in that space and don’t have weights but I”m okay with that. It helps to keep them contained so grab a good baby gate or pack and play so that you know that they aren’t trying to escape or eat little things off the floor!
How to Keep Your Kids Busy so You Can Workout
Next, figure out how much time your kids can hang before they don’t want to play independently anymore. My kids (2.5 years old and 9 months) have a sweet spot of 35 minutes. If I do anything longer than that, someone is fussy or needs more attention from me, so I try to average a 30-minute workout.
30 minutes is also about the time of one kids show so yes… this is when they get to watch TV. The baby could care less about TV but my toddler loves it so, during a workout, she gets a show. I do try to do my best to limit the amount of TV she watches and besides working out and when I do her hair, we keep a mostly tech-free day.
There are some super cute shows out there that don’t include too much sass (my biggest pet peeve with shows today!) and the kiddos love! If you’re not sure where to start, head over to this link and try a free month of Amazon Free Time Unlimited – it has SO much for them to do!
We love;
Little Baby Bum (Netflix)
Owlegories (Amazon Prime)
Super Why (Netflix)
Daniel Tiger (Amazon Prime)
Doc Mcstuffins, Nellie the Princess Knight, Sofia the First and anything about a girl show isn’t just a damsel in distress
Sesame Street (PBS)
Word Party (Netflix)
We could go on about some other shows we love but I always give her two choices of what she wants to watch and, if I’m being real, this keeps her attention long enough for me to workout in the playroom and her not to attack or take all of her brother’s toys so he gets fussy.
Oh, and I have to toss in a disclaimer because maybe you’re rolling my eyes at the fact that I let them watch TV so I can workout. You need to take care of you too mama, your kids are fine with a little TV while you do so, let go of the guilt, and stop judging any mom who does things you might not *drops mic*
How to Prepare for a Workout at Home
The best tip I can give you for working out at home is to be prepared before you begin. I always make sure that we have a few things handy.
My 2.5 year old is recently potty trained so I make sure she tries to go before I workout. I also keep the portable potty in the playroom so, if she has to go she can go there. But be careful… one time I did not stop my workout to empty it and my 9 month old pushed it over… ONTO ME during my pushups.
I also make sure all the toys are there for the baby and he has plenty of things to chew on, bang together, or build.
Also, make sure you get the milk cup filled up and have a snack ready so that you don’t have to stop. I workout pretty much right after breakfast and it never fails that my toddler will ask for a snack at least once during my workout.
You’ll also want to make sure that you pick the right time to workout so that you aren’t dealing with too fussy of kiddos. My son normally naps at 9:30 so I aim to workout at 8:15 am which gives me enough time to workout without him being fussy because it’s too close to nap. On the days when he gets up early and his nap is at 8 or 8:30, I put him down first and then workout with just me and my toddler.
Adjust your expectations
There are times when working out either at home or in the gym just doesn’t go as planned. Kids need things. Life gets in the way. You may have to stop and modify and hold your kid during that last set of squats, let them play horse with you while you do pushups, or sing “if you’re happy and you know it” through the last 10 minutes of your kickboxing workout.
That’s mom life.
But you’re a better mom for just trying to take care of yourself than saying “well it might not be perfect so I shouldn’t do anything”. 30 minutes of your day will go by super fast with you guys just sitting around playing or watching a show, so why not get your workout in at the same time?
This week, I challenge you to find 30 minutes or less each day to do SOMETHING active with them. And if none of these suggestions work for you, put them in the stroller and take a walk! Something is better than nothing and DONE is better than perfect!
Know that it is possible to workout with kids but you have to create a routine, be prepared, realize it might not be perfect, and do your best. Your kids should be one of the reasons you take care of your body and health, not an excuse not to!
Work at Home Moms need a good morning routine to set their days up for success. Whether you have a baby, school age kids or high schoolers, having a morning routine as a work at home mom matters.
Being a work from home mom is hard. You have to balance your priorities as mom and your priorities as a business owner. You are surrounded by the piles of dishes and laundry and the to do list and emails that overwhelm you.
What I’ve learned the past 4 years as a Work At Home Mom is that without my morning routine, the rest of my day is set up for failure. Once I took that time to develop a morning routine that fit, I found that I was more productive, happier and more joyful as a mom, and treated my business like a business and less like a hobby.
This post may contain affiliate links which cost you nothing extra to use but may provide me with a commission. To read my full disclosure head on over here.
Work at Home Mom Schedule
You need to have a good work at home mom schedule to make your business succeed. When you go into the day making decisions about what you will accomplish as the day goes on and not before, you waste time, get less done and can get to the end of the day being busy but not productive.
So what types of things do you need to create routines and schedules for when you’re a work at home mom?
Morning Routines
Work Time Routines
Evening Routines
Batching Routines
Household Chore Routines
Kid Playtime Routines
Homeschooling or Learning Routines
Cleaning Routines
Self Care Routines
And more!
There are so many things on our plates as work from home moms that it’s important to you create a schedule around all of the routines that run your day.
Before we dive into a work at home mom morning routine checklist, I want to encourage you to take some steps to figure out your day.
Create a list of the things in your day that are TIME BOUND. What events in your day cannot be changed and must be completed at a certain time? These could include school drop off and pick up, sporting practices or events, work calls or meetings, or personal appointments you have. Once you have these on your paper (or better yet, fill them in your planner) then you can really look at your day and see how much time you have to dedicate to your business.
If you’re like me, or most work at home moms, you’ll most likely realize that your time is pretty limited during the day unless you have created dedicated work hours. I highly recommend this for all moms who work at home. I’ve been struggling with this as my kids nap schedules change and am looking forward to September when both of my kids will be in preschool from 9-12pm 3 days a week. This will allow me to know that those are at least 9-10 hours that will (most likely) not change.
Once you see your time laid out, don’t panic! It might be tight and you may start to wonder how you’ll find time to be a work at home mom but, with a great morning routine, know that you can start your day strong and get more accomplished.
How to Get Up Earlier
It’s hard to get up earlier than your kids most days. My kids wake up between 6-6:30 am every single day (and sometimes earlier). I found that the mornings are my only quiet and alone time before I have to hit the ground running so I need to wake up before them. Whether your kids get up early like mine or sleep in, I highly suggest waking up earlier so you have that time to work.
If you struggle to wake up earlier, start by setting your alarm for just 10 minutes earlier than you work up today. Do this for a few day or a week and let your body adjust. Then, next week, get up 10 minutes earlier than that. Repeat this for a few weeks or months until you’ve created an early waking habit. Your body will slowly adjust and you’ll realize that 10 extra minutes isn’t that big of a deal.
Morning Prayer, Personal Growth and Reflection for Work at Home Moms
I always like to start my day in my bible reading and praying. I find that if I don’t spend the first 20 minutes of my day with the Lord, my priorities get mixed up easily and I’m always in a rush.
I suggest spending the first 15-20 minutes of your morning for you and your growth. Prayer, connect with God and your purpose, do some personal growth and reflection or a gratitude journal. Starting the morning with positivity helps work at home moms get their mind focused and centered around what matters.
After I do reading, I start to jump into my work at always grab a positivity podcast perfect for work at home moms. I like to have a positive podcast playing so that my brain is in a good place and I can get inspired as I work. It helps my flow more than having the TV on, so I suggest you try it! Do your best to keep the TV off and stay away from the news as long as you can! What we put in our brains impacts us more than we realize so choose the right things!
Podcasts are great because they are absolutely free and you can tune into whatever you need. If you’re feeling lost in your business or motherhood, you can search and find something. If you’re working on an email series and needs tips, just search and find some free education! I find that positive mindset or Christian homemaking and motherhood podcasts are my favorite to listen to in the morning and I try to keep the business ones for during my work block later in the day.
I’ve linked to some of my favorites HERE for you to check out.
Planning Your Time as a Work at Home Mom
It’s important to plan your time as a work at home mom. You don’t want to wake up and then wonder “oh, what should I be working on now”? You want to spend time during your evening routine planning it all out beforehand.
I try to pick 1-2 tasks to complete during my morning work hour. I always suggest keeping your work tasks in 20-30 minute chunks and if it will take you longer than that, you need to break it down more. This helps when you are a work from home mom because you never know when an interruption may come up and you can pick right back off where you left off.
I use Trello to plan out my work tasks and goals in advance. I follow the 12 week year method of goal setting and I have already predetermined what work tasks need to get done that week. At the beginning of the week or the night before, I assign a task or two to my morning so I know exactly what I am doing. I like to pick a morning task that revolved around writing because that is my most creative time of the day and I need to be able to write without interruption. Determine what tasks you need the most focus for and put them at the start of your day.
Cleaning Routines for Working and Work at Home Moms
After my 1-2 tasks are complete, I turn my attention to a morning chore. I don’t like to do any of my cleaning routines until my kids are awake. One of the ways I run my business is that when they sleep – it’s work time and when they are up – it’s mom time!
Once the kids get up, we work together to start our morning chores. For us, this includes starting a load of laundry, emptying the dishwasher from last night and making breakfast. I make all of the lunches the night before so that I don’t have to worry about doing that in the morning or feeling rushed.
We spend the next 2 hours before school completing our cleaning routines together as a family. The kids then get time to watch a TV show and I get in exercise!
It’s so important as a work at home mom to fit in time for you and exercise matters! I’ve learned that working out in the morning helps me feel less stressed and gives me more energy. I do a 30-40 minute exercise program using Beachbody on Demand to stream from my house (grab a free 2 week trial here). While I do this, they play in the playroom and I get to be a model of healthy living! I typically take my daughter to school in my workout clothes and shower when we get home.
You can read more about that routine in detail HERE.
I’ve created a checklist for work at home moms to help you focus your day and start it strong. You can download it below and start using it in your mornings. It includes important things to help you create a miracle morning as a work at home mom.
This past month in the Purpose Driven Mom Club, our book club book was “I am that Girl” by Alexis Jones. I picked this book to kick off our year because I know that working on a growth and positive mindset matters more than all the goal setting in the world.
When you live with a negative mindset, when you feel like you can’t accomplish things, when you play the victim, and when you just let life happen to you, it’s really hard to actually accomplish goals that light your soul on fire.
I am that Girl was our catalyst into kicking limiting beliefs to the curb and really and truly starting to believe that, even as busy moms, we can design a life we love!
If you are looking for a positive community of moms that help push you towards your goals, hold you accountable, and work to live a more purpose driven life, then head over and check out the Purpose Driven Mom Club! We’d love to have you! Check it out here!
This post may contain affiliate links which cost you nothing extra to use but may provide me with a commission. To read my full disclosure head on over here.
In a crazy, media distracted world the important questions often get lost like: What’s your passion? What’s your purpose? Who do you want to be? Alexis Jones has built a career listening to and helping girls around the world figure out those questions in order to inspire them to think for themselves, to speak their truth, to discover their purpose, and to dream HUGE! Alexis believes that you’re not broken nor do you need to be fixed. You already are that girl who creates magic wherever she goes, who lives fearlessly, who inspires those around her to dream bigger, and who will leave the world better, just for having been in it. Stop listening to that voice inside your head that tells you you’re not good enough. Stop worrying that you don’t have the perfect body, perfect job, perfect relationship, or perfect anything for that matter. Stop letting other people draw boundaries and limits around your life. And start living the life that you truly want (now!), the one you didn’t think you had the courage to imagine, but the one that’s absolutely possible! Including stories from thirty incredible women, Alexis has compiled everything she’s learned into one complete guide to being That Girl, the best version of you.
In the Purpose Driven Mom Club, we have bi-weekly chats about the book of the Month and a live video chat with the main topics! While I can’t share all the goodies from the Club here, I wanted to share with you over 50+ quotes that I LOVED from the book I am that Girl!
I’ve created some as images so make sure you PIN the ones you love to your favorite board! All quotes below are credited to the author Alexis Jones unless stated otherwise.
Quotes from I am that Girl by Alexis Jones
“I am tired of feeling inadequate, imperfect, desperate for approval, and chronically insecure. I’m exhausted from feeling like I’m always falling behind in some invisible race against the clock, against other women and even against myself. It is a race I don’t remember beginning, but one that I’ve decided to stop running. I decided, instead, to learn how to be who I am and to understand that that itself is more than enough, it’s extraordinary.”
“I am tired of feeling inadequate, imperfect, desperate for approval, and chronically insecure. I’m exhausted from feeling like I’m always falling behind in some invisible race against the clock, against other women and even against myself. It is a race I don’t remember beginning, but one that I’ve decided to stop running. I decided, instead, to learn how to be who I am and to understand that that itself is more than enough, it’s extraordinary.”
“Living a ‘perfect’ life is like watching television in black and white; you take out all of the color. We need the adventure, all of the highs and lows, the unexpected heartbreaks, the ecstasy, the challenges, and the sweet, smooth sailing. Life isn’t about picking out the parts you like and leaving the rest, it’s learning to coexist with it all and choosing to see the beauty, the grace, and the hilarity while also experiencing the inevitable disappointment and failure.”
“Clues to your passion are always around you. The sequence of events that led me to that stage began when I least expected it, but I was on the lookout for something more, something meaningful in my ilife. And even then I had to battle my natural instincts to experience it. You’ll only find your passion if you search and fight to discover it.”
“Don’t be afraid to try new things– it is only important that you do something that fuels you. Discovering how you can you contribute to the world in a unique way makes you feel useful, inspired, and alive. It doesn’t have to come in some pretty package or make sense to anyone else, just you.
Our life’s mission is not to achieve the appearance of success or whatever version f success you parents, friends, or teachers want tour you. Nor should you sit around and wait for someone to drop something wonderful into your lap. It is to discover that thing that makes you tick and then to spend a lifetime doing it. So fight to find it, to figure it out, to stumble upon it, and to chase it down. When you do, your passion will shine so brightly through you that it’s contagious.”
“Regardless of your circumstances or the hand you were dealt, we have no excuses not to rock and roll in this lifetime. No matter how you got here, what challenges you’ve had to overcome or are still dealing with, I promise that you can find your true heart and learn how to trust yourself. Now is the time to start steering you own ship, regardless of where other people think you should sail.”
“People will judge you and your dreams. They’ll tell you you’re crazy and try to convince you that mediocrity is the smarter choice And that’s because it’s easier if you buy into the same lie they have, that no one person can really make a difference and that life is about ‘growing up’ instead of working toward you personally authored, happily ever after.”
“It’s the time itself that has the value, not the millions of tasks and chores and to dos we try to pull off within the time. Time is precious, limited and the single most important resource supporting your genius. You don’t manage time, you spend it.”
“When you’re feeling overwhelmed or your body is giving you signs that you’re overdoing it,: stop,breathe, and remember one thing: everything can wait. Fall in love with you. Love, support, validate, and nourish a relationship with yourself. Give yourself what so many of us are trying to get from others and just watch how much the world steps up to support you.”
“Your time is important, your energy is finite, and your attention is precious, so value who and where you spend it accordingly. You are the only one who can set those kinds of expectations and teach people how to treat you. Be selfish, and I promise everyone will benefit.”
“So instead of trying to fit a mold- size, color, boyfriend or career path- find out who you are and what is your true voice in this world. There is no point in trying to become something you are not. There is a reason for you being who you are, and it is your job to find out what that is, because no one, and I mean no one on the planet, can be a better version of you than you can.. And if they don’t like what they see, they can simply look away.”
“We all have excuses, and they are as independent as each of us. What is it that you want but haven’t done, haven’t accomplished? We all have that ‘thing’ we didn’t do, an opportunity missed, that haunts us. Regret is the worst, but it’s important to focus less on the things you haven’t done in life, and more on why you haven’t done them.”
“So when you begin to feel intimidated, question you goals or find yourself avoiding a task or project, get quiet and think about what you want and whether you still want it. Reread your manifesto and ask if what you’re doing and how you’re doing it aligns with your values, If it does, this will give you confirmation that you’re on the right track and perhaps the boost you need to get moving again.
And if you did that your path does not need some adjusting, you can do that with the clarity and confidence that your decision came from a place of careful consideration and not solely due to outside pressures and expectations.”
“Here’s the truth: most people are afraid to dream big so they live their lives with small dreams, with great self-imposed limitations, and with countless excuses to justify it. Living small and dreaming small is easy because you will never run out of excuses and why you don’t want to do something bigger. Excuses keep you safe, comfortable, certain and create an illusion of control. But they are the fastest way to burst your dream’s bubble and knock down your hope-filled sand castle.”
“At a certain point in your life, you’ll have to realize the sacrifices necessary to make your dreams come true, and you’ll be at the crossroads of the same tough choices. Will you be dedicated to the path that gets you where you want to go, despite it being far more difficult ,or will you sell out to an easy breezy bath that makes you in the opposite direction of where you really want to go? We are faced with these kinds of choices every single day, and fortunately we get to decide which path we take.”
“Dreaming is a gift you give yourself an the one place you should be able to create and imagine anything with no judgement. The main reason we don’t dream is because we shut down the possibility before we even get the idea into our brains. Let go and dream. Big, if not downright huge.”
“Keep in mind that getting what you want is not necessarily the goal here, and that’s because the outcome of your actions is not always in your control. The real victory is in knowing that you are the kind of person who takes a shot every time, regardless of whether you’re guaranteed a basket.”
“Dreaming is essential to manifesting your future, but it’s all too easy to sink into the trap that life is always greener somewhere else. Part of dreaming is being content where you are at this precise moment, choosing happiness not instead of you’re happy being contingent on ‘when all your dreams come true.”
“Perseverance will take you along, long way. It will make a great difference in your life – the difference between achieving your goals and just sitting ac wishing things would change. Perseverance s means not taking no for an answer. It means just because one person doesn’t’ believe in your dreams, you aren’t any less enthusiastic.”
I hope these quotes inspired you, motivated you to do more and gave you that confidence to take on the day! Make sure you go to Amazon and grab this book now and PIN this for later when you need that inspiration!
Want to get more support on your goals and join the next book club? Head over and join the Purpose Driven Mom Club now!
Even adults need a bedtime routine! As parents, we know how key it is for our children to have a solid routine to make bedtime easier, so why don’t we do it for ourselves? An evening routine can help you go to bed less stressed and wake up ready to take on the day and be more productive.
By the end of the day, we’re often so tired we just want to relax and ignore everything. I know for me, I have a little mini ritual that I do. As soon as the kids are in bed (around 8:00 pm), I walk across the hallway to my bedroom, lay in my bed, and take 10-15 minutes to scroll social media, decompress from the day, and enjoy having no one touching me (come on mama, you know what I mean).
This post may contain affiliate links which cost you nothing extra to use but may provide me with a commission. To read my full disclosure head on over here.
The hardest part of that ritual is what I do after. Once I’m laying in my bed it’s super easy to get a little lazy, spend closer to 45 minutes on my phone and not get the motivation to do anything. I set a 15 minute timer, and use the principles from the 5 second rule to get myself out of bed and moving downstairs.
Daily and Evening Routine Examples
When I get downstairs, I often just sit in the chair and think, “Look at this mess and my to-do list, where should I start”. I used to become paralyzed with all that I had to get done and feel helpless about getting started.
It wasn’t until I came up with a simple system that I realized that my evening routine can be done easily and doesn’t have to be daunting. I truly can get all that I need to get done pre-bedtime in just 20-30 minutes.
I firmly believe that a concrete bedtime routine can set your day up for success. There is nothing more frustrating for me than when I wake up and the house wasn’t cleaned up the night before, I Have to rush to get lunches going and I just generally start the day already feeling behind.
When you consistently implement a bedtime routine with yourself and your family, you are setting the next day up to be more productive, less stressful and a win for everyone.
There are a lot of different things you could do in the perfect evening routine and I suggest that you come up with a list of (no more) than 5 things that would have the biggest impact. When we try to put too many things on our to-do list, we often quit the routine before it becomes a habit because it’s unmanageable.
A quality and effective evening routine has a few simple things in it:
My personal bedtime routine has been the same for a few years now. I do it almost every night with the exception of Saturday nights (which I always regret Sunday morning). I take Saturday ‘off’ from most things; I don’t work unless I feel like it, I don’t follow any of my week day routines, I try to take a nap if I can, and I just generally relax.
My bedtime routine is (typically) as follows:
10 minutes - Load Dishes, Clean Up Dinner and Table, Make Lunches for Tomorrow, Fill Up Coffee Pot (while this is happening, I listen to a bible study or a podcast. I find it makes the time go so much faster)
10 minutes - Quick Pick Up: I put on a 10 minute timer and do a quick pick up of our kitchen and living space. I find the rooms we spend the most time in and just see what I can get put away in 10 minutes. If it’s not done in 10 minutes, I can either keep going or stop. I find I get a lot more done than I realize I can when it’s with the timer.
10 minutes - Reviewing Schedule and Setting Priorities: I go through my list from today on Trello, move anything over to tomorrow, check out what tomorrow looks like and determine my top 3 priorities and tasks that I want to get done before the kids get up (this helps me when that 4:30 am alarm goes off to only snooze a few times and not just ignore it completely)
I then take some time in prayer, thanking God for the day, and focus on the gratitude in the moments. I’d love to say that I have a better gratitude practice but honestly, at the moment, I don’t. I highly encourage you to get a gratitude journal or find a practice that works for you! (making it one of my next month goals too!)
Bedtime Routine Chart
When you’re first getting started with a new evening or bedtime routine, I suggest using a chart to track your behaviors. While it seems silly, as a former high school teacher, I know that every one of us likes to get that gold star and see our progress.
I use a simple printable chart (like the one below) in the beginning to help reinforce the habit that I am trying to create. It takes me almost a month to really establish a good routine of any type and only a few days to get out of the habit.
Using a chart can help you stay focused on what you’re hoping to get done, see which things you skip more than you should (like that quick pick up) and applaud yourself for mini wins and success along the way!
You can download this blank checklist to use and put on your fridge to keep motivated until it becomes a habit! This chart is also great when you want to involve your spouse or kids because they can see what to do next, you can assign them a task and more can get done in a short amount of time!
Make sure you PIN this post for later when you’re ready to start your bedtime and evening routine!
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When you work to achieve the goals that matter to you, you need to come up with a plan to create habits and routines that will work. Using habit stacking will get you closer to your goals faster.
So often, we set out to hit these big goals and fall short. We’re told DREAM BIG and REACH FOR THE STARS but we go about achieving these goals the wrong way.
I’ve been there. I’ve created an ‘all or nothing’ mentality way too many times in my life. Maybe you’ve been there too.
You’ve created these grandiose statements about how you’re never eating sugar again, decluttering your entire house in one day, or finally sitting down to write that book you’ve always dreamed of (which you of course plan to finish in just one month).
Making big goals and not creating a system to attack them is just setting yourself up for failure. If you’ve ever started a diet on Monday and by Wednesday are back to your old habits because you’ve ‘fallen off the wagon’ than you know what I mean.
This post may contain affiliate links which cost you nothing extra to use but may provide me with a commission. To read my full disclosure head on over here.
Habits of Successful People
When successful and productive people make habits, they do it strategically. Yes, they dream big and make huge and mighty goals (because playing small never served anyone) but they also come up with a PLAN to get things done.
To create habits that really will produce results and get you to your goals, you have to make them concrete. It doesn’t do you any good to say that you’ll ‘eat better’ or ‘read more’ or ‘be happier’. Those are just words tossed up in the sky. You need to put a concrete measure on what you really will accomplish.
Change ‘eat better’ to ‘eat 5 servings of veggies a day’ and ‘read more’ into ‘read 2 books a month’ and ‘be happier’ into ‘have coffee with a friend each week, take a dance lesson every month, or go on a solo vacation’.
Writing down your goals in such a way that you can measure will set you up for tremendous success. When you know exactly what you’re shooting for you can create a plan to track your results and take steps to achieving it.
But how do you actually make a plan that you’ll stick to? How can you take your goals and DO SOMETHING with them without quitting?
Enter habit stacking.
Habit stacking is the #1 way that I’ve seen success with my goals and the way I teach all of the women I work with to go after theirs. Instead of trying to change everything overnight, you need to pick small pieces of the goal to tackle each week.
Let’s go back to the weight loss example. If you’ve decided that you want to lose weight and eat healthier, you might decide overnight that you will only drink water, eat vegetables at each meal, eliminate unhealthy carbs and stop eating after 5pm. Where you set yourself up for failure is when you try to do them all AT THE SAME TIME.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to change and do better but, if you truly want to make lifestyle changes and achieve long term goals, no one says that you have to make all of the changes overnight! By breaking them down into smaller habits, and really developing those habits as part of your day to day routines, you can create systems in your life that just become second nature and impact you long term.
So, if you’re looking to get healthier and lose weight, you might want to pick one of those small goals to work on for 1-2 weeks. Take 2 weeks to just focus on your water intake. Don’t worry about any of the other stuff and put all your efforts into doing one thing really, really well. You’ll become a water expert, hitting your water goal won’t feel as hard after two weeks, and you’ll be able to celebrate the small success and win that you had.
After 2 weeks, now that you’ve tackled that goal and it’s become second nature, ADD in a second small goal. For the next 2 weeks you’ll not only focus on your water intake (which won’t be as hard to achieve since you’ve mastered it these past two weeks) but you’ll focus on eating one serving of vegetables with each meal. Focus on that for two weeks and then add your next small goal.
Will it take you longer to get all of your habits down? Maybe. But by tackling your goals this way you’re more likely to not quit along the way because you’re trying to change too much too quickly. This way you’ll start to create habits that last you a lifetime and not just for the short term. And you can celebrate the little wins along the way!
Staying Motivated
When you’re on your way to achieving your goals, how can you stay motivated?
Well with habit stacking, it’s not as tough. I suggest using a goal tracking sheet to mark down which habits you’re sticking to. There is nothing wrong with giving yourself a gold star or needing to check a box to stay motivated in the beginning.
As you are tackling these new habits and making them more part of your lifestyle, external motivation will be a big part in keeping you going. After a few weeks of seeing success with your ‘little wins’, these habits will become more internal and you won’t need to track them each day.
But to start, don’t hesitate to track! Tracking will keep you focused, help you see the big picture, and allow you to applaud yourself for your success. Without tracking, it’s so easy to miss a day of your new habit and completely stop. When you track your new habits, you get that little reminder of what you need to get done and that little push to keep going!
So this week, break your goals down and pick 1 thing to focus on and get really great at it! Comment below with what you're focusing on this week and keep me updated!
Want to work on being more productive? Download the weekend checklist to get started (and just pick one area to focus on this weekend)
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