How To Be Present In Your Motherhood

Hey Mama!

Today I wanted to share with you how I learned to stop those thoughts constantly creeping in about what I needed to do next, what I needed to remember, how I needed to clean the bathroom... yadayadayada. These thoughts would always come at the worst times.

When I was trying to play blocks with my son.

When I was trying to read a book for fun.

When I was trying to have some alone time with my husband.

These thoughts were relentless. They just kept coming. No matter if I wanted them to come or not.

These thoughts robbed me of my ability to be present in my motherhood and in my life. These thoughts made it to where I was constantly stressed, overwhelmed and I felt like I had a never-ending to-do list. These thoughts were no fun.

What's the solution you ask? How can you rid yourself of these thoughts too?

The answer ---> A simple 15-20 minute Mom CEO Meeting each week. 

Let me explain. 

A Mom CEO Meeting is a weekly time where you sit down, write out that crazy list of to-do's, decide what's a priority and what's not, and then plug the MUST DO's into your to-do list. 

Let me break it down for you.

Mom CEO Meeting

1) Set aside time EACH WEEK where you have 15-20 minutes to plan.

2) Create a list of to-dos. Once you get into the habit of this you can keep a running list on your phone so you don't have to remember all at once. For now, just do the best you can.

3) Prioritize your to-do's by importance. What HAS to be done? Get real with yourself. I want the MUST DO's to be at the top of your list. Get groceries. Buy dog food. Do the laundry. Go to work. What things must get done for you and your family to continue living your life and for everyone to have full bellies and clean clothes? These are a priority. 

4)Plug those MUST DO's into a calendar. Leave the rest for now. 

5) Now I want you to put the things in your calendar that nourish you, that fill you up, and that allows you to have fulfilling, meaningful relationships. I literally put PLAY in my calendar to remind me to spend mornings playing with my 2-year-old. Don't forget that date night. Don't forget that weekly phone call to your mom or best friend. What are the things that fill you up and give you life? That yoga class. That time to sit and watch your favorite TV show each week. Whatever it is, put it on the calendar. Make sure you have some time for rest. 

6) Lastly, if you have any space left, feel free to put anything that was left on your to-do list that you'd like to do. These are not MUSTS they are WANTS. They aren't bad, but they aren't a priority. 

7) Sit back and relax because EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS is on your calendar. Everything that matters has a space designated. Everything that matters will get done. 

Now What? 

Now that you've got your plan for the week, when those thoughts start to creep in you can remind yourself that you're doing exactly what you need to be doing right now. When you are struggling because this is the fourth snack you made today and you feel like you haven't had any time for yourself - remember that you've created space for that in your week, it's coming and you're exactly where you need to be right now.

That's the power of planning. This is how you can be present. 

No longer do you have to hold brain space for those MUST DO tasks each week. Now that they are no your paper planner or in your phone calendar, all you have to do is check in the morning and maybe again at lunch and use your time as you previously planned. Everything will get done, you'll have time for yourself and your family and you'll be able to be more present in your daily life. 

You've got this mama! 

I'm here for you :)