Episode 123: From Crazy Idea…to Italy-How Two Moms Made BIG Dreams Come True
What You’ll Learn
How to Get from Crazy Idea to Big Goal (02:12)
The Five Steps for Getting to Italy (06:15)
Recap (32:22)
Invitation (33:34)
2023 was a YEAR. There’s no denying that it was pretty crazy (I think, for many!)
But…we ROCKED November, starting with a BANG on November 1st!
Today, we’d like to talk about how we went from a wild idea, and made it an actual TRIP!
The Deliberate Start is a Life and Goal Planner for mothers. It’s exactly what we need to make peace with where we are and make meaningful movement toward where we want to be…but within in the margins of our motherhood so the change doesn't defeat us!
If you've been barely surviving…
If you feel like there's never enough energy to build a thriving life for you and your family…
If you're scared to make plans or grow hopes because you barely have time to breathe…or even shower…
If you keep mind-melting and buffering, but wish you were taking action…
If you don't remember the last “win” you had…or you don't even know what a “win” is…
YOU AREN'T ALONE
⭐️Details ⭐️
This guide is 43 pages that walk you through deliberate reflecting, beginning, and achieving.
The reflection pages designed to orient you for change by taking an honest look at who & how you've been showing up. With pages for personal, spiritual, family, home, & finances. Plus bonus pages for business & homeschool.
The deliberate beginnings pages that walk you through what you really want, need, and desire in the various roles of your motherhood with good questions and examples.
You’ll also find a step-by-step process that guides you through ordering your priorities and planning and breaking down your goals into mom-sized bites.
And finally a 30-Day Assessments for your goals and your motherhood to help you pivot when life happens (because this whole momming-job isn't a cake walk, and LIFE HAPPENS!)
How to get from Crazy Idea to a Big Goal (02:12)
If you have a crazy idea that you really want to make into a reality, you need to start at the end and work backwards. Start big and go to small.
When you’re working in the margins of your motherhood, you NEED to start small. Big goals can feel SO far away, but there IS a compounding effect that happens as you complete each little step. We do this in our Deliberate Start Planner (get yours today!)
Why Italy? (03:51)
So, I (Tiffany) am a Catholic convert, and I am married to a Protestant…a VERY supportive Protestant. He really wanted me to go while he is still doing relatively well, and we have a driver in the house (our 17 year-old). This just happened to line up perfectly with our beautiful friend living in Italy, and a VERY willing Brittany to follow along with these huge ideas!
The 5 Steps for Getting to Italy (06:15)
Step number one for going to Italy when there are many children to care for really is getting your spouse on board. Brittany and I are blessed to have husbands who are incredibly supportive (oddly supportive). Brittany has 7 kids, ages 15, 14, 12, 11, 9, 6, and 4. I have 5 kids (4 living at home and 1 in college), ages 19, 17, 16, 13, and 10. This meant that the logistics were a LARGE part of step 1! We KNOW this isn’t a reality for everyone, there are other options if traveling is calling you. We even started with a retreat day years ago.
Pro-tip, you NEED community! Friends are SO important! Pray for friends, when you get friends, be a great friend to them! Give your needs to God, but also cooperate (you may need to be weirdly outgoing).
Step number two is pick a date! Without a date, it’s just an idea. Brittany thought it was pretty easy, for me it was scary! We actually sat down in May and scheduled our flight out on November 1st (not taking Halloween into account). We recommend taking holidays into account before you schedule anything (although it did work out well).
Step number three is to plan for the cost and the budget. Honestly, we picked a number and made it work (our number was $1,000-which worked out pretty well. I spent between $600 & $700 there (plus $1,000 on the flight). Bonus, it really only cost about $10 a day to use our cell phones (Brittany has AT&T and I have Verizon). We DID learn that our carriers required us to turn on International Roaming (but you MUST call your provider).
Step number four was lining up the details. We learned that sitting down and picking a flight with a friend is an EXPERIENCE. There are good-enoughers (me) and there are improvers (Brittany)—and these two personality types can make decisions tough. We did opt for more expensive tickets that were changeable, AND they came with luggage. The other details included a passport (which was pretty easy to get at the local Post Office). You can also head to the library to complete the process. Brittany had her passport card and was able to get her new passport in 6-8 weeks, and it took me a bit longer because I had to send my previous passport in-to get my new one. Sadly, there were no stamps.
Step number five was actually getting on the plane! It sounds simple, but it’s not. Leaving your people is HARD. Leading right up to the trip, I had MAJOR anxiety. Physical anxiety. Even Brittany broke out in a rash. Then, for me, I was listening to a podcast, and whoever it was said, “What if…it works out?” and THIS became my mantra. Brittany worked hard and prayed to put the trip in God’s hands. Her mantra became, “Lord, help my unbelief.” Brittany really felt the weight of the anxiety on the first trip to London, and after that she was good. But, we DID the thing, we got on the plane!
Recap (32:22)
We cleared it with spouses and got childcare lined up.
We picked a date.
We planned for costs and made a budget. We planned for what we wanted to spend, and earned what we needed to spend.
We lined up the details with passports and tickets, and that might look differently if you’re going local, but it’s pretty similar.
We got on the plane! For you, that might be going outside to go on a date, or going away for the weekend, or whatever it might be. It might be really small—just grocery shopping by yourself—but actually GOING is sometimes the hardest part, but it’s the biggest part to making these little or big things a reality.
Invitation (33:34)
We want you to do BIG things with us this year! We want moms to get a Deliberate Start…an Intentional Start! To whatever it is you want to do! Many people start brand new in January, but getting a Deliberate Start can happen at any time, and anywhere you are!
Go from this point forward, because as moms, we can feel stuck where we’re at. Babyville can feel like an eternal cycle with no space for goals or dreams, but The Deliberate Start Planner will help break goals down into manageable steps. Moms do things in the margins, based on the capacity we have, with and for the people who mean the most to us. This guide is about helping you give the best to yourself and allowing it to waterfall out to your people and your community.
Once you start meeting little goals, bigger things become available to you! Get The Deliberate Start, check it out, and if you want community, send us a message as you work through it! Brittany and I are there to help always, and we’re cheering you on!
And momma, don’t forget, you’re doing beautiful work!
