Episode 124: Italy in 139,000 Steps-Mostly Uphill
What You’ll Learn
139,000 Steps (02:10)
A Friendly-ish Bus Driver (04:55)
Benefits of Taking a Trip to Italy (06:49)
Celebrating Wins (18:45)
Invitation (44:00)
Have you ever had a really big goal you wanted to commit to, but you just didn’t know how to get from the big goal to what you need to do next Tuesday?
All moms do! But, we haven’t taken the time to say, A. I actually want to meet this, or B. I actually want to believe this is possible. Instead of, I just want to hold this at bay because I don’t want to go towards something and meet failure, or disappointment, or resentment when I don’t reach it.
There are A LOT of interruptions in motherhood. We’re working IN the margins of our motherhood, and we made a guide that works with motherhood! Get YOUR deliberate start NOW!
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!)
139,000 Steps (02:10)
We logged 139,000 steps during our time in Italy! Brittany walks VERY fast (due to a number of factors), and she confidently moves forward even if she doesn’t know where she’s going!
A Friendly-ish Bus Driver (04:55)
Imagine three American women running on a sidewalk down the side of a hill (Assisi) with suitcases, next to a highway. Renee was in the front, Brittany was in the middle, and I was bringing it up from behind. A wonderful octogenarian Italian bus driver saw us, and must have thought to himself, “Surely, these women are running to the bus stop.” So, he pulled over on the side of the HIGHWAY and picked us up! He wouldn’t even look us in the eye when we tried to thank him.
Benefits of Taking a Trip to Italy (06:49)
There ARE benefits, not only for you, but also for your family, and even your community when you take a trip. Our families did a lot of growing while we were gone.
For example, our husbands did amazingly while we were gone. Much better than we could have imagined.
Brittany realized that her husband sees her house differently than she does, and in the best way.
When I returned I saw that my husband is incredibly capable, but also that it did take a toll on his body.
There were benefits we saw in our kids…the realization that moms can have fun, that THEY are capable, and dads are incredibly capable.
Another benefit we saw was seeing a goal set, worked for, and made into reality. Brittany’s kids saw her working hard and saving money, and they even helped! Seeing her do the thing, get on the plane, and go to Italy is HUGE!
My kids have caught the travel bug! We’re planning #Japan2025! Brittany’s son is learning German and planning to go to Germany! Both our families are fully believing that we CAN do big things!
These things ARE possible for YOU too! The same framework WE used to plan for this trip can be found in our Deliberate Start Planner!
Celebrating Wins (18:45)
A large part of internalizing wins is ACTUALLY celebrating them! It’s good for us AND it’s good for the people around us. Brittany even showed all her photos to her people (one day I will). We flew back into town on Friday, and by Monday it was business as usual! Brittany was schooling, taking on extras, and hosting families, and my family went back to our normal tempo of appointments and school!
This was an EPIC trip! Brittany lost…then found her wedding ring! Police reports were made, secondary searches launched, and nothing (while we were on our mini-trip within Italy). Brittany asked for the intercession of Saint Anthony and Father Ring, and DAYS later, her ring was right there on the ground near Renee’s van! A miracle!
Father Ring and Saint Anthony ALWAYS come through for Brittany, in the craziest ways! She once even found a diamond ring in a FIELD!
God always comes through for us in BIG ways, found wedding rings, seamless travel, you name it! But, ya’ll, we need to pause and NOTICE these miracles (because they happen much more than we think).
Sidenote…celebrating and sharing our trip (and achieved goal) with our families was such a beautiful thing, and it helped us remember to celebrate our PEOPLE. Our husbands, our kids, and our friends. Yes, buying from your friends is great, but sending a thoughtful note can ALSO say, “I see you.”
My big personal achievement happened at the end of our trip, in London. Yes, I booked the hotel (on Expedia, before we left), planned our time (not very well…you NEED more than 18 hours for a place like that), but my greatest achievement? I successfully navigated our travel, by London City Bus, from the Airport to the Hotel. This was HUGE for me!
For Brittany, she went into the Dome of Saint Peter, all on her own! There were second thoughts, LOTS of steps, SMALL spaces (with no escape), and second thoughts. BUT…Brittany persevered! She kept going, and it was about more than just seeing Saint Peter’s Square. She came down a changed woman, it ended up being more powerful than she had imagined.
If you’ve ever been in a spot where it feels really hard just to take that next step, then you know just how powerful it is when you keep doing it, and you get to the end of that.
The BIGGEST takeaway is…YOU can do BIG things!
Invitation (44:00)
We can HELP you with the big goals you want to achieve! This was MORE than just a trip to Italy. It was a feat in itself!
As moms, it can feel like goals are impossible, because you rarely see BIG growth. That’s where The Deliberate Start comes in.
First, get your Deliberate Start Planner, second, don’t ever forget…
You are doing beautiful work momma!
