Episode 65: The Deliberate Start-The Magic of Measurable
What You’ll Learn
Goal Breakdowns (02:30)
Examples (04:20)
30-Day Goals Assessment (15:10)
Assessment Questions (16:50)
Invitation (20:20)
Moms get to have goals too…whether you’re a stay at home mom who’s busy raising little ones, a mom who feels like she’s barely surviving, or a mom who is balancing homeschooling, a side hustle, or ALL OF THE ABOVE. We’re here to tell you, you get to have goals.
We’re continuing to take you step by step through goal planning for moms.
We're talking honest to goodness moms who are living life balancing all the things and all the people. We started with self-reflection in podcast #61, unpacked a vision for your future in #62, and learned how to set priorities and align our goals in podcast #63, yesterday in podcast #64 we did Chose our big goals. Today we're breaking down ONE of those big goals with you into manageable and achievable steps.
The Deliberate Start came about from years of trial and error testing programs and suggestions from all kinds experts & resources. The only problem was none of them were made specifically taking the daily challenges and important mindset work unique to mommas.
This is a beautiful and heartfelt resource created exactly with mommas in mind. It includes 3 sections, the Deliberate Reflection, Deliberate Beginnings, and Deliberate Goal Planning. The prompts are designed to guide you with good questions, and checklists that solve the 'blank page problem' and will carry you through when your mom brain feels too exhausted to answer the deep questions.
Whether you’re brand new to goal planning or a seasoned planner, we promise you, you’re going to hear something on this podcast, or you’re going to find something in the Deliberate Start that you’ve never considered before. I don't think there's any possible way you could do this guide and come away unchanged.
Goal Breakdowns (02:30)
So let's talk Goal breakdowns.
This is where the rubber meets the road mommas...breaking down our goals.
The REAL magic of goal planning happens in the breaking down of the goals...ESPECIALLY for moms.
Because this is what gets you from where you are to where you want to be.
These are the paving stones to the garden....
Breaking down a goal starts with knowing your BIG Goal. These BIG Goals are the 8 you chose out of all your beautiful dreams yesterday.
Now, take 1....you heard us...1. We're only doing 1 today.
On a fresh sheet of paper or on the Goals Breakdown page in your Deliberate Start, write down the Big Goal that is speaking to your heart most.
Under it, write down your why for your big goal.
Think of 3 – 4 mini goals that will help you achieve your big goal.
Finally break those mini goals down into action steps that are measurable and have deadlines.
This will give you tangible steps and results that are measurable and achievable.
THIS IS THE MAGIC!
Examples (04:20)
So let's take those steps we just gave you and give you a few examples of how to break down a Big goal in this style...
Goal Example #1…
Big Goal – this is...the end result you want to achieve.
Budget Better
My Why – this is important because...
Our family depends on (AND NEEDS) us to be more intentional about our spending without getting into debt.
Mini Goals – this is where you break your big goal into smaller bits.
Figure out your current income and expenses (average if necessary).
Write down/log any and all income sources
Write down/log all bills, memberships, subscriptions, etc.
Track ALL expenses
Log common extras (birthdays, anniversaries, clothing, oil changes, vet/dr., etc.)
Create a budget (download quicken/Dave Ramsey's or other budgeting app).
Build a budget starting with necessary bills/expenses
Talk with my husband and prioritize remaining expenses (adding only what will fit within our means)
Test & Adjust your budget as needed (monthly, weekly, daily).
Apply new budget and spend intentionally week 1
Make adjustments as necessary (perhaps the grocery budget was too low, or you budgeted for something that you realized you could do without)
Continue these same steps for weeks 2 - 4
Take serious and honest look at monthly spending, assess necessities/bills/extras/etc.
Create new budget
Goal Example #2…
Big Goal – this is the end result you want to achieve.
Be more present for my family
My Why – this is important because...
Buffer with phone -- want healthier coping tactics
More resentful/annoyed about interruptions
This time is limited and I don't want to miss it for one more reel
Mini Goals – this is where you break your big goal into smaller bits.
Researching healthy coping tactics for moms
Write down/choose 3 tactics
Choose 1 tactic for today
Reserve recreation screen time for before or after bedtime
Check and balance system that I hold myself accountable to (like a swear jar)
5 minute kid break when caught on phone
Work on bedtime routine (you can do that after...)
Review screen time from previous week and decrease by 5 min/day
Leave phone on bed when using restroom
Find less accessible drop zones for phone
Turn watch/phone on airplane mode
Recap for Goal Breakdowns
Big Goal – this is...the end result you want to achieve.
Why – why this is important to you (and it needs to be if you want it as a goal)
Mini Goals – Breaking big goal down into bite size pieces
Action steps – the supporting/daily work...the doing of the things
Break these goals down into steps so small they might seem ridiculous! (This can be especially helpful for moms).
All of your goals can be broken down with these simple steps. If you're brand new to goal planning (or you're a mom who feels like she's in survival mode right now...believe me, we feel you!) we HIGHLY recommend that you choose just one (or 3 MAX!), however you'll find 8 pages of Goal breakdowns in The Deliberate Start Guide so it's ready for you when you're ready to tackle more.
30 Day Goals Assessment (15:10)
The final section of The Deliberate Start Guide is the 30-day goals assessment. A lot of professional goal coaches do a 90-day assessment, but we found in our own experience that SO MUCH LIFE can change in just 30-days, and our motivation can take a hit if we get overwhelmed and don't take time to reassess, pivot, and CELEBRATE how far we've come.
Now of course, you won't do this today if this is the your first time listening...but come back here in 30 days when you're ready for it (and if you go to the podcast notes on our website thedeliberateday.org you can easily find a time stamp to come RIGHT HERE-16:50).
So, How have you been doing?
What's going well?
What isn't panning out like you'd planned?
What life changes have come up?
Do some of your goals need a facelift? Or even perhaps put back on the shelf just for this season?
As you're doing this assessment, we want to ensure you that it is all as it should be!
All growth is GOOD! Especially when it's hard and it forces us to pivot.
Celebrate your wins and don't dwell or be discouraged by setbacks & changes, the very best of things grow and change!
Grab your guide or a pen and paper and answer these questions about your Big Goal...
What were your wins (don't overthink this...and don't forget that some of the best wins are small)?
What action steps did you take (even if it's just ONE)?
What did you say yes to (this is things FOR your goal and also things that may have detracted from it)?
What did you say no to (again, this is things FOR your goal and also things that may have detracted from it)?
What did you learn (from your goal, about yourself, about your capacity...or the lack of)?
How has your life changed in the last 30-days (sports ended/started, family visited, you went on a trip, kids got sick, you started volunteering)?
What changes do you need to make to your goal (a different mini step, new action steps, try simplifying)?
What people are you grateful for?
What do you want to try (try a new goal, add a second goal if things are going well, a new/deeper level of your BIG goal)?
What is going well that you want to continue?
What is the BEST next step or next thing for you to focus on?
WHEW!
Like we said on the last podcast, This is big work. This work will change your life, but also your children's lives. Every hard step you do right now is something you will be able to guide and mentor your children in later.
Your children will learn from your example AND your beautiful hard won wisdom.
As you're listening to this, it might be shortly after New Year's, but even if it's not, you NEED a Deliberate Start! You SHOULD be working on goals because momma, you deserve to be! You deserve to feel the feeling of thriving and not just surviving. Dreaming and striving for goals IS the solution so many of us need. There is NOTHING special about New Year's Day...and it's never too late to start or start AGAIN!
Invitation (20:20)
So, if you just jumped in on this podcast or you've been with us all along, we created a beautiful guide that walks you through getting a Deliberate Start on your life. It takes you step by step from reflection to a goals assessment made specifically with the unique beauties and challenges of motherhood in mind. It's all our podcasts in this series wrapped up in a comprehensive and lovely workbook, if that gets you fired up...NOW is the time for action. Go to here and get a copy of The Deliberate Start Guide!
