Thriving In Motherhood Podcast

When I asked the moms at the Create a Life You Love class last week what was the biggest barrier to making their goals happen the majority answered: Exhaustion! After a incredibly unusual year (plus all the other stuff in our personal lives that has nothing to do with the pandemic), we are all feeling a bit tired. But the reality is - I was tired before 2020 (you probably were too). In fact I've been exhausted most of the last seven years since becoming a mom. It's just reality with pregnancies, sleepless nights (either from feedings or nightmares or potty training or sickness). But I've still been able to make progress on my goals and make a life I dreamed up years ago what I live every day and love it. You absolutely can too. All my secrets in this weeks episode.

This week I'm sharing our absolute favorite family dinner ritual that turns even the craziest night around. This is a zero prep, major fan favorite that gets everyone running to the table (win!). I started it out of desperation one night and it's stuck around and become something even more wonderful that I could have imagined. Listen to this *short episode and give it a try tonight!

Have you ever felt like you were drowning in clutter and chaos at home? This weeks chat with Steph @the_secret_slob is sure to bring you both validation and encouragement. Steph shares how she was able to apply the @the_flylady system in her own life to develop habits and routines that keep her home clean. But as she points out - it was never about having a clean house. After you listen come share your biggest take-away here in the comments!

This weeks chat with @elizabethjacox_ is a story of six years of internal struggle shifting from a life in academia researching stem cells to becoming a full time stay at home mom with four young children. It was a major pivot point in her life, and it wasn't until she decided to own that choice that she could let go of feelings of failure and embrace the beautiful life around her. This conversation is sure to both validate the life altering (and maybe slightly traumatic) experience of becoming a mother and inspire ownership of the incredible path.

This weeks conversation with Angela Red Elk is inspiring and eye-opening. Angela shares her perspective as a Native American healing from intergenerational trauma, as well as the importance of knowing who you are and where you fit in the world, and how this has all impacted her motherhood.

Are you a to-do list person? I know they are popular tool for getting things done, but I don't use them. Why? I go into all the reasons in this week's episode along with what I do instead. The result? Clarity, major progress in a small amount of time, ability enjoy spending time my kids instead of feeling interrupted, and I'm able to "get it all" done and have a break. Have a listen today for a simple alternative to the ever growing to-do list! Key Points: Pros of a To-do List: get everything out of your brain into one place.  Cons of a To-do list: Tells your brain you need to do all of it right now (possible exception - when you have a major deadline like moving and there is a lot to do right now) Creates unhealthy precedent that checking everything off your list is most important Not an end in sight. Easy to end the day looking at all that isn't accomplished with hopes of being faster/more efficient tomorrow Recipe for exhaustion and feeling like you are on a treadmill.  Looking at all those things

We all know "doing it all" is a myth. And yet how many of us still drive ourselves to exhaustion trying to check off all the to-dos on our lists? How many of us keep pushing ourselves further than our limits? Well in this episode I share some principles and practices that help me juggle all the needs of my family and many of our wants. And spoiler alert - I don't have it all figured out. BUT I have been around the block a few times of complete burn out and I'm learning to stop myself before I drive straight into survival mode.

Do you ever have problems sleeping because your mind is racing? For me it is a sure sign I'm overwhelmed. In this episode I talk about the 5 steps I use to face the overwhelm head on and create space and calm in my brain. Key Points from this Episode: Steps I take when I'm feeling overwhelmed: Recognize that I'm feeling overwhelmed. Usually this means I can't sleep because my mind is racing. Brain dump everything in my head. Either mind map or just write it out in a list. Categorize my brain dump into three areas: single tasks (quick wins!), projects (multiple steps to complete), to research (need to learn more before I know what my next step is). Tackle a few quick wins to build momentum Identify the one or two pressing projects causing my stress and focus on them After a week or two of working on these pressing projects I'm ready for a long term planning session.

This weeks chat with Annie Stoker @annielynnfavoritethings is one that literally had us both in tears. As a young mom with two children, Annie shares how she is proactively working to diminish the effect that anxiety has on her life and the specific things she has been learning. She also shares deeply personal moments where she knows that God has been there strengthening her through the hard time and growing pains of motherhood. This is a powerful conversation that you won't want to miss.

Today I want to share some scripts that will help you advocate for yourself in a couple ways. We'll talk about when you are discovering things about yourself and you need to have discussions with someone you trust as well as how to ask for help. Key Points from this Episode: Step one to having a productive conversation is you learning to become aware of your own thoughts. You don't need a quiet place to start to figure out your thoughts. It can be while you're making lunch or doing other things. Try saying "the story I am telling myself is..." to start how you are feeling. Try saying "I am feeling ___ because of ___." Throughout a discussion with a loved one, listen to understand rather than respond. (Check out Episode 53 for more info) Podcast Episodes on the Seven Habits of Effective People by Stephen R. Covey The Emotional Bank Account with Madeline Casey [Episode 48] Living Your Life in Quadrant 2 with Madeline Casey [Episode 49] Seeking For Paradigm Shifts with Madeline Casey [Episode 50] Exp

Today I’m talking with Mary Caplin, mother of two and a certified doula. She shares some incredible defining moments in her mothering journey. She talks about paradigm shifts and some sacred moments of grieving through a miscarriage. Key Points from this Episode: Being a mother who is committed is more important than any "accomplishments." Thinking about your commitment to you kids helps you recognize the good that you are doing in your daily life. We can't be perfect 100% of the time, but we can be pretty good at commitment! Learning from other moms around you can help you relax into what you are doing. Letting go and giving our problems over to God will allow Him to carry you. Let go of the negative and it will make room for the hope to come in. You are a woman. You are strong. You are a mother. Just by virtue of being a mother, you are blessed with intuition. It's a real thing and you will be able to make the best decisions that are best for you and your family. Motherhood is vulnerability and strength

Today I’m talking about what thriving is! What the definitions of it are, how it has evolved over time for me and what it can mean for you. Key Points from this Episode: Thriving used to be this desperate wish that I hoped was possible for me during motherhood. Thriving is all about growing. Think about plants, if they are growing and doing well, we often call it thriving. When things are going well, if you are thriving, you are preparing for future challenges. (Ex: building routines, making freezer meals) Life is not split up into either you are thriving because things are going well or you're surviving and miserable because things aren't going well. Having a solid base of the 3 pillars (See Episode 115) gives you the space to live your personal mission in this life. Distraction and overwhelm can come easily without the base of the pillars. The goal is to take the fear out of that time when you are not thriving. Remember to have friends in motherhood! (See Episode 97 and Episode 98)

Today I’m talking about why I don't stress about homeschooling and how I do that. There are some very practical tips and some thoughts that I have that help me not totally freak out. Key Points from this Episode: There are going to be interruptions, so plan for them! Make food accessible to all your kids that they can reach and take care of those needs on their own. Keep carrots on the bottom shelf in the fridge. Make triple batches of muffins and keep them in the freezer. Have special toys like play dough or animals from the dollar store that get pulled out for younger kids during the school hours so they can be happy while you work with the older kids. If you're using manipulatives with older kids, have enough for the youngers to play with the same kind. If your older kids are using notebooks, have one for your youngers to color in and use during the same time. This lets them feel included in what you are already doing. One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that it allows for the kids to be i

Today I'm sharing with you some lessons I learned from the last week of pregnancy and the first few weeks of postpartum. Our experiences may be different, but the process is what I want you to focus on with today's episode. That process can be applied to other circumstances in your life (even if it isn't pregnancy)! Key Points from this Episode: The Soul part of Pillars of Thriving (Soul, Scope, & Structure) makes or breaks if you are suffering in misery whether circumstances are great or difficult. When I'm uncomfortable, my first thoughts are to wish that the circumstances will change. Ex: I'm so tired of being pregnant. I'm tired all the time. I wish this baby would just come already! Write out what is in your circle of influence and your circle of concern. Try to let go of what is in your circle of concern. Make peace with what you can. It's okay to feel sad about something that you wanted and you're not getting. Being okay with being sad about it opened the door for me to actually be able to give

Today I’m talking about the power of actually writing down your morning and evening routines. Finally doing this one little thing has been hugely transformative for my life. Also, I'm sharing big announcements about the Thriving in Motherhood 2021 Planner and the Create a Life You Love founding members beta program experience. Key Points from this Episode: Having the morning routine and evening routine written down help move us along when our brains are not working as effectively as they can be. Be an advocate for yourself (see Episode 115) and figure out what will prepare you to renew yourself. Having the list helps me have a rejuvenating evening rather than mindlessly consume. Write it down! Write down what you want to do before the kids wake up, what you want to do before lunch, what you want done before kids go to bed, and what you want to do before you go to bed that will restore you.

Today I’m talking with Tiana Woodbury, mother of two boys. She shares her experiences with her first child having a club foot and what that process has been like for her. She talks about how to live with joy and make her own joy. She shares how she has learned to lower her expectations and love it! Key Points from this Episode: Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you have to adjust your plans quickly to make the most of the situation. With the help of other moms and doctors you can learn what you need to in order to make the best decisions for your family. Sometimes God gives us a gift of interest in things that we will one day need to know to help our children. Wherever you are, you are in charge of your happiness. Lower your expectations, but LOVE it. As a mom, give yourself some grace period. You are here to facilitate your children's experience, and sometimes we have different plans for our kids. Choosing your battles to let them explore their opinions can be freeing. Kids just want to be inv

Today I’m sharing with you the very specific steps that I took to prepare for a major life change. This can apply to a new baby, a move, or any other major life change. Key Points from this Episode: Notice your fears and anxieties. Write down thoughts. Create a new road map to work from - have a paradigm shift so you can operate from your circle of influence. Use your personal super powers to solve your problems and create a vision for how things can go. Share that vision with your family and step into the leadership role, building in systems and communication to support you through the time of change. Talk with your spouse or trusted friend when you get to stuck points in your thinking and aren't sure how to overcome certain fears or challenges If you have had an experience like this in the past, answer the question: "What was really traumatic or didn't go well that I don't want to repeat this time? What went really well that I do want to repeat this time?" Use what is hard now to intentionally practic

Today I’m talking with Jeni Awerkamp, who was also my first interview back on Episode 1! We talk about how things have changed over the past two years and how Jeni has changed her experiences by changing her thoughts. Key Points from this Episode: Give ourselves space and grace when we are in transitional times in our lives. Recognize that we will have more stable times to come. Our thoughts have a huge role in us feeling well. Being able to shift the unhelpful thoughts can change our entire reality. Make the decision to act, not be acted upon. Tell yourself "you will no longer think negatively of yourself and your situations." Things happen that genuinely make you feel overwhelmed, but you can still control your thoughts around this. Replace the "I can't do this" thoughts with "There is a lot do here, but I can do it one step at a time." Replace "I'm all alone" with "I am never alone. Help is one phone call away." We don't have to be good at making mistakes, but we can be good at apologizing. Take thi

Today I’m talking about our family values. How I came up with them and how we implement them in our household. These help my family catch the vision and the values that help us get to where we want to go. Key Points from this Episode: Core values are unifying and keep our families together heading in the same direction. Turn your values into a family cheer! We try to "catch" the kids living these values and talk about it at dinner together. What we look for, we see more often in our lives! Creating this unity and culture will give them a gift as they leave the home that they will know that they have a place they were part of something and belong no matter what. Craft the values together as a family, or decide ahead of time and present them to your kids.

Today I’m talking with Jessica Ralston. She's a mother of six, homeschools, and she and her husband both run businesses out of their home. Today she shares her journey of going from a place of chaos and just surviving to taking some intentional steps to regain her personal power and take care of herself and, in turn, create a beautiful life for her family. Key Points from this Episode: The decision of being more intentional with physical health, can lead to being more intentional with other things. It builds momentum. Being in a victim or comparison mindset makes things feel worse. Be selfish. Take care of yourself. Everyone is going to be okay if you take a few minutes to take care of yourself. Shift your mindset to abundance, and gratitude, and being proactive. Our kids need to know that we are human people with needs and passions. We are our only advocates for our own needs. We need to take that responsibility seriously for ourselves. We don't have control over our kids, but we do have control over our