Deciding on a realistic New Year’s Resolutions as a mom may feel a bit daunting, especially since already have so many responsibilities. However, we are all trying to do our best to better ourselves in some shape or form. Like clockwork, the new year entices us with the promise of a fresh start, and that is just what we need to get motivated.

I hope my collection of ideas will inspire you, but please don’t feel like you must do everything at once. It’s better to choose just one or few within reason instead of piling on pressure and stress; that would defeat the whole purpose. So, without further a due, here are 10 Realistic New Year’s Resolutions for Moms.

Remember to Breathe

Yes, please take a deep breath. Whenever you feel stressed or close to pulling a knee jerk reaction, that’s the perfect time to find your inner Zen.  Repeat after me. Pause. Breathe. Speak.

Mom life can get super busy and fast, so this is where you will need to be more deliberate. It really does take a lot of effort.

We often teach our kids to tame their tempers by breathing or counting to ten, so why not do the same for ourselves? A lot can be said and done in the heat of the moment which will lead to a lot of mom guilt and regret later.

Designate Screen-Free Time

Oh, you knew this was coming, didn’t you? Committing to screen-free time doesn’t have to be a painful thing. Instead, take small steps and plan out specific blocks of time where you and the family can unplug.

For example, you can create a house rule during dinner time where everyone puts away their phones and devices. This is a great time to sit and have conversations at the table. Read my post about limiting kids screen time for more tips and benefits.

Keep a Mother’s Gratitude Journal

 Take the time to reflect on what you are thankful for by keeping a mother’s gratitude journal. All it takes is about five minutes to write down two sentences every day. There is nothing more soul soothing than a moment of quiet and a good old fashion pen and paper. It can be surprising difficult at first to write something down beyond the mundane, but I believe in you mama.

Think of it like this: You are doing yourself an act of loving kindness, creating something that you will treasure years down the line. More importantly, exercising your gratitude-seeking skills is literally a superpower that will make you a force to be reckoned with in this cruel world; it will help you fend off feelings of disillusionment, fear, or sadness, etc. You will position yourself to become an even better mother, an example to your children, and lead an overall healthier and well-rounded life.

I just created a lovely minimalist Gratitude Journal for moms. You can use this as a part of your New Year’s Resolution, but you can actually start at any point of the year since the pages are not dated. I’m offering this in my Etsy shop too, but if you sign up below, you’ll get the 124-page printable journal free for being a subscriber.

If you are looking to go a step further you can visit my friend Carla and join her 30-days of Gratitude Challenge. You’ll find lots of great tips for the whole family there.

Print and Display Your Photos

soneYep, if you’re like me, you have a huge library of pics stored in your phone. It’s funny how we will do anything to capture those perfect moments with our kids, but hardly look through them.

One of the problems I encounter when I start to work on an album is lack of organization. There are so many to go through, and it’s easy to get sucked down a rabbit hole and lose focus. I’ve found a great solution for this and I think you’ll like it too. You can designate a special storage folder in your phone to store your favorite pictures whenever you start taking shots.

Some good options include Dropbox or Google Drive; they have free mobile apps that you can use to easily save pics on the go. The trick is getting into the habit of saving those select few pictures as they happen. In the New Year, try making it a resolution to saving one special picture this way each time.

Are you worried about how to print them out? Don’t be, it’s much easier than you think. If you follow my advice above and keep your favorite pictures organized, then most of the work is already done. You can take these to an online service like Walgreens.com or you can even head over to Shutterfly, pick out a cute book option here and upload all your photos. Everything gets shipped to your door, and wah-lah done!

I have to say, these little photo books are one of my kids’ favorite thing to look at, even from a very young age.

Let’s make this one of your New Year’s resolutions mom, and promise to print and display those gorgeous memories at least three times during the year. Are you with me?

Do Something Special for Yourself

Ever hear the saying: “If mom isn’t happy, no one is happy”? Everyone knows this is true. For your New Year’s Resolution, you can commit to making at least one change devoted solely to your self-care.

For example, you can pamper yourself with a fancy moisturizer, go to get your nails done every month, or start an exercise program three times each week. I promise, even the smallest change will add up year to year and it will help you become the mother you want to be.

Create a Command Center

Have you heard of a command center? It’s a dedicated space where your kids can put away their coats, backpacks and shoes, like cubby holes at school. You can add a few shelves and hooks inside a closet or wall with labels for each child.

If they have any special needs, such as a speech or language delay, you might print out some posters that give them visual cues to help them understand the expectations. It may not seem like a big deal but creating a predictable routine at home will help your children feel more confident and secure.

Wake up 30 Minutes Earlier

For some of us, being a morning person does not come naturally. Challenge yourself to wake up 30 minutes earlier so that you can eat breakfast and have coffee sitting down. Again, moms need a bit of self-care too, and fasting until lunch time isn’t going to do you any good.

Get Outside the House

With all the hustle and bustle of appointments and carpool, a whole day can pass by before you realize it’s all over. Weather permitting, try to give yourself a small amount of time outdoors daily for sunshine and fresh air. If you take a walk around the neighborhood, you may get to know people, and you are less likely to fall victim to the winter blues or loneliness.

Create an Activity Jar

Try creating a family activity jar and have your kids pick one item randomly every week! This is a great way to feel “togetherness”, whether it is playing a monopoly game or building a cushion fort with your kids. You will be so glad you did (and you’ll love being able to write about it in your gratitude journal!).

Read to Your Kids

Whenever I visit the library with my kids, I always eye a certain poster on the wall promoting a program called “Thousand Books Before Kindergarten.” Many local libraries are offering this where you can register online with like-minded parents. A neat little bonus is they give you a journal to keep track of your progress. By the way, you can re-read your kids’ favorite books and it still counts.

If you do the math, reading one book per day is 365 books per year and you’ll meet the goal in less than three. If you’re a late starter, you can read a book three times a day to meet that goal in just one year! Wouldn’t that be an amazing accomplishment? Of all the moms New Year’s resolutions to pick from, I think I am most excited about this one.

Conclusion

 So, there you have it, 10 Realistic New Year’s Resolutions for Moms. I hope you found some inspiration and see that you can take small actionable steps towards bettering yourself as a mother this year. Remember, you should not feel pressured to take on the whole list because if it becomes a burden or stress you are less likely to succeed in following through.

If you’d like a little extra umph to motivate you this year, feel free to print out my Motivational Posters for Moms like you.

Nothing would make me happier than to hear directly from you. Let me know which of the ideas inspire you the most by posting in the comments below.