Inside: Tired of feeling groggy and unmotivated early in the morning? Want to wake up excited about the day ahead? This is just the tip that you need...

A quick glance in the rear view mirror and I suddenly realized I had messed up. The reflection was not of the car behind me scooting over into the left lane; or of the crane on the side of the highway that had been there for months. Instead, what I saw were the wild eyes of a 13 month old seeing a very different world for the very first time. 

Those eyes were almost level with mine. He was standing, facing the front of the car, gripping the back of the carseat to stabilize himself. A lightning bolt struck straight at the center of my heart - I had forgotten to buckle him in. 

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I can remember that day clearly. You know the one - the never ending kind where you check your phone every half-hour, only to find that in reality it has only been 3 minutes since you last stole a glance at the clock. You’ve been trying desperately to think of fun things to do with your toddler, but nothing seems entertaining to you or him. Your body is there, in the house with your little one, but your mind is busy going everywhere and absolutely nowhere at the same time. You're just getting through the day until your husband comes home and you can finally talk to a real human.

That day was one of those days. I had nothing to do but entertain my son, and I was not in the mood for entertaining. So I mindlessly wandered to T.J. Maxx and we meandered through the aisles and looked and pointed and “oohed” and “awed”. And when we finally left the store to make the 10 minute drive back home - that was when I made my mistake.

And the worst part? I wasn’t trying to get home quickly to make dinner for guests and I wasn’t rushing off to an important meeting. The fact that I had nothing going on was exactly why I forgot to buckle him in. My mind had been unfocused and lazy all day. And because I had let myself walk aimlessly through the last 10 hours, all of my actions were purposeless as well. 

Enough Of The Aimless Days

I would not call myself an experienced mom by any means. My oldest is four so I am still at the very beginning stages. But in my short time as a stay at home mama, I have found one thing to be necessary - goals. I need something to strive for and focus my mind on. I need somewhere to rest my thoughts when the day gets monotonous.

I don’t know about you - but when I dreamed about being a stay at home mom I envisioned endless activities, running through the yard chasing birds, going on picnics and walks - a genuinely grateful smile plastered on my face the whole time. And while a lot of these visions have come to life, I did not expect to frequently feel the weight of the monotony of motherhood. Every day is the same. Though the details vary greatly, the purpose is constant. 

We need goals in our lives. We need something to look towards. We need concrete plans to help us gauge what we are doing and where we are going.

We Were Created To Pursue

We were created to pursue - we were created to go after something. Mainly, we were created to go after God. To seek Him, love Him, long for Him. But God has also given us gifts and talents. And because we were made in the image of God, when we use those gifts and talents we get to see a glimpse of who God is.

Throughout the Bible people planned and prepared and worked towards a goal. Solomon worked to build and plan the temple. Nehemiah set a goal and had a detailed plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The entire Bible is a detailed description of God bringing His plan into fruition. 

We were made to have a plan, have a goal, and go after it. And as stay-at-home moms, we need to know, recognize, and then act on this knowledge that we were created to pursue.

The Secret To Jumping Out Of Bed With Energy

You need goals. Goals that excite you and motivate you and maybe even scare you a little. Goals that push you to get out of your comfort zone. And you need to build better habits to help you pursue those goals. Because it is those goals - the ones that cause a knot to form in your belly - those are the ones that will make you move. Those are the ones that will give you more energy and enthusiasm with your kids. Those are the ones that will get you jumping out of bed in the morning.

Time is limited--we all know that. But if you can carve out time before the kids wake up, you can go after any goal or dream that you have. The trick is actually getting out of bed and starting your day before everyone else.

If your goal is big enough, if it excites you enough (and maybe even scares you a little) then you will want to get out of bed before the sun is up. You will crave the time you have alone, to work on things that mean something big to you.

And don't believe the lies that sometimes keep us from having the courage to pursue a dream. 

Added bonus: 

These big goals are also what will keep you from wasting the precious time that you do have. Those are the goals that will keep you off of your phone. Because when we have goals, dreams that are bigger than ourselves, suddenly spending time scrolling through social media seems so pointless and wasteful. As, most times, it should. 

But It Shouldn’t Be All About You

These big goals and dreams, they shouldn't really be about you. If they are, then they won’t be enough to get you up every morning, day after day. No, your dream should be bigger than yourself. It should be something that you can offer to the rest of the world. Because God has given you skills and talents not for your own pleasure and enjoyment, but for His Glory and the benefit of His people. 

So if your dreams are focused on you, then you are doing it wrong. The bigger the goal, the more people it should impact. The bigger the dream, the more lives it should touch. 

So dream big mama! Not doing so is holding on to something that was meant to be shared - shared with people who need your skills and talents and big dreams the most. 

It’s Time To Dream. It’s Time To Set Some Goals

If I had been  pursuing some big dream,  I would not have found myself aimlessly wandering around T.J.Maxx. And I probably would not have forgotten to buckle my son in the car seat. If I had  been focused and disciplined in my thinking and pursuits, I would have been more disciplined in my actions. 

Don’t let your days be aimless like mine have been in the past. And if you are like me and you find yourself going through the days without a clear plan or focus, if you find that your life is starting to look the same every day, then it’s time to start dreaming a little bigger. 

So mama, think about what you have always dreamed about but never had the time for. Or what have you admired about others but haven’t taken the time to build in yourself? What did you love to do before you had kids? Dream. 

Mama, it’s time to set some big goals for yourself! And when you do, your early morning routine will be that much more beautiful. 

I’m excited to see what you do! If you are brave enough, share your dreams with the rest of us. We would love to encourage you along the way. 

 I’m rooting for you,