Motivation for Moms: Where to Get It?

Coffee can be a great motivator, especially when it’s loaded with protein. Sadly, coffee isn’t enough.

As moms we have roles and responsibilities to our homes and families that no one can replace. Do we really want to fritter away the days doom-scrolling? Or do we want to turn a profit on our lives.

Let’s look at motivation for moms. What motivates you?

In your life as mom, there are plenty of choices: fold clothes or take a nap? Wash dishes or eat a cookie? Change the sheets or read a book?

Sometimes the choice is between two good options; other times it’s a choice of between one that’s really good and one that’s not.

How do we as moms develop healthy motivations? We’ve all got different challenges, different circumstances, but when do we just need a kick in the pants to get things done?

Motivation for moms looks a bit different than it does for other people. There are unique challenges to motherhood, such as sleepless nights, taking care of sick kids, and the all-too-looming laundry pile that can get in the way of what we thought was on our to-do list today.

There is no perfect mother, but we can find a healthy rhythm of homekeeping, family time, sleep, exercise, and hobbies. I think that starts with some healthy motivation.

Let’s look at what motivates us as well as how to plan our days in a way to harness that motivation:

Types of Motivation for Moms

There are many types of motivation, but let’s look at the ones that are common to mom. Remember that your mileage may vary.

Pride

Sometimes we get motivated because we’re prideful. “I think I should do XYZ because that’s what a good mother and wife does.”

And heaven knows, we want to be good wives and moms, right?

This is not always bad, though. I mean, the term, “Have some pride,” can be the right motivation at the right time.

Caveat: when it comes at the cost of our health or relationships, pride is not a good motivator.

Peer Pressure

“That girl over there is doing it and she has an awesome life, so if I do it, too, I’ll have an awesome life also.”

Not exactly. You got to find your groove and what works for you and your family. Just because it works for someone else, doesn’t mean it will work for you. 

Identify the principles that are at play and then find ways to apply those principles in a way that works for you and your family.

That said, peer pressure in the form of positive encouragement doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If you and your friends are encouraging each other to start some good habits, and you’re doing things to motivate or “pressure” each other to follow through on those good intentions, that’s good!

Our Children

Setting a good example for our kids can be great motivation for moms. Do they see that we’re exercising? Eating healthy? Incorporating healthy habits in our lives? Our kids are watching us. Our actions matter!

Monkey see, monkey do. That’s motivation enough to do the right thing!

Our Husbands

When I know something will bless my husband, I’m naturally more motivated to do it.

This is not a sexist thing. Because he loves me, he does the same for me. That’s what it is to be in a lifelong commitment with someone.

Future Me

Planning for the future can be good daily motivation for today’s tasks. Whether it’s avoiding a late fee on a bill or wiping the high chair when the spills are fresh, thinking about later and making later easier can be a very good thing. Think about what would benefit your future self.

Think about the people you love, you want to be with them — healthy as you can be. The future is a great motivator for making good choices today.

To be faithful to Him is to be good stewards in the season we are in.

The things that we really want to do in this world, we will do. We are selfish beings. If we want something bad enough, we need no motivation.

It’s harder to tackle the things we need to do or should do when we don’t have an intrinsic motivation. It can be SO helpful to find daily motivation from one or more of these sources so that we can accomplish great things in our lives as moms.

Motivation for Moms: Tips to Get Going

Maybe you want to do all kinds of good things: clean your house, prep good meals, get organized, but you find myself stuck. How do you get the energy and motivation to get started on these projects that really need to get done? 

It’s awesome to have a project, goals, and systems you want to refine, but it can feel so defeating when you can’t stir yourself to do it. 

Like, what is wrong with me? Why can’t I get started? Why am I overwhelmed?

I often think of the Jane Austen line (Sense and Sensibility maybe?) about the need for one of the heroines to exert herself.

I feel that. Deep in my bones sometimes.

Here are a few things that help me exert myself, things that help me kickstart that motivation in those moments when it’s hard to come by:

Read, watch, or listen to content on the topic. 

I find that reading a book, watching a video, or listening to an audiobook or podcast can inspire me to take action. I try to regularly choose books on topics where I want to be motivated. 

For me this is often finances, decluttering, mental & physical health, and entrepreneurship. Your goals and projects may be different, but I’ll guess that there is content out there on the topic you want to grow in.

That one-word change makes a huge difference! Change how you think and talk about the thing in that new way. It will help you move forward.

Assess the architecture around you. 

Our surroundings have a huge impact on how effective we are as moms. Do you have the physical space to do the thing? 

Maybe things are cluttered and you want to brainstorm a plan for dejunking? Go someplace that is neat and tidy (a cafe, another room, the backyard?) and do your brainstorming where you won’t be distracted from the clutter. 

If your project is to prep good meals, then give the kitchen a good scrub so your canvas is set for the task at hand. Sometimes changing your environment is just the encouragement and motivation you need as a mom.

Finding motivation as a mom and homemaker can seem challenging, but these strategies can help you find and direct motivation for moms. I’d love to hear what works for you!