January 20, 2025 • 27 mins
In this episode, I am sharing my personal journey of maintaining consistency while managing:
- A 9-5 job
- Two kids with unique needs (ADHD and autism)
- Marriage challenges
- Caring for an aging mother-in-law
- Multiple weekly activities and commitments
Key Takeaways:
- Why traditional consistency doesn't work for busy moms
- How to build flexible routines that adapt to chaos
- Simple strategies to stay on track when life gets messy
- The mindset shifts that make consistency possible
Featured Quote: "Consistency isn't about being perfect. It's about continuing to show up even when life gets messy."
Quick Win of the Week:
- Choose one simple action from your goal list
- Schedule when you'll do it
- Notice what stops you
- Create backup plans
- Track your progress
Connect with Stress-Free Supermoms:
Stress Free Supermoms Facebook Group
Episode Show Notes
Find me on the Gram!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Hey there Supermom! Welcome backto another episode of the Stress
Free Supermoms podcast.
I am Deanna Hart, your host, andtoday we're talking all about
real life consistency when lifegets messy.
Because listen, I get it.
Our lives as supermoms can getvery messy and that can have a
(00:26):
huge impact on our consistencyin our goals.
So we're going to dive into howto make that consistency a
reality.
This is part three of our busymom's guide to actually
achieving our goals.
(00:46):
The first part of this serieswas all about goal setting.
We picked a goal, we created anaction list for that goal,
because it's one thing to have abig goal, but to make that big
(01:08):
goal happen, we get to break itdown into smaller action steps
to make it easier for us to makeprogress on that goal.
Our second part was aboutmindset because it's one thing
to have a goal and a list ofsmaller goals related to that
(01:32):
big goal, but it's a wholenother thing when you try to
make those actions happen, wetend to get stuck in our head a
lot.
And so the mindset piece is hugein making that action happen.
And the second big piece tomaking progress on our goals is
(01:59):
Staying consistent with makingthose actions, which can look
different for everyone.
Some people have an easier timeto stay consistent with habits
and others don't so much.
So we're going to dive intothat.
And I'm super excited thatyou're here.
(02:20):
Because I believe consistency isabout building habits and
routines around your life,because your life most likely
looks a lot different thananyone else's.
So we get to build those habitsand routines around your already
busy, crazy life.
(02:42):
And I believe that consistencycan still be achieved while life
is messy.
Last week, we talked about theexact mindset shifts that helped
me lose 30 pounds, how to turnchaos into motivation and five
minute mindset strategies thatworked for me.
(03:06):
And if you haven't listened tothose two parts, I really
encourage you to go back tolisten to them.
because that will help youunderstand where we're coming
from with this consistency pieceand it'll help build that
framework for you.
Before we start talking aboutmaking consistency work in real
(03:30):
life, let me paint a picture forwhat was going on in my life
when I decided to work on thisgoal.
At the time, it was 2021.
So just after COVID and seeingeveryone sick and how
devastating this virus was foreveryone really gave me
(03:55):
inspiration and motivation tonot give up on my goal, which
was ultimately to be morehealthier.
Um, but losing weight, releasingweight had a big piece to that.
And, you know, inspiration issuper important in driving our
(04:22):
actions, because when you haveinspiration and when you have
something to motivate you tomove, it just makes it so much
easier.
Another thing was, That wasgoing on was my son was nine
with ADHD tendencies and aconsistent need for attention.
(04:46):
He wasn't diagnosed at the time,but we always had the suspicion
that he had ADHD because he isalways hyper.
I call him my monkey becausehe's always climbing on things.
Well, not now, but he was.
And Also, along with thosehyperness, we would have some
(05:13):
horrible meltdowns.
seemed like it was at the dropof a hat.
He would have a meltdown forsomething that I would
seamlessly think was small andnot important, but it was very
important to him.
So that is something thatconstantly interrupted my
(05:38):
progress My daughter was in highschool and needed a lot of extra
support.
She needed somebody to talk tobecause she didn't have anybody
else to talk to.
She didn't have a lot of friendsand she was really struggling
through that.
(06:00):
Wanting friends but not knowinghow to make friends, even in
high school.
So we would have long talks andI felt that was important for
her to be able to talk to hermom about what was going on.
So I wanted to give her myundivided attention when she
(06:21):
wanted to talk.
She was also practicing driving.
So we would go out three or fourtimes a week and practice
driving, which Ended up beingmore on my plate and the last
time that I had to devote to mygoal.
(06:42):
My mother in law was gettingolder and needed more help.
She could still take care ofherself, but there was a lot of
things that she couldn't do thatshe wanted to do.
So she asked me to do them.
And so her health was decliningafter COVID and Before she had a
(07:05):
COPD attack.
Marriage was struggling.
Uh, we had, we were arguing alot about how to best parent our
son.
So a lot of the times thosearguments would derail my
progress on my goals, my focus.
(07:27):
And so that was another thinggoing on in my life.
My kids were in sports.
Uh, they both took Taekwondo.
So we would have an hour to twohours at Taekwondo two or three
times a week.
And I worked a nine to five.
(07:49):
So as you can see, my life wasvery chaotic.
I had a lot going on, still doand very little time to be able
to devote to working out andwell mainly just working out is
the one that took the most timebut my thoughts and my mind was
(08:16):
also focused on other things soit made it challenging to focus
my attention on how to best dothe tasks that I wanted to do
for my goal.
But by staying consistent andnot letting any of that truly
(08:38):
stop me, I still made progress.
Despite everything going on,little by little, I started
making progress.
Little by little, I startedfeeling better, more
accomplished, more capable ofdoing what I said I was going to
do.
I was thinking clearer and moreconfidence in my ability to
(09:01):
succeed.
And then I became unstoppable.
That is until life got put onhold to care for my mother in
law.
But that's a topic for anotherday.
Now, you might be thinking, howdid you possibly stay consistent
with everything going on?
(09:21):
Well, what I learned changedeverything about how I view
consistency.
What I learned was the truthabout everyday consistency, but
before I get into that, let'sdive into the meaning of
consistency.
(09:42):
The Oxford Learner's Dictionarydefines it as the quality of
always behaving in the same wayor of having the same opinions,
standards, et cetera, thequality of being consistent.
Well, why is everydayconsistency so hard for busy
(10:03):
super moms?
Because our plate is so full, wefeel we can't possibly fit in
time for our goals, or our mindis so full that it's hard to
focus on how to make it work.
My plate was so full and my mindwas so full from all of the
(10:29):
things that I needed to do,being the family manager,
cooking, cleaning, working,being the family therapist,
controlling the kids, being theboss of the house, parenting,
and my own desires.
(10:50):
Another reason why consistencycan be very hard for supermoms
is the varying degree of ourmoods, our days, our schedules,
and our motivation.
Also, life happens, which isusually beyond our control.
(11:11):
But when that does happen, it'sreally hard to figure out how to
be consistent with what we'realready doing when our busy life
gets turned upside down, it'sand crap seems to hit the fan.
(11:34):
So what did work for me duringmy busy chaotic life?
Consistently showing up and notgiving up.
Calming my mind so I could thinkclearer.
When life happened, I stayedpositive and I adjusted.
(11:54):
I thought about who I and how Iwanted to be and consistently
made a point to show up as thatperson.
Did I every day?
No, but I did more days than Ididn't.
I became a problem solver andconsistently found ways to make
(12:15):
it work within my crazy, busy,stressful life.
I didn't beat myself up or givemyself a pass.
I accepted life for what it was.
I built systems and routinesaround my goals so I could fit
it into my schedule and I didn'tlet what was going on stop me
(12:38):
from achieving my goals.
All this mindset shifts reallydid change everything for me
because when our mind is calm Wecan think clearer and make
better decisions.
(12:58):
We can adjust and problem solvefor situations and problem
solving becomes easier.
When we're determined to makesomething happen, ideas just
tend to pop up that actuallywork.
(13:19):
And staying positive can help usnot get defeated by our current
situations.
So once I understood that thatconsistency didn't mean
perfection, I needed to figureout how to make it work in my
crazy, busy life.
(13:40):
So I made plans that actuallywork.
And I'll give you some examplesof what worked for me and how
this could work for you also.
And some guidance on how to makethose plans.
And I'm going to assume thatbeing healthier is one of your
(14:03):
goals because most people arewanting to be healthier this
time of year.
So how do we make plans thatactually work?
Well, We build flexibility intoour routines because having a
few different workout timesreally helps to give you
(14:28):
options.
You know, you could have earlymorning or lunch or after the
kids go to bed.
Some days I worked out in themorning.
Some days I worked out justbefore dinner.
Some days I worked out afterdinner.
I just depend on the day.
Breaking up exercise intosmaller chunks throughout the
(14:52):
day.
Some days I would do five minutewarm ups in the morning, squats
and desk push ups at lunch orjust walking in place and five
minute weights in the evening.
Spent five minutes liftingweights in the evening.
(15:13):
Flexibility also means keepingthings handy.
So keeping healthy snacks inmultiple places like your car,
your office, your kitchen.
I always had a big bag ofalmonds in my work bag.
I kept cut veggies and dip inthe fridge and string cheese
(15:37):
that I could just grab and gowhenever I needed.
And having a go to backup planready for those hectic days.
I would have crockpot dump andgo meals that I could just throw
in the crockpot in the morningand be done with, especially for
(15:58):
those busy days where we hadtaekwondo after work.
I had prepared meals ready to goto pop in the oven and no, I
didn't pre make them.
I did buy pre made meals at thestore, which I know is not as
healthy.
But it was okay because I stillmade progress and it was
(16:21):
something quick and easy that Icould just pop in the oven and
the family would eat.
Also, I did pre cook big batchesof meat though.
So like when I cooked hamburger,I would cook three pounds of
hamburger at a time.
That way I had already cookedhamburger.
(16:41):
I could just throw in a meal.
when I needed to.
I also pre cut veggies.
You know, when you're cuttingonions for a meal, why not cut
one or two extra to put in thefridge to be able to just throw
in the pan when you need to.
(17:02):
That makes it so much easier tomake a healthy meal.
I created simple backup plans.
So five minute workout optionsfor days with meltdowns.
When my son would melt down andI, in the middle of a workout or
(17:24):
just before a workout, I pivotedand instead I took a walk with
my son, which actually helpedcalm him down at the same time.
So it was a win win.
I also did warmups instead ofweightlifting.
When things would happen thatwould need my attention rather
(17:44):
than me working out.
I also had quick, healthy ideaswhen original plans fell
through.
So maybe I had planned on a mealthat would take 20 minutes to
start cooking and another 30minutes to cook.
(18:07):
I had quick meals that I couldfall back on like burrito bowls
or chili or even just throwing achicken breast in the oven and
making mashed potatoes andveggies.
Something quick and easy butstill somewhat aligned with my
goals.
(18:28):
Another way to make plans thatactually work is to find ways to
adjust when life happens.
Modifying our goals based on ourenergy levels really helps make
that happen.
You know, some days I didn'thave the energy to work out.
So I just focused on not eatingsugar, keeping it simple on hard
(18:52):
days instead of giving up, Ialways had a few options to eat,
but kept it simple by onlyhaving a few, protein smoothies
or yogurt and protein with someberries.
Those were my primary go tobreakfast foods and I either had
(19:14):
one or the other and it made itsuper simple and easy for me to
just quickly whip up one of thetwo.
I didn't have a million optionsto choose from and I didn't have
decision fatigue from breakfast.
Looking for opportunities inunexpected moments.
(19:38):
Working out may have been a fiveminute workout or a 20 minute
workout, depending on the waythat day went, but I had a
schedule for my workouts.
So having these flexible planswas great, but the real game
changer was what happened in mymind.
(20:02):
Which leads me to the power ofshowing up and having
conversations with yourself.
I don't know about you, but Italk to myself a lot.
Sometimes even out loud and my,my kids laugh at me all the time
for it.
But you know what?
Those conversations with myself,they really help especially when
(20:26):
I'm talking myself into doingsomething rather than talking
myself out of doing something.
And I touched on this a littlebit earlier, but not giving up
when things get hard.
Don't give up when things gethard.
Focus on why your goal isimportant to you.
(20:47):
You know, for me, being strongand fit for my kids was really
important for me.
And that helped me continuemoving forward.
Remembering who you want to beand showing up as that woman
during those tough moments alsoreally helps to not give up.
(21:10):
Looking at setbacks as alearning lesson and a and
feedback to what doesn't workand treating each day as a new
day and not focusing on howyesterday didn't go according to
plan.
Another power of showing up isjust staying consistent through
(21:32):
the challenges.
You know, celebrating showingup, even if plans changed.
I always tell myself, I didsomething which is better than
nothing.
Feeling proud of problem solvingskills when facing obstacles.
(21:54):
I would always tell myself, youdid a good job, Deanna, nice job
figuring that one out.
Noticing small improvements.
Track your progress.
You won't notice the one degreechange otherwise.
I took measurements of my bodyevery week.
(22:17):
Made it a habit because I reallywanted to know if what I was
doing was working.
I didn't notice it on aneveryday basis.
Sometimes I didn't even noticeit on a weekly basis, but after
a year of tracking, I couldreally see how much of a change
I was really making.
(22:37):
Finding unexpected benefits inadopted plans.
Recognizing that any actionstill counts.
And don't beat yourself up onhard days.
I know it's hard not to do,especially when you're that
(23:00):
frame of mind where you feel youcan't do anything right.
Just the other day, I went on ahuge grocery trip and took my
son, which is never a good idea.
And so I came home spending waymore money than I really wanted
to.
And I just felt defeated.
(23:23):
And my husband wanted onespecific thing and I didn't get
it.
And so I felt like it was just,I felt like I couldn't do
anything right.
But this morning when I woke up,You know what?
(23:44):
I can look back and say, youknow what?
It's okay.
It's not That big of a deal andyou did just fine.
You've got food for your familyand that's all that really
matters.
And Believe to your core thatanything is possible Where
(24:06):
there's a will there's a wayAnother power of showing up is
just being proud of the smallwins.
Acknowledging each time youchoose a healthy option.
Celebrating when you returnafter a break.
Noticing increased energy andstrength.
(24:27):
Recognizing improved stressmanagement.
Taking pride in modelingconsistency for your kids.
And accepting your growingproblem solving abilities.
Now, I know you're probablythinking that sounds great, but
how do I even start?
(24:48):
I've got something simple youcan try right away.
And I will put these, I will putthis, these steps in the show
notes for you to referencebecause I know I get it.
Listening to something is great,but sometimes you just need to
look at something very quicklyto get yourself back on track.
(25:11):
So here's your simple action forthe week.
Focus on one action list on yourgoal list.
Pick an action that you thinkshould be easy to do, but for
some reason it just isn't.
Make a plan for when you'regoing to do that action and then
(25:32):
write down what comes up for youat that time.
Are you too tired?
Have you had a chaotic day anddon't feel like doing anything?
Or maybe you just don't havetime to do it.
Then focus your attention on howyou can make it happen.
Once you've done that, trackyour progress.
(25:56):
You could use a habit tracker.
You could put stickers on acalendar for every time you
complete that action.
Or you could create a simpleGoogle sheet, table to Document
numbers, if weight is your goal.
And Make your own backup plan,take note of what goes on in
(26:20):
your days and what stops youfrom taking action on your goal.
Brainstorm ideas for how you canadjust to those times.
And remember, something isbetter than nothing, even if you
just spend five minutes onsomething.
Before we wrap up today, I wantto leave you with something
(26:41):
important to remember.
Consistency isn't about beingperfect.
It's about continuing to show upeven when life gets messy.
You don't need to do everythingevery day.
You just need to hit the targetmore days than not.
And you're doing better than youthink.
(27:04):
So next week, we will be talkingabout how to celebrate your
wins, no matter how small.
But until then remember you'vegot this mama keep showing up
for yourself one small step at atime.
Until next time stay strong staycalm and keep thriving super
(27:27):
mom!
Hey there Supermom! Welcome backto another episode of the Stress
Free Supermoms podcast.
I am Deanna Hart, your host, andtoday we're talking all about
real life consistency when lifegets messy.
Because listen, I get it.
Our lives as supermoms can getvery messy and that can have a
(00:26):
huge impact on our consistencyin our goals.
So we're going to dive into howto make that consistency a
reality.
This is part three of our busymom's guide to actually
achieving our goals.
(00:46):
The first part of this serieswas all about goal setting.
We picked a goal, we created anaction list for that goal,
because it's one thing to have abig goal, but to make that big
(01:08):
goal happen, we get to break itdown into smaller action steps
to make it easier for us to makeprogress on that goal.
Our second part was aboutmindset because it's one thing
to have a goal and a list ofsmaller goals related to that
(01:32):
big goal, but it's a wholenother thing when you try to
make those actions happen, wetend to get stuck in our head a
lot.
And so the mindset piece is hugein making that action happen.
And the second big piece tomaking progress on our goals is
(01:59):
Staying consistent with makingthose actions, which can look
different for everyone.
Some people have an easier timeto stay consistent with habits
and others don't so much.
So we're going to dive intothat.
And I'm super excited thatyou're here.
(02:20):
Because I believe consistency isabout building habits and
routines around your life,because your life most likely
looks a lot different thananyone else's.
So we get to build those habitsand routines around your already
busy, crazy life.
(02:42):
And I believe that consistencycan still be achieved while life
is messy.
Last week, we talked about theexact mindset shifts that helped
me lose 30 pounds, how to turnchaos into motivation and five
minute mindset strategies thatworked for me.
(03:06):
And if you haven't listened tothose two parts, I really
encourage you to go back tolisten to them.
because that will help youunderstand where we're coming
from with this consistency pieceand it'll help build that
framework for you.
Before we start talking aboutmaking consistency work in real
(03:30):
life, let me paint a picture forwhat was going on in my life
when I decided to work on thisgoal.
At the time, it was 2021.
So just after COVID and seeingeveryone sick and how
devastating this virus was foreveryone really gave me
(03:55):
inspiration and motivation tonot give up on my goal, which
was ultimately to be morehealthier.
Um, but losing weight, releasingweight had a big piece to that.
And, you know, inspiration issuper important in driving our
(04:22):
actions, because when you haveinspiration and when you have
something to motivate you tomove, it just makes it so much
easier.
Another thing was, That wasgoing on was my son was nine
with ADHD tendencies and aconsistent need for attention.
(04:46):
He wasn't diagnosed at the time,but we always had the suspicion
that he had ADHD because he isalways hyper.
I call him my monkey becausehe's always climbing on things.
Well, not now, but he was.
And Also, along with thosehyperness, we would have some
(05:13):
horrible meltdowns.
seemed like it was at the dropof a hat.
He would have a meltdown forsomething that I would
seamlessly think was small andnot important, but it was very
important to him.
So that is something thatconstantly interrupted my
(05:38):
progress My daughter was in highschool and needed a lot of extra
support.
She needed somebody to talk tobecause she didn't have anybody
else to talk to.
She didn't have a lot of friendsand she was really struggling
through that.
(06:00):
Wanting friends but not knowinghow to make friends, even in
high school.
So we would have long talks andI felt that was important for
her to be able to talk to hermom about what was going on.
So I wanted to give her myundivided attention when she
(06:21):
wanted to talk.
She was also practicing driving.
So we would go out three or fourtimes a week and practice
driving, which Ended up beingmore on my plate and the last
time that I had to devote to mygoal.
(06:42):
My mother in law was gettingolder and needed more help.
She could still take care ofherself, but there was a lot of
things that she couldn't do thatshe wanted to do.
So she asked me to do them.
And so her health was decliningafter COVID and Before she had a
(07:05):
COPD attack.
Marriage was struggling.
Uh, we had, we were arguing alot about how to best parent our
son.
So a lot of the times thosearguments would derail my
progress on my goals, my focus.
(07:27):
And so that was another thinggoing on in my life.
My kids were in sports.
Uh, they both took Taekwondo.
So we would have an hour to twohours at Taekwondo two or three
times a week.
And I worked a nine to five.
(07:49):
So as you can see, my life wasvery chaotic.
I had a lot going on, still doand very little time to be able
to devote to working out andwell mainly just working out is
the one that took the most timebut my thoughts and my mind was
(08:16):
also focused on other things soit made it challenging to focus
my attention on how to best dothe tasks that I wanted to do
for my goal.
But by staying consistent andnot letting any of that truly
(08:38):
stop me, I still made progress.
Despite everything going on,little by little, I started
making progress.
Little by little, I startedfeeling better, more
accomplished, more capable ofdoing what I said I was going to
do.
I was thinking clearer and moreconfidence in my ability to
(09:01):
succeed.
And then I became unstoppable.
That is until life got put onhold to care for my mother in
law.
But that's a topic for anotherday.
Now, you might be thinking, howdid you possibly stay consistent
with everything going on?
(09:21):
Well, what I learned changedeverything about how I view
consistency.
What I learned was the truthabout everyday consistency, but
before I get into that, let'sdive into the meaning of
consistency.
(09:42):
The Oxford Learner's Dictionarydefines it as the quality of
always behaving in the same wayor of having the same opinions,
standards, et cetera, thequality of being consistent.
Well, why is everydayconsistency so hard for busy
(10:03):
super moms?
Because our plate is so full, wefeel we can't possibly fit in
time for our goals, or our mindis so full that it's hard to
focus on how to make it work.
My plate was so full and my mindwas so full from all of the
(10:29):
things that I needed to do,being the family manager,
cooking, cleaning, working,being the family therapist,
controlling the kids, being theboss of the house, parenting,
and my own desires.
(10:50):
Another reason why consistencycan be very hard for supermoms
is the varying degree of ourmoods, our days, our schedules,
and our motivation.
Also, life happens, which isusually beyond our control.
(11:11):
But when that does happen, it'sreally hard to figure out how to
be consistent with what we'realready doing when our busy life
gets turned upside down, it'sand crap seems to hit the fan.
(11:34):
So what did work for me duringmy busy chaotic life?
Consistently showing up and notgiving up.
Calming my mind so I could thinkclearer.
When life happened, I stayedpositive and I adjusted.
(11:54):
I thought about who I and how Iwanted to be and consistently
made a point to show up as thatperson.
Did I every day?
No, but I did more days than Ididn't.
I became a problem solver andconsistently found ways to make
(12:15):
it work within my crazy, busy,stressful life.
I didn't beat myself up or givemyself a pass.
I accepted life for what it was.
I built systems and routinesaround my goals so I could fit
it into my schedule and I didn'tlet what was going on stop me
(12:38):
from achieving my goals.
All this mindset shifts reallydid change everything for me
because when our mind is calm Wecan think clearer and make
better decisions.
(12:58):
We can adjust and problem solvefor situations and problem
solving becomes easier.
When we're determined to makesomething happen, ideas just
tend to pop up that actuallywork.
(13:19):
And staying positive can help usnot get defeated by our current
situations.
So once I understood that thatconsistency didn't mean
perfection, I needed to figureout how to make it work in my
crazy, busy life.
(13:40):
So I made plans that actuallywork.
And I'll give you some examplesof what worked for me and how
this could work for you also.
And some guidance on how to makethose plans.
And I'm going to assume thatbeing healthier is one of your
(14:03):
goals because most people arewanting to be healthier this
time of year.
So how do we make plans thatactually work?
Well, We build flexibility intoour routines because having a
few different workout timesreally helps to give you
(14:28):
options.
You know, you could have earlymorning or lunch or after the
kids go to bed.
Some days I worked out in themorning.
Some days I worked out justbefore dinner.
Some days I worked out afterdinner.
I just depend on the day.
Breaking up exercise intosmaller chunks throughout the
(14:52):
day.
Some days I would do five minutewarm ups in the morning, squats
and desk push ups at lunch orjust walking in place and five
minute weights in the evening.
Spent five minutes liftingweights in the evening.
(15:13):
Flexibility also means keepingthings handy.
So keeping healthy snacks inmultiple places like your car,
your office, your kitchen.
I always had a big bag ofalmonds in my work bag.
I kept cut veggies and dip inthe fridge and string cheese
(15:37):
that I could just grab and gowhenever I needed.
And having a go to backup planready for those hectic days.
I would have crockpot dump andgo meals that I could just throw
in the crockpot in the morningand be done with, especially for
(15:58):
those busy days where we hadtaekwondo after work.
I had prepared meals ready to goto pop in the oven and no, I
didn't pre make them.
I did buy pre made meals at thestore, which I know is not as
healthy.
But it was okay because I stillmade progress and it was
(16:21):
something quick and easy that Icould just pop in the oven and
the family would eat.
Also, I did pre cook big batchesof meat though.
So like when I cooked hamburger,I would cook three pounds of
hamburger at a time.
That way I had already cookedhamburger.
(16:41):
I could just throw in a meal.
when I needed to.
I also pre cut veggies.
You know, when you're cuttingonions for a meal, why not cut
one or two extra to put in thefridge to be able to just throw
in the pan when you need to.
(17:02):
That makes it so much easier tomake a healthy meal.
I created simple backup plans.
So five minute workout optionsfor days with meltdowns.
When my son would melt down andI, in the middle of a workout or
(17:24):
just before a workout, I pivotedand instead I took a walk with
my son, which actually helpedcalm him down at the same time.
So it was a win win.
I also did warmups instead ofweightlifting.
When things would happen thatwould need my attention rather
(17:44):
than me working out.
I also had quick, healthy ideaswhen original plans fell
through.
So maybe I had planned on a mealthat would take 20 minutes to
start cooking and another 30minutes to cook.
(18:07):
I had quick meals that I couldfall back on like burrito bowls
or chili or even just throwing achicken breast in the oven and
making mashed potatoes andveggies.
Something quick and easy butstill somewhat aligned with my
goals.
(18:28):
Another way to make plans thatactually work is to find ways to
adjust when life happens.
Modifying our goals based on ourenergy levels really helps make
that happen.
You know, some days I didn'thave the energy to work out.
So I just focused on not eatingsugar, keeping it simple on hard
(18:52):
days instead of giving up, Ialways had a few options to eat,
but kept it simple by onlyhaving a few, protein smoothies
or yogurt and protein with someberries.
Those were my primary go tobreakfast foods and I either had
(19:14):
one or the other and it made itsuper simple and easy for me to
just quickly whip up one of thetwo.
I didn't have a million optionsto choose from and I didn't have
decision fatigue from breakfast.
Looking for opportunities inunexpected moments.
(19:38):
Working out may have been a fiveminute workout or a 20 minute
workout, depending on the waythat day went, but I had a
schedule for my workouts.
So having these flexible planswas great, but the real game
changer was what happened in mymind.
(20:02):
Which leads me to the power ofshowing up and having
conversations with yourself.
I don't know about you, but Italk to myself a lot.
Sometimes even out loud and my,my kids laugh at me all the time
for it.
But you know what?
Those conversations with myself,they really help especially when
(20:26):
I'm talking myself into doingsomething rather than talking
myself out of doing something.
And I touched on this a littlebit earlier, but not giving up
when things get hard.
Don't give up when things gethard.
Focus on why your goal isimportant to you.
(20:47):
You know, for me, being strongand fit for my kids was really
important for me.
And that helped me continuemoving forward.
Remembering who you want to beand showing up as that woman
during those tough moments alsoreally helps to not give up.
(21:10):
Looking at setbacks as alearning lesson and a and
feedback to what doesn't workand treating each day as a new
day and not focusing on howyesterday didn't go according to
plan.
Another power of showing up isjust staying consistent through
(21:32):
the challenges.
You know, celebrating showingup, even if plans changed.
I always tell myself, I didsomething which is better than
nothing.
Feeling proud of problem solvingskills when facing obstacles.
(21:54):
I would always tell myself, youdid a good job, Deanna, nice job
figuring that one out.
Noticing small improvements.
Track your progress.
You won't notice the one degreechange otherwise.
I took measurements of my bodyevery week.
(22:17):
Made it a habit because I reallywanted to know if what I was
doing was working.
I didn't notice it on aneveryday basis.
Sometimes I didn't even noticeit on a weekly basis, but after
a year of tracking, I couldreally see how much of a change
I was really making.
(22:37):
Finding unexpected benefits inadopted plans.
Recognizing that any actionstill counts.
And don't beat yourself up onhard days.
I know it's hard not to do,especially when you're that
(23:00):
frame of mind where you feel youcan't do anything right.
Just the other day, I went on ahuge grocery trip and took my
son, which is never a good idea.
And so I came home spending waymore money than I really wanted
to.
And I just felt defeated.
(23:23):
And my husband wanted onespecific thing and I didn't get
it.
And so I felt like it was just,I felt like I couldn't do
anything right.
But this morning when I woke up,You know what?
(23:44):
I can look back and say, youknow what?
It's okay.
It's not That big of a deal andyou did just fine.
You've got food for your familyand that's all that really
matters.
And Believe to your core thatanything is possible Where
(24:06):
there's a will there's a wayAnother power of showing up is
just being proud of the smallwins.
Acknowledging each time youchoose a healthy option.
Celebrating when you returnafter a break.
Noticing increased energy andstrength.
(24:27):
Recognizing improved stressmanagement.
Taking pride in modelingconsistency for your kids.
And accepting your growingproblem solving abilities.
Now, I know you're probablythinking that sounds great, but
how do I even start?
(24:48):
I've got something simple youcan try right away.
And I will put these, I will putthis, these steps in the show
notes for you to referencebecause I know I get it.
Listening to something is great,but sometimes you just need to
look at something very quicklyto get yourself back on track.
(25:11):
So here's your simple action forthe week.
Focus on one action list on yourgoal list.
Pick an action that you thinkshould be easy to do, but for
some reason it just isn't.
Make a plan for when you'regoing to do that action and then
(25:32):
write down what comes up for youat that time.
Are you too tired?
Have you had a chaotic day anddon't feel like doing anything?
Or maybe you just don't havetime to do it.
Then focus your attention on howyou can make it happen.
Once you've done that, trackyour progress.
(25:56):
You could use a habit tracker.
You could put stickers on acalendar for every time you
complete that action.
Or you could create a simpleGoogle sheet, table to Document
numbers, if weight is your goal.
And Make your own backup plan,take note of what goes on in
(26:20):
your days and what stops youfrom taking action on your goal.
Brainstorm ideas for how you canadjust to those times.
And remember, something isbetter than nothing, even if you
just spend five minutes onsomething.
Before we wrap up today, I wantto leave you with something
(26:41):
important to remember.
Consistency isn't about beingperfect.
It's about continuing to show upeven when life gets messy.
You don't need to do everythingevery day.
You just need to hit the targetmore days than not.
And you're doing better than youthink.
(27:04):
So next week, we will be talkingabout how to celebrate your
wins, no matter how small.
But until then remember you'vegot this mama keep showing up
for yourself one small step at atime.
Until next time stay strong staycalm and keep thriving super
(27:27):
mom!
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