Did you know that people who set goals are 43 percent more likely to achieve them? The science behind setting goals points toward success! Running your home doesn’t have to include an elaborate plan. Set some goals and action steps and work toward stewarding what God gave you!
I am an unapologetic Type A mother. I like a clean home. I am always setting goals for any area of my life that I can. And I think it’s absolutely thrilling when I am able to achieve them.
My home included! I love keeping my home clean and well-organized.
But when I became a mom, my house was a mess. I usually spent the day recovering from sleepless nights spent breastfeeding my baby and trying to restore order to my home. I desperately wanted my home to be as clean as it was before I had children.
And I actually thought I could care for a baby and maintain that! HAH!
I clung to that idea with white knuckles and all the positive self-talk I could muster. We even had another child exactly two years later and I was singing the same song. Talk about setting myself up for failure!
Now that those babies are two toddlers, I realize the immense pressure I put on myself to keep my home as tidy as it was pre-children. But I also realize that the original goal of keeping a clean home is not bad.
Finding the balance has been a struggle for me. And for you, that may not be the case! I say all that to say – whether you’re Type A or Type B, setting goals doesn’t have to mean they’re big goals.
The only goal in my homemaking journey to this point has been to find routines and systems that work for my family, no matter the stage of life we’re in. For us right now, that means organization, clear expectations, and a tidy home.
No matter what stage of life you’re in, I hope these tips help you find the same peace in your home! Now – goal get ’em!
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Good Goals Involve Clarity, Consistency, and Change
I am a firm believer that successful homemakers are flexible, determined, and consistent. (Notice that I didn’t say successful homemakers are organized, get dressed every day, or prepared.)
Homemaking is a life-long skill, but it changes with the seasons. It changes in the physical seasons of our calendar year.
In the summer, your kitchen may be neglected, but your fridge is stocked with cold, simple snacks and sandwich items. In the winter, your stove may be burning non-stop with soups and stews.
Before children, you may be working outside the home and spending your weekends away with your friends or husband. After children, you may not leave the home for a year or two.
Your success as a homemaker isn’t determined by the planner you use (if you use one), your income bracket, or your home economics experience. Before you even begin goal setting, take these self-limiting beliefs and set them aside. We aren’t going to listen to them anymore.
We are going to set goals that work for us and our families. Mine will look different from yours. Yours will look different from your friends. Your goals will look different in all the different areas of your life.
What actually matters is that your goals are clear, you are consistent in working toward them, and you’re willing to embrace change.
How to Set Clear Homemaking Goals
Homemaking goals are going to be no different than financial goals, personal goals, fitness goals, or any other goals you could think of.
In goal setting, I like to set what’s called “SMART goals.” Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Specific goals are literal and answer two questions – what will get done? Who will do it? For example, a goal that isn’t specific is “I will read 12 books this year.” A specific goal is “I will read one non-fiction book every month this year.”
Measurable goals have a concrete way of proving success. Do you have a finished pile of non-fiction books growing? Then you’re able to measure your goal. You can’t measure something like, “become a better communicator,” or “be a better friend.” How do you quantify those things?
Achievable goals fall in line with measurable. If you just had a baby, whether it’s your first or your fifth, chances are you’re going to be a bit busy right now. So give yourself grace for being a good friend. You may go off the radar every now and then. You may not be able to join friends for outings. Let’s embrace the season of life we’re in and work on other quick wins right now.
Relevant goals can also keep you on track in your homemaking. If you don’t have children, maybe you don’t focus on goals like “learn to sew clothes” as much as you do “learn time management skills.” If you do have children, maybe you prioritize organizing family time or learning a new skill during nap time.
Time-bound goals, in this example, are probably not long-term goals. We aren’t looking to put aside for retirement or anything. We’re looking for quick wins that will likely change through our homemaking journey. For example, the organization goals for my home have changed since my children aged. First, it was organizing diapers, wipes, and burp cloths so they were accessible in almost every room of my home. Now I’m focused on organizing children’s toys based on how often they’re played with. There isn’t a diaper or burp cloth to be seen these days! But organization is still the goal.
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Clear Goals Are a Good Thing
This blog is a hobby for me, but it’s a hobby I’d like to earn an income from one day! That’s my goal – earn an income from my blog. But remember – I want this goal to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound so I can measure success.
So my goal is actually to earn $500 from my blog per year in the next two years. There is clarity in that goal. I’m not just looking to earn money – I have a set dollar amount. And I’m not waiting around to do it – I want to monetize my work within two years.
Does that seem lofty to you? Eating an elephant always does. That’s why you eat an elephant one bit at a time.
Your home is no different than monetizing this blog. Are you looking to slash $100 a month from your grocery budget? Are you drowning in toys that your children don’t play with? These are all things you can accomplish!
Clarity is always going to be your friend in setting goals. Now let’s talk about how you can become consistent.
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New Goals Require Specific Action
Now that we know we want our goals to work for us and our season of life, we need to figure out a way to achieve those goals.
When I’m working toward something new, I like to incorporate daily tasks I can work on that will help me achieve my goals. Sound like a lot of work? Let’s break it down into a three-step process.
Step one – set your SMART goal.
Step two – create one action you can perform every day that will get you closer to your goal.
Step three – repeat step two.
My current goal is to generate at least $500 in income from this blog within the next two years. To do that, I know I need to write blog posts, take good pictures, and post on social media.
Look at that – because I did some research and found out what it takes to get blogs to grow, I now have action steps! Every month I will write a set amount of blog posts. Every opportunity I get I will practice taking photos and posting on social media.
If you want to reduce your monthly grocery budget by $100 every month, you can start by shopping your fridge, freezer, and pantry before you go to the grocery store. When you see everything you already have on hand, you can create meals based on that.
When you have your grocery list in hand, you can shop at discount grocery stores in your area, or shop from the sales flyer at the grocery store you prefer.
Ta-da! Two action steps you can take to reduce your grocery budget by $100 every month!
If this way of meal planning is new to you, you probably aren’t going to be good at it right away. It will take time to practice! Stay consistent in your action steps and you will quickly see momentum toward achieving your goal.
Will you automatically reduce your grocery budget in the first month? You might! But if you don’t, or you find that for your family you actually need that additional $100 for groceries every month, it may be time to change your goals.
Related Blog Posts:
Sample Weekly Homemaking Routine
How to Create a Simple Home Management System
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Setting Priorities is Sometimes Greater than Setting Goals
If my blog gets in the way of serving my family, my priorities are out of whack.
As a recovering goal-getter, that can be one of the biggest struggles about setting goals in the first place. Instant gratification that comes with achieving a goal can be addicting! But there is a level of control that needs to be executed.
Some people call this “remember your why.”
Your “why” is the reason you set the goal in the first place. Usually, we aren’t setting goals just for the fun of it. We want our lives to run smoother, we want to make a positive change, or we want to establish good habits.
Let those things fuel how you respond to your goals.
As a homemaker, this may look like delaying your reading schedule so you can snuggle and read children’s books with your kiddos. As a blogger (for me), this sometimes looks like swapping my dedicated writing time for meal prepping or catching up on chores.
If you’re cutting money from your grocery budget every month but your family isn’t loving the meals that you’re making, maybe you use that extra $100 to invest in quality ingredients and meals that your family will enjoy.
Remember the Most Important Things
Any way you go about setting goals, your overall homemaking goal is creating a home where your family can escape the anxieties and cares of the world so they can focus on God. When you’re powered by your “why,” that’s a wonderful way to go about setting goals so your family thrives.
Mastering the Big Picture
Meal planning, side hustles, and organization are only a few of the many tasks homemakers juggle every single day. How can we tackle things like laundry, keeping our homes clean, and mastering new skills?
One step at a time.
If you are brand new to the world of homemaking, I have a whole blog post dedicated to simple homemaking skills you can learn today. I talk more about meal planning and cooking from scratch, but I also dive into hosting guests, making your own household products, and managing your finances.
If you have been around this blog for a while, you know I love all things frugal! I have frugal-living tips on everything from how to live without credit cards to stocking your pantry on a budget.
Wherever you’re at in your homemaking journey, I have plenty of other tips on Pinterest! If you’re on Instagram, follow me at @homemakerandhappy to see how I’m using these skills in everyday life.
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