Setting Goals as a Mom in 2026 (Without Burning Out by February)

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Do you find yourself always starting the new year full of hope, but by February you've completely forgotten what those goals even were. In today's episode, we're talking about how to set real sustainable goals as a mom, goals that actually fit your life, your energy, and your bandwidth.

I am sharing how I'm categorizing my goals this year. Why your routines matter more than your willpower and how to create a 2026 that feels like you. Let's build a year that reflects who you're becoming, not who you think you should be.

My name is Krissy Bold. I'm a stay at home mom to two little boys, and this is Mom's Guide to Finding Herself.

So many Januarys. I have sat there with a brand new planner, three new felt tip pens and a Pinterest board titled New Year, new Me. But by day 12, I was always already behind. The planner mocked me every time I saw it on the kitchen counter because I was not going to touch it again. And I remembered this one night so vividly.

I was laying in bed with my phone in one hand, half watching a reel on [00:01:00] how to organize my pantry, which was never going to happen. It still hasn't, and just feeling done. Not in this dramatic way, but in that quiet, exhausted background character kind of way. I looked at that planner the next morning and thought this version of me that I'm planning.

Doesn't exist. She gets full nights of sleep. She is not running around getting snacks for two little kids constantly while trying to answer all of the texts that she hasn't answered and folding all of the laundry

she hasn't folded. That's when I stopped asking myself, what should my goals be? And I started asking, what can I try for just 10 minutes to feel more like me again? That's how my 10 day challenge method was born. It wasn't about becoming better, it was about reconnecting, rediscovering, and it changed everything.

Let's just say it. Most traditional goal setting advice was not written with moms in mind. I am not anti goal. In fact, [00:02:00] before I became a mom, I was a teacher and then a curriculum coordinator, and part of my job was to help other educators set smart goals.

Now if you are one of those teachers that I used to work with, just hearing the term Smart Goals probably sends a tremor down your spine. But trust me, it's actually pretty good. I went to multiple trainings, workshops, and planning sessions on how to write clear, measurable, and actionable goals that supported student outcomes and teacher growth.

For anyone who hasn't sat through a professional development on this, smart is an acronym. S stands for specific. What exactly do you want to accomplish? M stands for Measurable. How will you track progress or know when it's done? A achievable. Is it realistic given your time and resources?

R is for relevant. Does it align with your values or priorities? T is for time bound. What is your deadline or timeline? It is a great framework. It really is. It works beautifully in structured environments where people have control over their time and [00:03:00] tasks. But let's be honest, that is not motherhood. We are constantly interrupted.

Our time is not our own, and the mental load that we carry means we're making a thousand micro decisions before 9:00 AM that we could not have predicted. So when we sit down to set goals, we often bring that same unrealistic energy. We make them too big, too rigid and too disconnected from the reality of our season and when life happens, because it always does.

We think we failed. But you didn't fail. The system just wasn't made for you. It wasn't made for this. What we need is a model that bends with our life, one that lets us show up imperfectly and still make progress. One that understands we are not just moms, but also women with dreams, creativity, and curiosity.

And that's where my 10 day challenge comes in. So let me break it down for you. A [00:04:00] 10 day challenge is like a mini science experiment. You're not committing to anything for a whole year. You're not making a resolution. You're just trying something small for 10 days. Here's how it works. Pick something small.

This could be drinking water before your coffee, or journaling three sentences or dancing to one song a day. Do it for no more than 10 minutes. That's it. Set a timer. If you need to let your kids watch a show, whatever it takes, repeat it for 10 days. Track it, check it off, or just notice how it feels.

And at the end, you're going through a cycle. Try, reflect, and then keep or release. Ask yourself, did this feel good? Do I wanna keep going or is it not for me right now? The beauty of this is that there's no failure. You're not looking for perfection. You're looking for reconnection.

Here's a real life example. I did a 10 day gratitude journaling challenge where I wrote [00:05:00] down one sentence of what I was thankful for before bed. One night it was just today, I didn't cry, and that counted because the point isn't to be perfect. Found the point is to be present with yourself. Now, did I keep that routine in my life?

No, I released that one. It wasn't for me, but I still have a gratitude practice that came out of that.

Now let's talk about the concept that I'm using this year. Layering your goals, think of your goals like laundry, because honestly that's how our brains work anyway. Our big goals are like the comforters.

They are the heavy lifts, the dreams. Maybe it's starting a side business or going back to school or getting certified in something that lights you up. These goals require planning time and energy that you might not have every day. But that doesn't mean they don't matter. They might take a full year or more, and that's okay.

Next we have our medium goals. These are your weekly loads of laundry. These are the routines that support you. Maybe it's creating [00:06:00] a Sunday night reset ritual, going to therapy twice a month or consistently waking up before your kids twice a week to breathe and have coffee alone. These are the kinds of rhythms that bring you back to your center. Next we have our small wins, which are kind of like our socks. They are so easy to lose, but when you stay on top of them, everything feels better. This might be like taking a real shower or texting a friend when you're struggling or doing five minutes of something playful.

These are your micro wins, and honestly, these are the things that keep you going. By layering your goals like this, you're not putting pressure on yourself to accomplish everything at once. You're building a structure that actually reflects your capacity. So I want you to try this right now. Take out a piece of paper or open your notes app.

Write down one thing in each category. One big dream you might wanna hold space for this year. This doesn't mean you're committing to it. One medium goal or a rhythm that would [00:07:00] support that, and then one small win that you could try tomorrow or today.

Then ask yourself, which one of these could I turn into a 10 day challenge to test drive? One of the most overlooked shifts that you can make in goal setting as a mom is this, instead of asking, what can I add, try asking, what can I adjust?

Because so many of us are already maxed out, we don't need another thing to schedule or another routine to build from scratch. We need permission to tweak what's already happening, to create space by shifting, not stacking. Let's say you want more quiet time, instead of adding a new 30 minute morning routine, maybe you keep the TV off for 10 minutes after bed and instead sip on a seltzer water. Maybe instead of a full workout, you stretch while your kids build a tower next to you. You're not creating more to-dos. You're layering in care where it fits. Here are a few questions to help you with [00:08:00] this.

What part of your current day feels the most chaotic? Is there a transition point, like nap time or bedtime or post dinner where you could insert a 10 minute shift? Can you swap a draining habit for one that fills your cup?

These small adjustments are where real momentum builds because they don't rely on willpower, they rely on reality. You're working with your life not against it. And if you're sitting there thinking, okay, but what if my goals are things like exercising or taking better care of my skin or drinking more water?

Here's how this approach still works. If your goal is to exercise more, instead of committing to 45 minute workouts five days a week, could you do three songs worth of movement in your kitchen or a walk while your kids scooter around, or a quick YouTube stretch video during nap time? If your goal is skincare, maybe your skincare routine becomes a ritual after the kids are in bed.

Not something elaborate, but like a three step process that [00:09:00] signals, this is my time. Put your favorite playlist on, and make it feel like a gift. If your goal is to drink more water, could you fill a cute water bottle every morning and set timers for check-ins or maybe make it a mini game?

One glass before your coffee, one after lunch, one after bed. These aren't additions. They're gentle shifts in how you're already moving through your day. The goal is not to overhaul, it's to nudge your routines so they serve you a little more. They rely on reality. You're working with your life, not against it.

Now, let's make this even easier. Instead of trying to be more productive in 2026, I want you to think in terms of how you want to feel. Here are my four favorite categories to organize your 10 day challenges.

First joy goals. These are the things that feel indulgent, but aren't. They're like painting, dancing, reading, fan fiction, karaoke in the car. What's something that you used to love that you could bring back in a playful way? [00:10:00] Rest goals. These are the things that let your nervous system breathe. Saying no to one commitment.

Setting a screen time boundary, doing nothing without apologizing for it. Yes, sit on the couch and do nothing for 10 minutes counts in this category. Growth goals. These are about curiosity, not pressure. Listening to an audio book, trying a journaling prompt, watching a free class online. It's not about fixing yourself, it's about feeding yourself.

And then connection goals. These help you remember that you're not alone. Sending one voice memo a day, planning a coffee date, making eye contact during dinner. These are the glue moments. You can rotate these challenges every month if you want, you could even invite a friend to join you. Just remember, these categories are here to support you, not overwhelm you. If this episode gave you a new way to think about your goals, I'd love it if you would share it with another mom who's also craving a softer start to the year. [00:11:00] Don't forget to follow the show. Leave a quick review and five star rating and tag me on Instagram at Mom Identity project.

And if you wanna learn more about how to find your thing, find the time and make it happen.

Head to mom identity project.com/starter kit to grab my mom identity starter kit with three mini workshops that will show you teeny, tiny ways to make that happen. You'll get ideas, reflection prompts, and a tracker to help you move from burnout to clarity. One tiny win at a time.

Now, don't go anywhere because in the next episode we're talking to a mom who shares what it's like when the Energizer Bunny version of you becomes a mom, and suddenly freedom, spontaneity, and even patience feel out of reach. If you've ever wondered where that part of you went, this episode's for you until then. Remember, you are an amazing mom just the way you are.