The Life-Changing Lesson I Learned When I Became A Mother

I’ve spent most of my working career working with mums.

New mums, mums of teens, mums of adults, working mums, at-home mums, grandmothers, the list goes on. 

I’ve been lucky enough to have seen and heard the intimate side of being a mother across all stages of life.

Having done so, I’ve been able to understand some of the trials and tribulations mums go through. The challenges they face in their own physical and mental health as they try to find the right balance between giving their children enough of their time and effort while also keeping some sort of focus on their own lives. 

Having worked with so many mums over the years of being a trainer and a coach, I have been able to find myself in the unique position of knowing (to a certain extent) what mums need to do in order to find that right balance. 

I’ve always understood the difficulty of that challenge; however, never more so than now. 

Becoming a Mother has been everything I thought it would be and nothing I thought it would be. I know I am just at the beginning of this journey. However, there has been one strong lesson I’ve learned so far that has helped me find some balance, and I would love to share it with you all.

You can’t have it all.

Although this kind of sounds depressing, I’ve found this lesson super liberating. 

I’ve always been a bit of a go-getter and I struggle to think about not achieving some of the things I want to do in this lifetime. Becoming a mum has humbled me in a way I never thought I would actually enjoy. It has made me hone in on the things I really want, the things I want most, and scrap the rest. It’s highlighted to me what’s really important, what really matters, and of just how much value that knowledge is worth. When you’re blindsided with thinking you can give 100% to every single thing you’ve ever wanted or been interested in, all it does is move you further away from actually achieving any of it. By learning the lesson that I can’t have it all, I’ve never felt more capable of achieving the things I want most.

I haven’t ever used this lesson as a motivator for my clients; however, after seeing the value in what it’s brought to me, I think it’s something we can all get something out of.

Unhappy with the effort you’ve put into your nutrition? Focus on how much you moved this week—maybe you wanted that more.

Not feeling like you’ve put enough time towards your goals? Think about the life moments you’ve experienced—maybe they were more important.

Feel as though you’re falling behind in where you thought you would be? Put your mind to all the things you have achieved or experienced that you never even set out to do.

Can’t see a way forward towards achieving your goals? This week, hone in on what you really want—the goals that are your big players.

Which ones will you be most upset about at the end of your life if you don’t achieve them? 

Which ones will offer you the most fulfillment? 

There are literally billions of things we can achieve in this lifetime, and if you get lost in your choices, all it’s going to do is keep you constantly running on a hamster wheel and going nowhere.

So, if you don’t have all the time in the world, or all the effort in the world, or all the money in the world, remember: No one does. Don’t let those thoughts get you down, let them liberate you to focus on the things that matter, the things you want most. Allow those thoughts to give these things that matter more meaning than ever before.