I wrote yesterday about the introspection and motivation pregnancy brings. Why emphasize this during pregnancy? It's because it's true.

You're probably already thinking about things you'd like to get done. You're thinking about practical projects you want to get done (organize the house, get baby supplies, make sure the house and yard are safe, etc.) And you're also probably thinking about yourself (what kind of a mother you want to be, what parenting choices you want to make, if you want to return to work or not).

These things are pretty natural in pregnancy and it's a good time to take action. It's also a good thing to do to get ready for your baby. Such things are not quite so easy once you actually have a little baby. But still do-able. If you're already parenting your baby, or if you already have more than one child, you can still sit and think about these same things and they'll still be valuable to your family. I talk about the context of pregnancy because it's just natural.

Getting Started

So where do you start? As much as you find yourself thinking about what you'd like to do and who you'd like to be, you may be confused about where to start, where you are, even who you are. This is especially natural when you're becoming a mother. So the best place to start is to figure out where you are. And to think about where you want to go.

Do you want to get the house organized before your baby comes? This is a good goal that can have a big impact. Do you want to figure out a parenting style that feels right to you?

These are two goals that don't feel too “deep” but will help you feel more prepared for your baby. Start by writing down your goals and thinking through some steps that will help you to achieve them. Make sure your goal is concrete enough that you can put a “yes” or “no” on the completion. This is easy for organizing your house.

But for something like picking a parenting style it's not so easy. A good goal could be “I want to research popular parenting theories.” Then you can ask yourself if you've done that. You can plan steps – check out parenting books from the library, visit parenting sites online (like Natural Birth and Baby Care.com!), read magazines, etc.

Breaking it Down

It's good to think through steps to achieving your goals. Go with manageable chunks. Say you want to start your house by organizing the kitchen. Set aside 30 minutes every day for a week to work on the kitchen and see where it gets you. Small, consistent steps will help you get where you want to go.

As I said above, another natural pregnancy question is “do I want to stop working?” You could set a goal to logically examine your options and the implications of those options. Examine the benefits and the down-side to returning to work. Do the same for staying at home. Consider work at home options. Knowing the logical facts now will help you make an informed choice once the full emotional impact has arrived (in the form of your baby!)

You might think of some other goals that are not quite so directly related to pregnancy. And that's fine. It's a good time to think over all your goals and to decide what you want to set down and work on now. I'll write more about setting goals and more practical considerations for helping you achieve those goals. I may also share some that I'm working on 🙂

The Posts in This Series:

• Kicking up Thought – Pregnancy and Introspection
• Goal Setting (this post!)
• Creating a workable schedule
• Setting goals as a mom
• Developing vision while mothering
• The to-do list

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