Personal Growth in the Evolution of a Mother

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A journey to wisdom.

Life is journey and humans are ever-evolving. How we navigate the journey as moms can be influenced by our awareness of personal growth in the evolution of a mother.

“When you’re a kid you don’t realize you’re actually watching your parents grow up.” – Unknown

As a kid, I remember thinking that all grown-ups had life all figured out. Then, I became one and the reality set in that no one would be showing up at my door, à la Publishers Clearing House, to announce that I’ve made it to the great enlightenment.

Alas, wisdom must be earned. It is a journey that only gets better with time and experience. And I don’t know about you, but the wiser I get, the more I realize I still have so much to learn.

Yet, as moms, we do life from the main stage; imparting wisdom on the daily to our kids. Granted, we’re winging it most of the time via song, dance, smoke and mirrors, but they don’t need to know that. Some days we drop the mic while other days we get pelted with proverbial rotten tomatoes.

Regardless, we learn and grow each day.

When we’re intentional about the process, we make space to reflect on how things are going and course correct as necessary.

Personal growth is first and foremost personal which makes it difficult to sum up in a quick and easy “just do this” blog post because everyone responds to it differently.

So instead, let’s focus on how to benefit from personal growth in the evolution of a mother:

1. Learn
2. Live
3. Lead

Learn something new every day.

In this day and age information abounds. We have the ability to consume non-stop content all day, every day. Choose your intake carefully.

If you’re getting your information predominantly from social media, be judicious about who you follow. Social media most certainly has its downside, but there is also a ton of good out there for the taking. Discover uplifting and insightful influencers, authors, and individuals who are in the business of helping people live well.

This advice goes for the internet in general. Each week we canvas the web in search of articles and podcast episodes that we hope will inspire you, give you something to think about or sometimes simply give you an escape and a reason to smile. 

We do the digging so you don’t have to and what we’ve found is that there are a plethora of resources out there dedicated to bring out the best in moms. 

Decipher your favorite medium for learning. Books are incredible but they are time consuming and if a book feels like too much of a commitment, read shorter articles. Often, you can Google “articles about [book/author]” and get a great overview of a book’s main points or an author’s philosophy. 

Listening to audio books is a great way to consume books because it allows busy moms to multitask.

Similarly, podcasts are gaining popularity because they come in a variety of topics and durations. We love to pop on our headphones and listen while we do just about anything else. Sometimes it’s educational but often it’s for pure entertainment which certainly makes the chores go by faster!

The more you listen/read/consume to more you learn and with knowledge comes growth. That leads us to the next step in the journey of personal growth in the evolution of a mother…

Live your life on purpose.

If you’re not living your life on purpose, life is happening to you. That approach is often less fulfilling and extremely tiresome because you’re constantly reacting to what’s thrown your way.

Take life by the reins. Put your learning into practice to evolve on purpose. Sometimes it will feel awkward and messy but that’s life! There is a reason why people are teaching these things… because they tend to be highly effective! But none of it is automatic. It takes diligence and practice.

Start your day with intention. What does that mean for you? Be realistic. For some, a great start is a hot cup of coffee and high five in the mirror. For others, there may be journaling or meditation involved. Still others might thrive on a quick review of the day’s calendar and to-do list. YOU DO YOU. 

Here’s another tip: it doesn’t have to be the same approach every day. Personally, I vacillate between each one of the above examples on any given day. Some days I’m in the zone and do all of it! Other days, I barely make it past the coffee. But, on the mornings when I start with intention, it seems like the rest of the day falls into place and even the challenges are easier to hurdle.

Despite our natural inclination to want to keep moving forward, evolving as a mother is rarely a linear journey. Why they can’t all be mic-drop kind of days is beyond me. The wisdom I’ve gleaned from that awareness is this: on the hard days, I give myself grace and start looking to a better tomorrow.

Why is all of this important? Let’s look for that answer in the next step to personal growth in the evolution of a mother…

Lead by example.

As women with children, two things are true: 1) we want the best for our kids and 2) we’re all turning into our mothers.

Something popped up on my radar recently that got my wheels turning. It’s called reparenting. It’s the act of giving your adult self what you didn’t receive from your parents in childhood. Wow, like a do-over?

I had a delightful childhood and couldn’t think of a better woman to turn into than my mother but this whole reparenting thing offers peace of mind for anyone worried that they might be screwing up their children.

Then again, chances are… “The fact that you’re worried about being a good mom means you already are one.” – Jodi Picoult

So, how are these two truths connected?

Turning into our parents seems inevitable but begs the question, are you showing up in your life as the mom you want your kids to turn into? Or, in other words, are you incorporating personal development in your evolution as a mother to set the best possible example for your kids?

Learn, live and lead. Your kiddos are thirsty for what you have to teach them and they are ALWAYS watching, listening, learning and growing – just like you!! When you evolve as a mother, you will lead by example. What example is up to you!

Life is a journey of evolutions. 

I may have come into adulthood at 18 but the woman I became in my 20s looked much different from the woman of my 30s and while I can’t speak beyond my 40s, I know that the woman I am today is in the midst of one of the biggest evolutions of her life! 

So, what is the secret to navigating this journey with grace? It’s simple. Invest in yourself and value personal growth in your evolution as a mother and perhaps more importantly, as a woman.

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