Welcome to Week #3 of our 8-week series on Grace in Awareness
Last week we explored awareness around what’s draining you.
This week we’re looking at how to reduce that energy drain using your superpowers. Stay with me.
When it comes to motherhood, it is no secret that this job only gets done by superheroes. Yet, some days it’s harder than others to tap into our superpowers. This is where awareness of said superpowers flies in to save the day. And yes, there’s a quiz for that!
Assume your warrior pose (wide stance, fists on hips, chest out, chin up). Let that cape fly! We have moms to save…
Have you heard about the 13-year-old pug who is changing the lives of millions?
Wow, that was a bit of non sequitur, Rachel…
Hey, I warned you to stay with me. 😉 It will all soon make sense, I promise. Plus, we’re keeping things light this week. With the departure from daylight savings time, it’s bound to be a wonky week!
So, about this pug…
His name is Noodle and he’s exploding the internet!
I recently visited my sister’s family and had the pleasure of hanging out with one of my fur-nephews, Oscar, for a few days. Like Noodle, Oscar is a pug. So, naturally, it wasn’t a stretch that my sister asked me if I’ve seen the viral TikTok videos of a sometimes boneless pug.
Now, not being a pet owner myself, it won’t surprise you to learn that I, in fact, was not following any animals on TikTok and so no; I had no knowledge of Noodle.
I, however, became a fast fan and follower.
Is it a bones or no bones day?
Every morning, Noodle’s owner, Jonathan Graziano, goes to him, lying in his comfy dog bed and props him up into a standing position. If he stays on his feet, it’s a bones day.
A bones day means it’s a good day to be productive and conquer the day!
If Noodle doesn’t stay on his feet – and flops over like a wet noodle – it’s a no bones day.
A no bones day means it’s a good day to give yourself grace (our definition, not theirs). A no bones day is a great day for self-care; whatever that means for you!
What does Noodle have to do with moms and superpowers?
I’m glad you asked…
Noodles predictions symbolize the importance of listening to the cues all around us telling us that some days are for seizing opportunities and some days are for slowing our roll and recharging our batteries.
As moms, it’s common to think we have to power through each and every day on full blast, but it’s just not realistic. Hint: it’s what’s draining you!! (I told you this would all come full circle).
Lori Oberbroeckling is a supermom and author of the book Secrets of Supermom: How Extraordinary Moms Succeed at Work and Home & How You Can Too. In her research for the book, she interviewed and surveyed nearly 200 moms, asking them “What is the number one strategy for keeping it together as a mom?” Here’s what she found:
“The number one response was keeping a planner, calendar, or list of to-dos.” (Hmm, you mean using a system like The MotherShip Method?)
“The next most common response that allowed moms to maintain energy and ‘keep it together’ was self-care.”
Noodle is on to something!
We think Lori Oberbroeckling would agree that Noodle is on to something. And we think Lori is onto something too! Her work led us to several of our resources for this issue…
First and foremost, the awareness quiz for this week. It’s a quiz to gauge your Supermom Superpower. We added the self care element because knowing your superpower ultimately allows you to take care of yourself… so that you can take care of everyone else!
Interesting, go on…
Beyond Lori’s quiz, we have an episode for you from her podcast The Secrets of Supermom Show. In the episode, entitled “Sustainable Self Care for Moms,” she interviews Morgan Seaman, the inspiration behind This Empowered Mom.
The episode is a helpful account of what self care is but perhaps more importantly what it isn’t. Spoiler alert, “it doesn’t have to be time intensive or expensive” or include a bubble bath… “Listen to learn how to apply self-care in even just three minutes and how to avoid the ‘should storm’ of motherhood.” The ‘3-minute’ takeaway from this episode is powerful and something we can all start doing today.
In staying on trend, our article this week is also from Morgan Seaman. It is entitled, “5 Self-Care Practices That Won’t Bog Down Your To-Do List.”
In it, she asks: “Do you have every intention of taking time for you, and then get bogged down by a never-ending to-do list or guilt? Is your self-care strategy based on waiting for something else to happen, like the kids getting a little older, or your job getting a little less stressful? Do you find yourself saying, ‘I just don’t have time’?”
Yes, yes and yes, Morgan! It’s a mom-friendly quick read with actionable tips.
Finally, we would be remiss to deprive you of the heart warming video of Noodle the pug on the Today show. (I told you he went viral!)
Intrigued?
📖 Read the article: “5 Self-Care Practices That Won’t Bog Down Your To-Do List” by Morgan Seaman
🎬 Watch the 6-minute video: “Is It A ‘Bones’ Or ‘No Bones’ Day? Meet Noodle, TikTok’s Predictive Pug”
🎧 Listen to the first episode in the player below: The Secrets of Supermom Show | Sustainable Self Care for Moms with Morgan Seaman (27:25) then…
👩🏽💻 Join us for our weekly community call this Friday at 2pm ET in The Grace Lab on Zoom.
We’ll be chatting about the podcast episode above as well as your quiz results and we’d love to have you!
Want a reminder for the community call?
🎙 In the meantime, grab your headphones and enjoy this week’s podcast playlist while you get your ship together!
🤔 Curious how Amanda and I scored on this week’s quiz and what we’re doing with that information?
Once again we came out with the same results: Priorities Protector.
This is fitting because we built an entire system around this very notion. We saw a need to help other moms protect their priorities by getting organized in a way that cues moms to focus on one day at a time all while chipping away at a master plan.
The MotherShip Method protects our priorities by spreading them out across the weeks and months. When we prioritize our to-do list effectively, it reduces stress and overwhelm and breeds a sense of accomplishment. This combination is our superpower!
The MotherShip Method is also designed to welcome grace and throw us a ‘no bones day’ when we need one. The system provides space for the days when protecting our priorities means putting self care high up on the day’s to-do list.
Finding harmony between what we intend to accomplish and what we legitimately have the time and energy to accomplish is another superpower. When we have a clear vision of what each day will bring and what it will require of us, there are fewer surprises and chaos becomes the exception, not the rule.
It’s far from perfection, yet it’s consistent forward progress and that’s the goal. Progress on our [protected] priorities means we’re effectively productive while making space for grace and self care.
😘 And finally, because life’s too important to be taken seriously, we leave you with this…
“Today I don’t feel like doing anything. I just wanna lay in my bed.” – Bruno Mars
At Grace in the Race, our mission is to help moms do what they can with the time, energy and resources they have; all while believing that’s enough.
What’s Draining You?
I love this newsletter, and how could I not love being included in an article with Noodle!?!?
Thanks for sharing some of the Secrets of Supermom! (P.S. I am a Priorities Protector, too! 😉)