Thriving In Motherhood Podcast | Productivity, Planning, Family Systems, Time Management, Survival Mode, Mental Health, Vision

Phoebe Cook married young with plans of continuing her education with graduate school. Instead she followed God's plan for her family and had her first child while finishing her bachelors degree. Now as a mother to three young children, Phoebe shares her journey of how she has slowly changed her dreams to match God's plan and embrace her role as a mother and make it her own.

I’ve been decluttering my house for years, working through all the layers of things we have. A few weeks ago, I opened a bin of extra bags, backpacks, and soft luggage and figured I could let these things go since it’s been a while since I’ve used them.

But then I remembered all the times we DID use them, how useful they were, and all the times in the future that they could come in handy. I put the lid back on the box and decided to deal with it later.

As I was mulling over the content of the box a few days later, I had an epiphany about the real reason I wasn’t ready to let these things go.

We hold onto extra stuff when we don’t have a system for how we will do things. Because I don’t have a clear system for all the aspects of how we travel as a family, I hold onto more bags and travel items, “just in case” or “grab and go,” without giving it lots of thought.

Is this okay? Yep! But it’s also a challenge for me that I’m excited to keep plugging away at. Developing more systems not only for traveling but for lots of areas of our home and life.

Once we know how we’ll do something - like the toiletries bags we will use when we make stops in hotels on our road trips - and what and where everything goes in it - then I can confidently get rid of the excess.

There are lots of possible systems you can develop in your family and home to make things run more smoothly, but I want to encourage you that you don’t need too many in place for you to be able to move forward and spend time on the things you love.

Here are five systems that I recommend starting with:

1. Laundry
2. Dishes
3. Meals
4. Wake-up
5. Bedtime

If you decide the who, what, where, and when in each of these areas, you are already on your way to having your days go a lot smoother. Once these are good enough - not perfect - it’s time to move on to exploring!

You can learn more about that on the 5-Step Path From Surviving to Thriving and where you are on it with my free checklist. And if you need help building family systems that are unique to you and your needs, check out my program, Made to Soar: Next 90 Days.

Lauresa is a mother of twin preschoolers and a toddler living in Northwest Arkansas with her husband and two dogs. She grew up in a family of 11 kids and is now a registered dietitian growing her own private practice, a teacher, and an enthusiastic gardener. She is the co-founder of the blog Black Thumb Garden Club and co-author of the Black Thumb Garden Club Workbook.

• Writing is one of the most important things someone can do to make progress in anything. It helps us find clarity and move forward toward goals.
• Finding time for creativity in small, consistent ways is a powerful way to make progress. Using projects and Next Actions help you stay focused and make the most of your time.
• Setting rules for yourself during nap time (like no chores, be physically comfy) can open the doorway for you to utilize that time for creative means, but still feel rejuvenated at the end of nap time.
• Having or being an example of having skills or contributions outside of motherhood helps others know that it's OK!
• Committing to a career-focused education does not stop you from also choosing to have a family. Having a family is your choice, but you can look back in the hard times and remember that you chose it!
• Gardening Tips: 1. Manage your Expectations - recognize that all things have times and seasons 2. Plant it Again - as soon as possible! 3. Prevent Total Devastation - use proactive measures to stop potential issues before they start
• Best starting point for beginner gardeners: Tomato in a 5 gallon pot
• Stop and remember God to help maintain balance. Ask "What do you need me to do right now?" even if you're really excited about a new idea. The answer is almost always "people, people, people!"

Last year I shared what our homeschool looked like and while all of it is still true, we've been adding new layers to our days. This is a full update of all that we've added into our days and the systems that we've developed over the last year.

Today’s episode is an inspiring conversation with Arielle, a mom of four children ages 2 to 9. Arielle discovered the Soaring Mothers Summit last year during a period of transition. The idea of creating a vision for her life took hold of her, and she decided to make a change. Instead of staying in place thinking, “All I do is clean, cook, and keep kids alive,” she would create a life she was excited to wake up to each day.

Her journey and lessons learned during the last few years of motherhood are sure to uplift and inspire you in your own motherhood journey.