Turn Someday into Today – Live Your Best Life Now

How many times have you caught yourself saying, someday I want to *insert desire here* only to have years go by? This is a common form of procrastination that isn’t limited to moms. It is time to turn someday into today and live your best life now.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

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[bctt tweet=”How many times have you said, ‘someday I want to…’ and years go by? Realize that you are procrastinating and it is more urgent to turn someday into today.” username=”diyadulation”]

My mom told me a story one day about realizing how she always said, “Someday I’m going to do that.” One day the realization hit her that “someday” never comes. She decided in that moment to turn someday into today and start doing the things she wanted.

I always think about that story when I find myself saying things like, “One day I’ll go to Hawaii” or “Someday I want to take the kids zip lining.” In those moments, I reflect on my mom’s words and think about the real reasons I’m saying someday.

For instance, a trip to Hawaii isn’t exactly in the budget while we’re paying off debt. So saying one day for this isn’t putting it off, it’s pragmatic and responsible.

Taking the kids zip lining on the other hand is an activity that we could totally make happen right now. Saying someday for this one is procrastination. This is an activity I should prioritize.

 

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How to Turn Someday into Today

If you find yourself saying someday a lot, I have some tips to help you turn someday into today. Feel free to use one or all of them to help you live your best life now.

Be Cognizant

This is the easiest way to start being mindful about things you are putting off. Oftentimes this presents itself for moms in the form of saying, “Someday I’ll start going to the gym” or “Someday I’ll try that pottery class.”

When you catch yourself thinking or saying these things, pause and think about why. When you are cognizant about when you’re saying these things, it is easier to reflect.

 

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Start Small

In the example I used above, the expensive vacation isn’t in the cards until we’ve paid off our debt. However, in the interim there are smaller “somedays” we can do.

The same goes for you. If you have always wanted to join an adult sports league but can’t work it into your schedule yet, find a pick-up game or volunteer to be an alternate for a team.

This lets you ease into the activity until you finish optimizing your schedule.

Bonus Example:

Make a Yearly To-Do List

Moms know the importance of a to-do list to stay on top of daily tasks. However, what if you took that same approach to fun and trying new things? Imagine how much more fulfilled you will feel checking those things off of your list.

Learn more about how to Make Time for Fun with a Yearly To-Do List.

Essentially, this is a list of activities, events, and new experiences you want to complete throughout the year. When you put them on paper it forces you to notice when too many months go by without checking one off. Also, there is something so satisfying about completing tasks on a to-do list that you actually love and want to do.

 

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Break Down a Long Term Plan

If you ever want to achieve the truly big things that you keep putting off until the amorphous someday, you need to create a broken down long term plan. Start with the end goal in mind and work your way back in steps you need to take to get there.

For example, if you want to travel the world, make a plan for it. Make a list of all of the places you want to see, then either gear your plan towards a retirement that accommodates those plans or break it down into mini trips that you will take throughout your lifetime.

Continue breaking the long term plan down until you have small, actionable steps you can start completing today. This can be as simple as saving $100 a month toward your next trip until you can afford it. It ensures that you are consistently working towards it and is small enough that it doesn’t impede your current lifestyle. That is the ultimate place you are trying to get to when it comes to breaking down your long term plan.

 

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Once you realize that you are truly procrastinating when you say someday you will do something it makes it more urgent to turn someday into today. No more excuses and no more putting it off. It’s time to live your best life now and start truly making a dent in all of the many experiences you want to have in this life. Remember to be cognizant, start small, and make a yearly to-do list to motivate you to keep after it.

See where I’m linking up!

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How to Rediscover Yourself After Marriage and Motherhood Series

  1. Introduction
  2. Why All Moms Need a Journal
  3. Determine Your Why for Self Discovery
  4. Find Your Cheerleaders
  5. DIY Positive Affirmation Cards
  6. Create Your SAHM Hierarchy of Needs
  7. The Hard Truth About Carving Out Me Time
  8. 5 Awesome Podcasts to Inspire Self Discovery
  9. How to Love Yourself First
  10. Stop Reacting to Life and Live Proactive
  11. How to Set and Protect Boundaries as a Mom
  12. How Moms Can Stop Being People Pleasers
  13. Why It’s Okay to Outgrow Relationships
  14. It’s Time to Break-up with Yourself
  15. Create a Mini Mom Oasis for Recharging
  16. Why Moms Should Date Themselves + How to Do It
  17. How to Get Your Free Time Back as a SAHM
  18. Turn Someday into Today
  19. Why You Should Throw Out Your Clothes
  20. Rediscover Your Old Hobbies
  21. How to Find New Hobbies You Love
  22. How to Create a Daily Self Care Routine
  23. Shut Down Your Negative Self Talk
  24. How a Haircut Can Help You Find Yourself
  25. Make a Bucket List You’ll Actually Complete
  26. Unique Alternative Ideas to Help You Find Yourself
  27. Why SAHM Need to Unplug Weekly
  28. 10 Mom Date Ideas You Can Do at Home
  29. 10 Mom Date Ideas to Get Out of the House
  30. Embracing Your Weird as a Mom
  31. How to Practice Mindful Reflection 

How to Get Your Free Time Back as a SAHM

How much free time would you say that you have? If you’re like most moms, chances are you didn’t even answer with a time estimate. Instead, it is much more likely you answered with a half-cynical laugh. It’s time to change that answer and find out how to get your free time back as a SAHM.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

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[bctt tweet=”Do you let out a half-cynical laugh when asked how much free time you have? It’s time to change that and find out how to get your free time back as a SAHM.” username=”diyadulation”]

Early this year, I did a time inventory. If you haven’t done one, I totally recommend it. A time inventory works much like tracking your spending only you note what you do with your time during the day.

When I did mine, I was more than a little shock at the time I spent watching television. The reason I never noticed was because I never simply sit and watch TV. Instead, I was always doing other tasks while watching it. Maybe I was folding laundry or trying to write a post. Either way, it seemed the TV was consuming a lot more of my time than I wanted.

So I made a promise with myself that I would only watch things once my important tasks for the day were done. Do you know what I found? The tasks that usually took me hours could be accomplished in closer to 20-30 minutes when my attention wasn’t divided. That’s an extra hour and a half to devote to other tasks and activities in my day!

Imagine what you could get done with an extra hour or 2 in your day! If this seems like a pipe dream, keep reading to find out tactics to get your free time back as a SAHM.

 

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Let Go of Perfection

Too often we can get caught up in trying to do things perfectly. Letting go of that perfection is the perfect starting point when you’re trying to find extra time in your day. For example, getting the laundry folded quickly is more important than double folding then rolling all of those bath towels. (By the way, this is something that I struggle with so don’t feel bad if you do too.)

You can pick and choose the areas where imperfection is acceptable for you, but it is a fast and easy way to start finding extra time in your day.

 

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Delegate Chores

Chances are that your family isn’t doing as much as they could/should to help you keep up with the household responsibilities. Delegating chores to your family is another way to get your free time back.

Grab free printable chore charts for kids in the free DIY VIP Library of Resources when you sign up for the newsletter today!

Be sure to let your husband know exactly what he can do to help you out as well. Chances are he simply doesn’t know what you need. When you let him know clearly how he can help you, it will also allow you to find more free time.

Note:

Give Up Control

This is the hardest one for control freaks like me. If you want your free time back, though, you need to learn to give up some of the control. This takes many forms:

If you overly involved in your child’s extra curricular activities you may need to pull back. Use the time to take care of yourself more.

If you spend hours in the kitchen every night to make dinner, let your husband take over one night a week. Yes, it may mean your kids get mac-n-cheese for dinner that night but I promise you that it will be okay.

 

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Don’t Waste It

Another tip to get your free time back is to be cognizant of time wasters. Have you ever pulled out your phone and hopped on Facebook only to realize you wasted an hour of your time? This is only one of the ways that moms waste their free time. In fact, sometimes it is not even free time that they are wasting. It is time that you meant to be cleaning or playing with the kids.

This is another great reason to do a time inventory. It will help you determine those time wasters. Then, redirect those time wasters to activities that either free up time for you later or ones that recharge you during the day. This is one of the absolute easiest ways to find free time for better things in your life.

Create Systems

The final way to get your free time back as a SAHM is to create systems that save you time in your daily life. When you get daily chores or activities down to a science it will free up a ton of free time for you in the long run. In case you need help, here are a few examples of systems that you can implement in your life:

 

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Now that you know how to get your free time back as a SAHM, it’s time to mindfully enforce these. Again, the hardest thing for most moms is giving up that control and the quest for perfection. If you need additional ideas, be sure to check out The Hard Truth About Carving Out Me Time. One last straight-forward tip to get free time is to embrace door locks. When you are enforcing some time alone that you fought so hard, protect it by simply flipping that little tab on the door.

See where I’m linking up!

Don’t Forget to Pin It!

Woman Sitting Blowing Bubbles with text overlay - How to Get Your Free Time Back as a SAHM

 

How to Rediscover Yourself After Marriage and Motherhood Series

  1. Introduction
  2. Why All Moms Need a Journal
  3. Determine Your Why for Self Discovery
  4. Find Your Cheerleaders
  5. DIY Positive Affirmation Cards
  6. Create Your SAHM Hierarchy of Needs
  7. The Hard Truth About Carving Out Me Time
  8. 5 Awesome Podcasts to Inspire Self Discovery
  9. How to Love Yourself First
  10. Stop Reacting to Life and Live Proactive
  11. How to Set and Protect Boundaries as a Mom
  12. How Moms Can Stop Being People Pleasers
  13. Why It’s Okay to Outgrow Relationships
  14. It’s Time to Break-up with Yourself
  15. Create a Mini Mom Oasis for Recharging
  16. Why Moms Should Date Themselves + How to Do It
  17. How to Get Your Free Time Back as a SAHM
  18. Turn Someday into Today
  19. Why You Should Throw Out Your Clothes
  20. Rediscover Your Old Hobbies
  21. How to Find New Hobbies You Love
  22. How to Create a Daily Self Care Routine
  23. Shut Down Your Negative Self Talk
  24. How a Haircut Can Help You Find Yourself
  25. Make a Bucket List You’ll Actually Complete
  26. Unique Alternative Ideas to Help You Find Yourself
  27. Why SAHM Need to Unplug Weekly
  28. 10 Mom Date Ideas You Can Do at Home
  29. 10 Mom Date Ideas to Get Out of the House
  30. Embracing Your Weird as a Mom
  31. How to Practice Mindful Reflection 

Why Moms Should Date Themselves + How to Do It

When free time is so limited, as it is to stay-at-home moms (SAHM), the precious free moments are spent catching up on sleep or finally getting time with friends. Sometimes you need to let those other things fall by the wayside. Instead, find out why moms should date themselves in those precious free evenings or afternoons.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

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[bctt tweet=”Moms need to recharge, get comfortable being alone, and make themselves a priority. That’s exactly why moms should date themselves. Learn how now!” username=”diyadulation”]

For a long time, I never wanted to do anything by myself. It is still something that I struggle with. Let’s be fair, it is so much easier to go somewhere or try something new when you have a friend, family member, or spouse by your side.

However, at some point you have to be strong enough to be alone. You need to learn to stand on your own and enjoy your own company. That’s why moms should date themselves regularly.

 

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Why Moms Should Date Themselves

It is not innate to make it a point to date yourself. A quick Google search will make that clear. All of the articles you find about dating yourself are geared at helping you find a boyfriend or get over a break-up. All of these articles have a similar point, however, and that is that through dating yourself you gain insight into who you are.

Why should that only be something you seek when trying to mend a broken heart or find a partner? It shouldn’t. That’s why moms should date themselves, too.

Allows You to Recharge

First of all, when you try new things, or even activities you already know you enjoy, alone there is no reason for any pretense. This means you can truly let go and express yourself. If you are touched by a particular part of a movie you go to see, there’s no external forces urging you to hold back tears.

On the flip side of that, if you hate a new experience or activity, there is no need to put on a show that you enjoy it. It is truly the best way to get to know yourself. When you don’t feel the need to put on a show for the sake of the people you are with, you can truly recharge. Even if you don’t enjoy an activity, sometimes that release of emotion is just as important as laughter or tears.

 

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Get Comfortable Being Alone

Even if you once enjoyed spending time alone, after years of being a SAHM without time to yourself a reprieve sounds like a dream come true. However, once you actually find yourself alone it is difficult to cope with. Don’t believe me? Think about the last time you got a weekend away without the kids. How long before you missed them and simply had to call just to hear their little voices?

Dating yourself is an important way to a.) get that much needed break from the house and kiddos that you need and b.) learn to enjoy your own company again. Both are important for your health and well being.

Do What You Want

How often do you watch what your kids, husband, or friends want to see at the movies? When was the last time you got to pick the restaurant your family went to? Too often, moms sacrifice our own wants and desires to our families. (Anyone else been talked into a Chuck-E-Cheese visit by pleading kiddos?)

Use dates with yourself to do the things that you truly want to do. Check out that movie that you’ve been dying to see without twisting someone’s arm to join you (like I did with this movie). Try out a paint and sip class or simply spend some time alone reading a new book at the library.

Whatever it is, you can choose to do what you want unapologetically.

How to Date Yourself

Now that you know the benefits to why moms should date themselves, it’s time to put it into practice. I know it’s easier said than done but you can start with The Hard Truth About Carving Out Me Time to help. In addition to that, there are some practical strategies you can use to date yourself.

 

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Schedule It

When our schedules are filled with kids practices, meetings at school, our husband’s work schedule, not to mention the myriad of extended family events, it is difficult to date ourselves on the fly. That’s why I recommend taking time at the beginning of each month to schedule date nights with yourself into your planner. When you truly make an effort, making time for one date with yourself a month is easy.

Prioritize It

Once you’ve scheduled your date with yourself, you need to prioritize it. This is an important commitment to yourself and you need to treat it as such. That means that even if something comes up, like a last minute birthday party or your husband’s friends want to go to the golf course, you don’t reschedule your date.

Note:

Let Your Family Know

Lastly, you need to let your family know when you have scheduled it. Remember that when you are first starting out, you will probably have to remind your family often as the date approaches. It will take time for them to learn that this is a regular activity that you are prioritizing and that they should too.

 

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Moms need to recharge, get comfortable being alone, and make themselves a priority. That’s exactly why moms should date themselves. Because this is so important, don’t forget to prioritize your dates with yourself. It will be challenging at first, for both you and your family, but as you continue to stick to it, it will get easier. When you’re tempted to cancel or reschedule a date remember that you are doing this for your family as well. A happy and healthy mom is the best gift you can give to your family daily.

See where I’m linking up!

Don’t Forget to Pin It!

Woman on Carousel Horse with text overlay - Why Moms Should Date Themselves + How to Do It

 

How to Rediscover Yourself After Marriage and Motherhood Series

  1. Introduction
  2. Why All Moms Need a Journal
  3. Determine Your Why for Self Discovery
  4. Find Your Cheerleaders
  5. DIY Positive Affirmation Cards
  6. Create Your SAHM Hierarchy of Needs
  7. The Hard Truth About Carving Out Me Time
  8. 5 Awesome Podcasts to Inspire Self Discovery
  9. How to Love Yourself First
  10. Stop Reacting to Life and Live Proactive
  11. How to Set and Protect Boundaries as a Mom
  12. How Moms Can Stop Being People Pleasers
  13. Why It’s Okay to Outgrow Relationships
  14. It’s Time to Break-up with Yourself
  15. Create a Mini Mom Oasis for Recharging
  16. Why Moms Should Date Themselves + How to Do It
  17. How to Get Your Free Time Back as a SAHM
  18. Turn Someday into Today
  19. Why You Should Throw Out Your Clothes
  20. Rediscover Your Old Hobbies
  21. How to Find New Hobbies You Love
  22. How to Create a Daily Self Care Routine
  23. Shut Down Your Negative Self Talk
  24. How a Haircut Can Help You Find Yourself
  25. Make a Bucket List You’ll Actually Complete
  26. Unique Alternative Ideas to Help You Find Yourself
  27. Why SAHM Need to Unplug Weekly
  28. 10 Mom Date Ideas You Can Do at Home
  29. 10 Mom Date Ideas to Get Out of the House
  30. Embracing Your Weird as a Mom
  31. How to Practice Mindful Reflection