Wow! Can you believe we are on the TENTH episode of the Successful Mama Podcast?! Thank you for all of your support and for tuning in. This is my second episode where it is just me sharing, and if you’d like more of the details on my story, make sure to go back and check out episode 5.

This week, we focus on my coffee maker. It sounds silly, but when my life was completely overwhelming and I had no idea of how to start moving forward, I started a simple new habit. Every day, when I finished my last cup of coffee, I would empty the grounds and reset it for the next day. That was it. When I followed through enough times and it truly became a habit, I was able to build on it and do more. As simple as it was, this tiny action gave me the affirmation I needed that I was capable of change. After spending years learning more about myself and about habits and behavior change, I’ve come up with a few ideas of why this worked for me and how you can apply it to your life and create change you’re looking for.

Why did this work?

1)      I zoomed out. I could’ve picked any little action that would have impacted my day. But this one acted as a catalyst because it was impacting the rest of my day. When I work with a client and they are trying to decide where to start, it is important to look at the big picture of what it is you want to work on and slowly zoom into why that is a problem. And then a little more until you get to a tiny step that is repeatable.

2)      It was SUPER easy. One of the best ways to start a new habit is to start small and easy. Why? Because you can do it even on the days when you feel like you can’t. Even on my worst days when I’ve had no sleep and I’m exhausted, I can talk myself into emptying that coffee out of the coffee maker to make my day tomorrow better.

3)      I was resetting my space. I’ve shifted my language around cleaning. Cleaning has a negative connotation. Resetting my space does not. Essentially, that is all we are doing anyway is resetting the space so it will be ready for next time, but it doesn’t feel as daunting. Resetting also makes action next time easier.

4)      The power of adrenaline. Tiny goals = tiny rewards. Every time I would complete my small task, my brain viewed it as a win and gave me a tiny hit of dopamine. Dopamine converts into adrenaline, which then gives you a push to do the next thing. Momentum is powerful, and it is much more noticeable when it comes in the form of dopamine & adrenaline.

So what should you do?

1)      Decide the area of your life you need to focus on most. What has the most impact on the rest of your life and can act as a catalyst?

2)      As you are zoomed out on your area you want to change, now you can start to zoom in. Ask yourself- why do I struggle in this area? What is the main reason? Is there something I am doing or could do differently to impact this? And narrow it down to one tiny, reasonable action that you can do every day,  no matter how you feel or how much sleep you’ve had. Your new job is to maintain life as-is and add in this tiny new habit. Every day. No matter what.

*Fun fact* I actually finished up the episode and realized I forgot to record these last two points! Rather than go back and try to fix it, I decided that done is better than perfect…so here’s a bonus:

3)      Celebrate! Seriously. No, you don’t have to throw confetti and blow one of those annoying things every birthday bag from school sends home. (Although you could… that would be fun!) But make it a point to reward yourself for doing this new habit. Do you like to see progress? Grab a huge wall calendar and mark off every day when you complete your new habit. Love to shop? Give yourself a dollar amount for every so many days you meet your goal, and when you get to $100, you’ll reward yourself with a shopping trip. Think about what fuels you. What do you enjoy? Maybe it’s simply a mini dance party every day when you complete your new habit. Seriously. Don’t worry if it seems silly to someone else. Think about what you love and what would attach a happy emotion with this new habit you’re building.

4)      Prepare for failure. Know that plans, especially in motherhood, need flexibility. You never know when someone is going to get sick or life is going to happen. Know that if you miss a day or two, you should 1000% give yourself permission to start again and show up imperfectly. Grace, not excuses. Do the thing. Give yourself grace when life happens. Repeat.