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

Today we discuss being proactive, living in our circle of influence instead of our circle of concern, and how to test yourself to see how you are currently doing on these habits.

Today we discuss the power of paradigm shifts - changing how we think - and the power they can have in our relationships and how we approach life.

Today Madeline Casey and Jessica Jackson continue their conversation on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, focusing on the principle of the four quadrants. They discuss what they are and ways to move towards living in quadrant two where things are important, but not urgent to decrease the stress in our life and improve our thinking. Join in the challenge to find one thing that is causing you the greatest frustration and figure out how to make it a quadrant two activity.

This is the first conversation with Madeline Casey in a series about the principles from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. We talk about the emotional bank account and how it applies to our relationships with our children, spouses, and ourselves. Madeline shares her self care schedule to keep her own balance high so she can keep filling others. At the end of this episode you will have ideas to apply in your life today as well as to teach to your children.

Alisa is the mother of many children. She and her husband began early in the marriage as foster parents and were able to adopt a few of the many children they fostered. They also have biological children of their own. Alisa share some of the greatest joys and sorrows that come with being a foster parent. She also talks about how she is using her talents to cultivate her own growth as well as bless her family through homeschooling. She share her realistic perspective about what being a foster parent entails.

Alisha Miller is a homeschooling mother of four girls. She shares about when her dreams and life plan were changed abruptly and the period of mourning that followed and how she healed and moved forward. This change provided an opportunity to create an unexpected and beautiful family culture, develop new skills, and have incredible opportunities. She also talks about their homeschooling philosophy, how she creates a peaceful home, and she is surrendering control.

Heather Boersma is a mother of three children, author, and life coach. She shares how she changed from enduring motherhood to actually enjoying her days with her young family. She talks about not allowing her emotions to take the driver seat, learning to lead the emotional atmosphere in her home, and fostering a life giving relationship with her husband.

Chanelle Neilson is the mother of five children, podcast host, author, and yoga instructor. She shares how she learned to embrace the chaos and enjoy her family, started recognizing how much she was changing during her early motherhood years with four young children, and how facilities a culture of creativity in her home. She has continued her growth by slowly developing habits to support a simple and full life with her family.

Danielle Carriere is the mother of two children, professor, author, and book publisher. During a stressful time trying to fulfill many responsibilities reached out and ask God, "What am I doing well?". The answer she received is what she continues to intentionally develop and it has far reaching effects in her family.

Meal planning helps us keep a reasonable food budget, reduce dinner-time stress, and store up a few extra meals to bail us out on a busy night. I plan a few different types of meals each week to help keep a realistic schedule and feed our family with good, nourishing meals. I also include my tips for when I make meals and how I keep stocked up on homemade snacks.

Jennie Brown is the mother of three young children. She has brought her love and need for creativity in her life to her family and she shares how she makes that happen for her and her family. Jennie has a refreshing perspective on living a balanced life.

Alison Jones is a mother of two children who has learned to make self care a priority in its truest form - sleep and eating well. She is currently living with her family in Amsterdam and they have embraced traveling with children and focusing on the experiences and not activities. She has made fun and play a priority in their home and makes every day life an adventure.

Clutter has a way of taking over our minds and our lives with its presence. In this episode I talk about our journey with getting rid of the mess and freeing up space to be able to grow in our fullest capacity and experience joy.

In this episode I share five novels that I read this year that I picked up to find rest and escape that filled me with wisdom and inspiration to continue on.

In this weeks episode I talk about taking the what and why of your vision and moving into the how. I also discuss the importance of letting go of all or nothing thinking when creating your vision and executing goals. I hope that as you listen today you will feel inspired to start taking small steps to grow slow, as well as have practical tools and resources for scheduling out your goals and planning projects.

After her third child was born, Monica Packer realized that she had become someone that wasn't true to herself or the mom she wanted to be. This led to a period of much change and growth, starting with making list of things she wanted to do before she turned 30. She talks about the transformation that took place from that pivotal moment as well as how she reinforces that kindness is the most important thing for their family and how each person is responsible for their own happiness.

Darla Trendler is the mother of four teenagers who has come to be confident in who she is as a mother. She believes that she is equipped to give her children what they need from her and acts (and prays!) accordingly. Darla shares some powerful moments in her motherhood journey where she learned to be true to herself, realized she needed to act if she wanted her circumstances to change, and decided that she was going to be a priority as a person again.

Juanita Denninghoff is the mother of six children ages 11 years to 7 months old. She has experienced many seasons of motherhood from her husband being gone for six months at a time with the military to earning her masters degree and now nearly completing her PhD. Through these and many other experiences she has grown closer to God and learned to rely on him as well as be totally honest with him.

This week we discuss another aspect of living your vision for the year: identifying and overcoming distractions that prevent you from being your best self.

This is part two in a series about creating and living your vision for the next year. In this episode I outline the tools and spreads I use in my planner to help me be intentional about making my vision happen. Check out the show notes at thrivinginmotherhood.com for a description of all the elements and links mentioned in the episode.

In this episode I share how I create my vision for the upcoming year. Having a vision is an important element to thriving and recognizing your growth in every season of motherhood. It is an powerful exercise and tool to help guide you intentionally through the next year no matter what your circumstances are.

This week I talk about a revolutionary break-through I've had with letting go of should statements. Should statements gave me a false sense of improvement and a whole lot of guilt, not to mentioned narrowed my choices down to two. By changing "I should" to "I would like to", I uncover my priorities and then make a decision.

Sherilyn Rasmussen is the mother of six children ages 13 to 25. She learned as a young mother to work with her children's God-given personalities and not try to change them to be something they weren't. Although being a young mom didn't come naturally to her, it is something that she worked hard at and now her family is truly her greatest joy. This past year she led her family with faith after her teenage daughter was in a car accident and had injuries that required surgery as well as a traumatic brain injury.

Meagan Wilson is the owner and founder of Whole Family Rhythms, the place to come to for support, resources and information about conscious, connected parenting inspired by the earth and seasons and above all else your own core family values. In this interview she shares her own experiences in motherhood, from defining moments of how they chose Waldorf education as part of their family culture to sharing how she copes with messes that come from having a screen-free family. Meagan's growth is happening slowly over time as she has been raising four children, the oldest who is now ten and the youngest three and a half.

This episode shares stories of growth from three mothers, Andrea Ware, Aimee Spencer, and Andrea Tate. Their stories of growth range from improving relationships with children who are very different from them to learning to be silly with their kids.

Faith Ralphs has experienced the greatest pain that a mother experiences with the death of her first two sons shortly after they were born. She now experiences the great joy that comes with being able to raise her daughter and share their lives together. Today Faith shares her journey through these defining moments in her life and some of the things she has learned along the way. She also shares a few tidbits of her knowledge about eating healthy and a basic step we can all take in the right direction to improving what we eat.

Kayla Rasmussen is the mother of two little boys who knows what it's like to live a life of transience. She and her husband have lived in Texas, Africa, Illinois, and now Washington D.C. in just a few short years. Through this experience she has learned a lot about herself and her need for different relationships in her life. She is learning how to make friendships quickly and shares some ideas for how to do that (easier said than done!). Because of her honesty with herself and seeking resources and tools, Kayla is truly thriving - growing! - in motherhood with the challenges and circumstances of her life.

Cammie Smith is the mother of three little boys and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She shares research-based principles and practices that lend to a healthy marriage as well as most common reasons for marital tension and how to improve marriage. Cammie's motherhood journey is intertwined with her area of expertise and she shares her experience and tools that she uses to actively improve herself while facing the realities of motherhood.

Brinn Bagely Chipman grew up in a mountain valley and has since made her home in 6 different countries, with travel to and around many more in between. Something in her comes alive facing the unfamiliar and unknown, trying to understand the earth and all her people. While grieving through the loss of two babies during pregnancy, she and her husband decided to recommit to living a life of adventure with their two young girls, which now looks like adventure schooling. Today's episode delves into Brinn's empowering story of growth.

Suzanne Cook is the mother of eleven children. She shares her journey of faith and how her trust in God developed over time. She talks through her growth during financial difficulties, pregnancies, and the death of her mother and brother while she had young children. Suzanne's message is one of hope.

Katie Larsen is a mother to three little children and she shares her growth and transformation through the different seasons of motherhood. She describes the period of humble surrender that occurred after a challenging pregnancy and parenting in a way that she knew wasn't what it should be. This episode is full of incredible paradigm shifts that had me taking notes throughout the entire interview.

Linsey shares her experiences in motherhood going from being a masters student with one child, to a full time stay-at-home mom with two children, to a business owner and developer of games with three children. She believes in teaching her children to be independent as well as creating a strong family culture. These two priorities have helped her navigate these different seasons of life confidently without guilt.

Kristen Shaeffer is the mother of five very different children - from each other and her. She shares how she has learned to parent, love, and enjoy the different personalities in her home. She also talks about how some of her interests and passions have developed while she has been a mother.

Korea Tabor is the mother of four children, including almost two year old twins. She was a teen mom who not only graduated from from high school but also earned her bachelors and masters degree. She shares some pivotal moments in her motherhood journey and how she learned to let people in and not "block her own blessings" from God.

This week's episode is all about taking a few moments to reflect on your own recent growth as a mother. I share a few of my own recent epiphanies of growth relating to how I view my day, getting stronger in the physical work required, how I deal with sleep, and doing more of what I love with my kids - all with the hope that you will recognize your own growth. Next week we'll be back to another interview with an amazing mother!

Elise Powell is a mother to three children who always has a entrepreneurial project in the works. Today she shares part of her journey to becoming content with her role as a mother as well as discovering her need find a new way to measure her growth and accomplishments. This interview is full of wisdom about investing in your kids now and experiencing joy in the moment as well as looking to the future and seeing the potential for their family.

Caitlin Spencer spent years closely observing and learning from other mothers before becoming a mother to her sweet little girl. She shares the wisdom and priorities that she is working to establish in her own home from ending the day listing all the qualities she sees in her daughter to how she is teaching her that other people matter.

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.

Meri Schuhmacher-Jackson is the mother of four boys, three of which have type 1 diabetes. In September of 2012 her husband died after being diagnosed with Metastatic Melanoma in February of that year. In June 2015 she remarried and moved her boys across the country to create a new life, now with nine children. Today she shares so much wisdom about living in the present moment, making memories instead of being anxious about ramifications, and connecting with God throughout the day to help carry the burdens of life.

Rachel Garrett is an incredible mom to two little boys who also has a photography business and a company, Nutrikids, that she runs with her husband. Today she shares how all of things developed slowly in a long timeframe and that they are a result of following little promptings and moments of inspiration. Rachel is navigating balancing full time motherhood with entrepreneurial ventures she feels like she is supposed to be doing right now and are part of her personal mission.

This week Jessica Jackson discusses how she is trying to make home a place where she feels "at home" and nurtured, as well as her children. She also talks about a few key moments and resources that have shaped her priorities and vision of motherhood, including incorporating principles of positives psychology into their days and helping her children develop a relationship with God.

Six years ago Brittany Fisher had an accident that left her a T12 paraplegic. Since that time she has graduated from college, taught school, married, and now has a little boy. She sees the magic of motherhood despite her physical limitations. Brittany shares so much wisdom in this episode from being content with her circumstances to being a little kinder to everyone around us.

Madeline has made it her life's mission to make everywhere she is her own happiest place on earth. She developed this mission statement while teaching 4th grade and being trained in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Leader in Me program. She saw her students' lives transformed at the Title 1 school as they developed these habits. She shares how the 7 Habits have shaped her as a mother and parent and helps her fulfill her mission of creating a happy life.

Kim Routsong is the mother of seven children, all with unique personalities. At the heart of this episode is the theme of unconditional love, woven through stories of living with a son with aspergers and enforcing boundaries with teenagers. She also shares how she has made teaching sufficiency a priority in their home with systems that have worked for years. Kim is confident and committed to her role as a mother and relies on God for his guidance and power.

Leslie Johnson is the mother of six children ranging in ages from 27 down to 16. She shares the little things she has done over the years that has had a huge impact on creating a strong family culture. She also talks about how she was shaped during her time living internationally with young children, raising a son with disabilities, and her experience with the death of her infant daughter. Leslie chooses to look on the bright side, enjoys her children, and embraces the journey of motherhood.

Sarah Machado has been living with postpartum depression or bipolar disorder for the duration of her motherhood experience. As an incredible mother of three young children, she shares how she manages each day as well as wisdom for working with her spouse to face the challenges that come with chronic mental illness and being clear about her priorities and personal abilities and limitations.

Chelsea and her husband began their marriage committed in the same faith. Six months into marriage her husband had a shift in his beliefs that started a new phase of life for them in a mixed faith marriage. Chelsea shares her story of learning and growth as they navigate marriage and parenting from different places of belief. She also talks about her motherhood journey starting with infertility, then morning sickness, and then postpartum depression. Her message is one of hope and love.

Catherine Picon needed major abdominal surgery during her third pregnancy and brain surgery at the end of her fifth pregnancy. In this episode she shares those experiences and her journey of growth.

Mikayla Thatcher developed at chronic migraine that she has lived with since the birth of her daughter. She has learned how to mother with a disability and embrace what she can do instead of look at her limitations.

Robin Kay is a preschool teacher with a special interest in Waldorf education. Robin let's us peak into the rhythms that help her home to run smoothly. She shares ideas for weekly, cleaning, and meal routines.