Hey there, fellow dreamers, doers, and professional Pinterest-scrollers!
Let me take you back to a time not-so-long ago—just before I became a mom.
Picture this: it’s 11:47 p.m. I should be sleeping, but instead, my brain is throwing a glittery party of ideas. I’m mentally redecorating the nursery, brainstorming new prompts for my journals at Gadanke, dreaming up blog posts for Making This Home, planning sewing projects (even though I can’t find the foot pedal to my machine), and basically plotting world domination—creative mom-style.
That’s what being creative is, right? It’s like having a never-ending Pinterest board in your brain. And spoiler alert: becoming a mom doesn’t exactly close the tab.
Then… boom. I had my baby.
Suddenly, my idea factory didn’t shut down—it just got quieter. Or rather, it got muffled by lullabies, burp cloths, and the sweet sound of a baby giggle (which, let’s be honest, is better than any productivity app notification).
Here’s what I learned real quick: my time is no longer just mine. I can either “research” on the internet for two hours (cough cough scroll Instagram in the name of branding), or I can roll around on the floor making animal noises with my son.
I’ll take baby giggles over digital rabbit holes any day.
So what’s a creative mama to do?
You focus. Like, laser beam level focus. But not on everything—on just a few things. You learn to ditch the to-do list and actually get stuff done by choosing what really matters and letting the rest wait.
When my son was born, I started setting one single, humble goal per day.
Day 1: Trim his impossibly tiny nails.
Day 2: Give him his first bath.
Day 3: Maybe shower myself? (#goals)
Sure, pre-baby me would’ve laughed at those “achievements.” But new-mama me? She knew better. She was exhausted, hormonal, covered in milk, and still crushing it.
And guess what? That small-but-mighty focus changed everything.
Fast forward to now: My son is splashing in the tub with his dad every night like a pro. And Gadanke? It’s growing in the most beautiful way. We’ve got a shiny new website and an even shinier Become journal redesign that makes me want to do a happy dance in my fuzzy slippers.
How? Because I stopped trying to do everything. I picked the three most doable, meaningful things each day—and made them happen. I decided to ditch the to-do list and actually get stuff done by focusing on less and accomplishing more.
Real talk: Steve Jobs said it best.
“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas… Innovation is saying ‘no’ to 1,000 things.”
Mic drop, right?
So here’s my love note to all the moms out there, especially the ones trying to do all the things while also keeping a tiny human alive:
✨ Pick three things.
✨ Say “no” (lovingly!) to the rest.
✨ Ditch the to-do list and actually get stuff done.
✨ Then call it a win and pour yourself some coffee (or wine—we don’t judge here).
You deserve that freedom. Your kids deserve a mom who isn’t drowning in “shoulds.” And your creative spirit? She’s still in there, ready to work her magic—one focused step at a time.
