Thriving Mama

This year, I’m continuing my journey toward thriving. I’m learning that thriving isn’t a fixed destination or a single definition. It’s varies depending on season, circumstance, capacity, and grace. What looks like thriving in one moment can feel like barely holding it together in another. And sometimes, those two realities exist at the same time.

For a long time, I’ve been locked into the mindset that 2025 was a challenging year for me; and it was. There’s no denying that. But I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah). And oddly enough, still standing was thriving for that phase of my life, considering what I was up against.

When I look back at the last year, at how I navigated obstacles that were clearly meant to knock me down, I do so with pride and appreciation. I gave myself grace when I would have once been critical. I pushed through when stopping felt easier. I trusted my discernment and intuition, even when it meant choosing the harder path. I allowed myself to actually feel my feelings instead of minimizing or suppressing them. Most importantly, I leaned into resources and support when I once believed I had to handle everything alone.

That version of thriving didn’t look pretty or polished. It looked like survival, resilience, and endurance. And that counted.

Now, I’m turning my attention to what thriving will look like for 2026.

Motherhood continues to sit at the very center of my world. It is central through every aspect of my life: working to earn a living, supporting their interests and enrichment, teaching and uplifting them in ways that honor who they are, and carving out time to care for myself so I can show up fully. The difference this year is intention. I don’t just want to react to life as it happens. I want to move through it with clarity and purpose.

I can’t say for certain what this year will bring. But I do know who I want to be, regardless of the circumstances. And that matters more than any outcome.

The Elements of a Thriving Mama

As I’ve reflected, I’ve identified a few core areas that I believe are essential for going beyond surviving motherhood and instead thriving within it:

• Self
  This is where everything begins. Honoring my identity outside of motherhood. Making space for rest, reflection, creativity, and growth. Remembering that I am a whole person, not just a role.

• Motherhood
  Being present, learning alongside my children, and releasing the pressure to be perfect. Thriving here means connection, patience, and giving myself permission to evolve as a parent.

• Support System
  Allowing myself to receive help, community, and love. Letting go of the belief that strength means doing everything alone.

• Work & Purpose
  Finding alignment between what I do and why I do it. Creating a life that supports my family while also honoring my skills, passions, and values.

• Health & Well-Being
  Prioritizing my mental, emotional, and physical health. This is not an afterthought, its foundational.

• Boundaries
  Protecting my energy, time, and peace. Saying no without guilt. Creating guardrails that allow me to show up as my best self.

I’ve already started laying the groundwork. I mapped out my personal healing timeline, began reading The Pivot Year and leaned on a good old start-stop-continue exercise to set some intentional guardrails for myself. Now comes the real work; maintaining discipline, staying grounded, and not allowing unexpected challenges to knock me completely off course.

Because life will still happen. But this time, I’m choosing to meet it differently.

So, I’ll leave you with this question: What does being a thriving mama mean to you in this season of your life?

And maybe more importantly: What would it look like to redefine thriving on your own terms?