Episode 61 - The January Action Plan Moms Need (Before December Chaos Hits)
Welcome to Episode 61 of the Time for Living Podcast!
TRANSCRIPT
show notes
You know what kills January momentum? Starting from zero on January 1st. While everyone else is scrambling to figure out their plan, you're going to be executing yours—because you did the prep work in December.
This episode is for mom entrepreneurs who are tired of the "plan-and-execute-at-the-same-time" disaster that happens every January. If you're building a business in fragmented time, you can't afford to waste those precious first weeks of the year making decisions. You need to hit the ground running.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why January 1st feels so overwhelming (and how to completely eliminate that stress with one simple shift)
The 15-minute reflection that tells you exactly what to keep and what to drop for your next 12 weeks
The 5-task prep checklist that ensures Day 1 is execution-only, no decisions required
How to rest during December without losing all your momentum (the "rest your body, don't rest your vision" strategy)
The quarterly reset system that keeps you on track all year, not just in January
Why you don't actually need to wait for January 1st to start (and when YOUR perfect start date is)
This is Week 5 of the five-episode goal-setting series for mom entrepreneurs.
FREE RESOURCE
Download the Dream Big Workbook at timeforliving.co/dreambig2 for habit tracker templates and the complete five-episode goal-setting system in one place.
Let’s Connect:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeforlivingco/
• Email: hello@timeforliving.co
Final Thought:
Your next 12 weeks start the moment you decide, prep now, execute later.
TRANSCRIPT - The January Action Plan Moms Need (Before December Chaos Hits)
INTRODUCTION
Okay, so it's December. And you've done the work, right? You have your process goals. You've mapped out your system. You know what your ONE habit is going to be.
But let's be real about what else is happening in December. You've got holiday shopping to finish, family coming to visit, school events every other day, year-end deadlines at work, cookies to bake, gifts to wrap—and honestly, about 47 other things that are all screaming for your attention.
So here's what usually happens, and I'm guessing you've lived this before. Maybe even last year.
December gets completely insane. You keep telling yourself, "I'll figure out my plan in January. I'll get organized after the holidays." And then January 1st arrives, and you wake up exhausted. You have no plan. You're starting from absolute zero. And you're already behind before you've even begun.
It's the same story every single year, isn't it? I see you nodding.
But this year is going to be different. And I mean that. Because you're going to prepare NOW, before the chaos hits. So when January 1st comes—or honestly, whenever you're ready to start your next 12-week cycle—you're not scrambling to plan. You're just executing.
And whether you're listening to this in December or you're catching this in June or October, this episode is for you. Because this system works whenever you decide to start. The date on the calendar doesn't matter nearly as much as how well you've prepared.
SERIES CHECK-IN
Quick reminder of where we've been on this series together. We started with finding your North Star feeling—the thing you want to feel one year from now. Then we turned that into process goals, actions you actually control. We broke those down into small steps you can take in 15 minutes. We made those steps automatic with your ONE habit. And today, we're preparing you to launch strong and adjust every quarter.
This whole episode is really about preparation over procrastination. Because most people wait until Day 1 to figure out their plan, and that's just exhausting. You're going to do the thinking NOW. So when your start date comes, you're ready to go.
WHY STARTING FROM ZERO IS SO HARD
Let me tell you about my January 1st 2 years ago, because maybe you'll see yourself in this story.
I woke up on January 1st, 2024, and I was SO ready. New year, fresh start, all the motivation in the world. I was going to change everything.
But here's the thing—I had no actual plan. Like, none. So I spent that entire morning just trying to figure out WHAT to do. What should I work on first? What's my priority? How do I even structure this?
By noon, I was completely overwhelmed. By evening, I hadn't actually done anything. I'd just thought in circles all day.
Sound familiar?
And then the next day was the same thing. I was using all my mental energy just to make decisions instead of actually taking action. Which meant by the time I finally figured out what to do, I was too tired to do it.
By January 7th, I was exhausted and I hadn't even started working on my goals yet. I was already behind, and the year had barely begun.
So here's what I learned from that disaster: January 1st feels so hard because you're trying to plan AND execute at the exact same time. You're deciding what to do while also trying to do it.
What actually works is this: separate planning from execution. You do all the thinking BEFORE your start date. You build your systems ahead of time. You set up your tracking. You make every single decision in advance.
So when Day 1 finally arrives, you wake up knowing EXACTLY what to do. There are no decisions to make. There's no overwhelm. You just take action. That's the shift. And honestly, it changes everything.
THE 15-MINUTE REFLECTION
Okay, so before you can plan forward, you need to look back for a minute. Because you can't build a better system if you don't actually know what worked and what didn't in your last cycle.
So whether you're closing out 2025 right now, or you're finishing up a 12-week quarter, I want you to spend 15 minutes reflecting. Just 15 minutes. Set a timer.
Here are the four questions I want you to answer, and I'll tell you why each one matters:
First question: What actually worked?
Think about your last 12 weeks or your last year, whatever you're reflecting on. What habits stuck? What gave you energy instead of draining you? What do you want MORE of in your next cycle?
This question helps you identify your wins so you can double down on what's already working. Just write it down. Don't overthink it, just get it out of your head.
Second question: What didn't work?
And I need you to be honest here, but without any judgment. Just observation. What drained you? What commitments didn't actually align with your values? What do you want LESS of going forward?
This isn't about beating yourself up. It's about noticing patterns so you don't repeat what doesn't serve you.
Third question: Process versus outcome—what did you learn?
This one is really important for what we've been building together. When you focused on your process—the actions you could control—what happened? And when you got obsessed with outcomes instead, how did that actually feel? What's that teaching you about how to approach your next 12 weeks?
Fourth question: What are you celebrating?
Because even if you didn't hit every single goal you set, even if you broke your habit chain a few times—what progress DID you make? What are you genuinely proud of? Write that down. You need to see your wins before you start planning what's next.
Let me give you a quick example from my year. What worked: my 15-minute tea habit and posting three times a week. What didn't work: trying to batch-record four episodes in one day—way too exhausting. And what I'm celebrating: 52 podcast episodes, every single week. That's consistency.
So your homework here is to do this exercise THIS WEEK, before your life gets any busier. If you're listening to this in December, do it before December 15th. If you're listening in March, reflect on Q1 before you plan Q2. If you're in July, think about the first half of your year. The timing doesn't matter—the principle is the same. You look back so you can plan forward more intentionally.
YOUR PREP CHECKLIST
Alright, so now that you've done your reflection and you know what worked and what didn't, it's time to actually prepare for your next cycle.
I've got five things I want you to do BEFORE your start date, whether that's January 1st or any other day you choose. And I'm going to walk you through each one.
First thing: Finalize your process goals for the next 12 weeks.
Pull out those process goals you set back in Episode 58. Look at them with fresh eyes. Are they still right? Did your reflection reveal anything that needs adjusting?
Like maybe you said you were going to reach out to 10 clients every week, but now you realize that's way too much. Change it to five. Or maybe you said 30 minutes of movement daily, but 20 minutes is actually more realistic for your life right now. That's fine. Adjust it.
Write down your finalized process goals for the next 12 weeks. These are the actions you're committing to.
Second thing: Map out your first week in detail.
This is THE most important task on this whole list. You need to know EXACTLY what you're doing Days 1 through 7. And I mean exactly—what you're doing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, all the way through Sunday.
So write down: What's my ONE habit starting Day 1? What time am I doing it? And what's my habit stack—you know, "After I do this thing I already do, I will do my new habit."
Then schedule it in your calendar right now. Not tomorrow, not next week—right now. Block that time. Make it non-negotiable. Treat it like you would a doctor's appointment.
Because here's what you want: You wake up Day 1, you look at your calendar, and you already know "8:15am, right after I pour my coffee, I'm doing 15 minutes of client outreach." No decisions. No thinking. Just action.
Third thing: Set up your tracking system.
Whether it's a physical calendar on your wall, a habit tracking app on your phone, or just a simple notebook—set it up NOW. Don't wait until Day 1 to go buy the calendar or download the app. Have it ready so the second you finish your habit on Day 1, you can mark that first X. You want that instant win.
Fourth thing: Prep your workspace.
If your habit involves sitting at your desk, clean it off today. If your habit is movement, lay out your workout clothes the night before Day 1. If it's content creation, have your templates ready to go.
Remove every single possible barrier. Make it as ridiculously easy as possible to just show up and do the thing. Because on Day 1, you want zero friction.
Fifth thing: Communicate your boundaries.
This is huge, and most people skip it, and then they wonder why nobody respects their time.
Tell your family or your partner: "Hey, I'm working on my goals starting January 1st. I need 15 minutes every morning for the next 12 weeks. Can you support me in protecting that time?"
Or tell your team at work: "I'm blocking 8 to 8:15am on my calendar for focused work. Please don't schedule meetings during that window."
Set those expectations NOW. Not on Day 1 when people are already asking for your time. Now.
Because when people know ahead of time, they can actually support you. When you spring it on them in the moment, they get frustrated and you feel guilty.
So the goal of all this preparation is that when your start date arrives, you wake up knowing EXACTLY what to do. No decisions. No planning. No overwhelm. Just coffee, habit, mark your X, done. That's how you build momentum from Day 1.
And if you want guided worksheets that walk you through each of these prep tasks, the Dream Big Workbook has it all laid out at timeforliving.co/dreambig2. It's basically this prep checklist in a format you can actually use.
REST WITHOUT LOSING MOMENTUM
Okay, so you've done all your prep work. You're ready for January or whenever you're starting. But December still has to happen, right? And it's going to be chaotic no matter what.
So the question becomes: How do you actually rest AND stay on track? Because you need both. You can't just hustle through the holidays—that's not sustainable. But you also don't want to go completely dark and lose all your momentum.
So first, I'm giving you full permission to rest. Like, really rest. You don't have to hustle through the holidays. You don't have to "crush" December. Rest is not failure. Rest is actually really strategic.
Your body needs it. Your brain needs it. Your nervous system definitely needs it.
So take some time off during the holidays if you want to. Take time with your family. Sleep in. Enjoy yourself. That's not just okay—it's actually good for you.
But here's the other side of it: don't go completely dark for an entire month. Because here's what happens when you take a full month completely off—January feels like you're starting from absolute zero. You've lost all your momentum. Your habits feel foreign and awkward. You have to rebuild everything from scratch. And that's just exhausting.
So here's the balance, and I want you to write this down: Rest your body. Don't rest your vision.
Three quick strategies to make this work:
First strategy: Do your minimum viable habit. Can't do 15 minutes during the holidays? Do 5. Can't do your 20-minute workout? Do 5 pushups. The point isn't the amount—the point is keeping that chain alive. Even 1% counts.
Think about it this way: if you're reaching out to clients, sending one message on a crazy day is better than sending zero. You're staying in the game.
Second strategy: Stay connected to your why. Put your North Star feeling somewhere you'll see it every single day. On your bathroom mirror. As your phone wallpaper. In your journal. Read it once a day, just to remind yourself: "This is what I'm working toward. This is why it matters."
You're not actively building during December, but you're also not forgetting why you started.
Third strategy: Do a 15-minute Sunday check-in. Even during the holidays. Just 15 minutes every Sunday to ask yourself: How did this week go? Did I stay connected to my vision? What's one thing I can do next week to stay on track?
That's it. You stay engaged without burning out.
Let me tell you what I do. I do take a week completely off. Like, no work at all. No habits. Just family and rest and enjoying myself.
But the other weeks in December? I still do my 15-minute tea habit. Some days it's the full 15 minutes. Some days it's honestly just 5 minutes. But I keep that chain alive. I stay connected.
And what that means is by January 1st, I'm rested AND ready. I'm not starting from scratch. I'm just ramping back up to full capacity.
And this whole thing applies to any busy season in your life, not just December. Maybe for you it's summer when your kids are home all day. Maybe it's tax season if you're an accountant. Maybe it's just a crazy month at work. The principle is the same: rest your body, but stay connected to your vision. Don't go all-in and burn out, but also don't go completely dark and lose all your momentum. Find that middle ground.
THE QUARTERLY RESET THAT KEEPS YOU ON TRACK
So this isn't just about January, right? This is actually your system for staying on track all year long. Because every 12 weeks, you're going to do this exact process we've been talking about. You're going to prepare, launch, and then reflect again.
Here's what that looks like. Every 12 weeks, you sit down and you walk through five steps:
First, you do a comprehensive review. What was my actual consistency rate?
Second, you do a process versus outcome check. You ask: Did I focus on what I could actually control, or did I get obsessed with outcomes I couldn't control?
Third, you adjust based on what you learned. Are your process goals still the right ones?
Fourth, you set your next quarter's focus. What's your ONE habit going to be? What system are you building this time?
And fifth, you prep for Week 1 of your next quarter.
And here's why doing this quarterly instead of annually is so powerful:
Life changes really fast when you're a mom building a business. What made sense in January might not fit your life in April at all. These quarterly reviews let you adapt every 12 weeks instead of being stuck with an annual plan that doesn't work anymore.
You also maintain urgency this way. Twelve weeks is short enough that you stay focused. You can't procrastinate when you only have 12 weeks.
And you see progress faster. Every quarter, you get to celebrate what you've built. That's way more motivating than waiting a whole year to see results.
Here's my quarterly reflection schedule, and I have this blocked in my calendar as non-negotiable time:
End of March, I reflect on Q1 and plan Q2. End of June, I reflect on Q2 and plan Q3. End of September, I reflect on Q3 and plan Q4. End of November, I reflect on Q4 and plan Q1 for the next year.
Every single quarter, I do this. And honestly, it's the reason I actually finish what I start now. Because I'm checking in every 12 weeks instead of setting something in January and hoping it still makes sense in December.
START WHEN YOU'RE READY
Alright, so let's talk about your actual start date for a minute. Because here's something really important I want you to understand: You don't have to wait for January 1st.
Goal-setting is not seasonal. You can start your 12-week cycle whenever you're actually ready.
If you're listening in December, start NOW, start January 1st or start mid-January.
And if you're listening to this at ANY other time of year, that's actually perfect. Start today.
Listening in March? Start your 12-week cycle TODAY. That's your Q2.
Listening in July? Great timing. Map out your Q3.
Listening in October? Perfect for a Q4 push into the holidays.
The truth is, the best time to start is when YOU'RE ready. Not when the calendar tells you to. When you've done the prep, when you're committed, when it makes sense for your actual life.
So here's what your Week 1 looks like, whenever you decide that is:
Day 1: You wake up. You do your habit that you already do. You do your 15-minute action from the system you built back in Episode 59. You mark your X on whatever tracking system you set up. And that's it.
Days 2 through 7: Because you keep doing your daily habit. You keep doing your daily 15-minute action. You keep marking those X's. And then at the end of Week 1, you do a quick 15-minute Sunday reflection.
The mindset here is that you're not waiting for perfect timing, because perfect timing doesn't exist. You're starting when it makes sense for YOUR life. And once you start, you're just focusing on one week at a time. Not the whole 12 weeks. Just this week.
Can you do your habit for 7 days? Yeah, you can do anything for 7 days. And then next week, you ask yourself the same question. Can I do it for 7 more days? Yeah. And that's how you build a 12-week cycle. One week at a time.
A couple things you should NOT do: Don't wait for "someday when you have more time." That day is never coming. Don't set 20 new goals all at once. Just stick with your 1-3 process goals. Don't try to change everything about your life simultaneously. Just focus on your ONE habit. And please don't beat yourself up if you didn't start on January 1st. Start when you start.
What you SHOULD do: Pick your start date. It could literally be today. Focus on your ONE habit. Trust this system you've been building over these five episodes. And celebrate the fact that you're showing up at all.
YOUR COMPLETE SYSTEM
Okay, so we've been on this five-episode journey together, and I want to take a minute to recap the complete system so you can see how all these pieces fit together.
Number one: Know what you want. That's your North Star feeling.
Number two: Set process goals. Focus on actions you control, not outcomes you hope for. Make sure they're aligned with your values.
Number three: Build the system. Break it down from quarterly to monthly to daily. Build the infrastructure first.
Number four: Create the habit. Pick your ONE daily action. Stack it onto something you already do. Track it so you can see your chain growing.
Number five: Reflect and adjust every 12 weeks. Recalibrate based on what's actually working in your life.
And this system works ANY time you want to start. January fresh start? Great. Mid-year reset? Perfect. Starting today because you're just ready now? Even better.
Here's why this is different from every other goal-setting system out there:
Most systems focus on outcomes you can't control. This one focuses on actions you can.
Most systems require massive amounts of motivation to sustain. This one builds habits that don't need motivation because they're automatic.
Most systems have you plan once a year and then hope it still makes sense in December. This one has you recalibrate every 12 weeks so you're always working on what actually matters right now.
So here's your homework:
Do your 15-minute reflection
Complete your prep checklist.
Put it on the calendar.
And then on Day 1, start your habit. Mark your X. Begin.
Here's my final thought for you: Your process goals don't care what the calendar says. They care that you showed up.
Whether you start January 1st, or next Monday, or six months from now when you're listening to this—this system works. Because it's not about the date. It's about the SYSTEM you've built.
You're not chasing outcomes you can't control anymore. You're committing to actions you can.
You're not relying on motivation that comes and goes. You're building habits that stick.
You're not planning once and forgetting about it. You're reflecting every 12 weeks and adjusting as you go.
And you have everything you need right now. You know your North Star. You have your process goals. You've built your system. You've chosen your ONE habit. You know exactly what to do on Day 1.
Now you just have to start. One day at a time. One habit at a time. One 12-week cycle at a time.
That's how you build the life you actually want instead of just dreaming about it.
If you want all the worksheets and templates for this entire system—the reflection questions, the system templates, the habit trackers, the quarterly planning sheets—everything is in the Dream Big Workbook at timeforliving.co/dreambig2.
Thank you for spending these five episodes with me. Thank you for doing the actual work instead of just listening. Thank you for investing in yourself like this.
I genuinely can't wait to see what you create in your next 12 weeks, whenever they begin.
Until next time, keep making time for living.