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Mia Redrick, The Mom Strategist™

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How to Find Your Purpose — And Go For It!

Ask yourself, what do I you love? What do I enjoy? Sometimes we make identifying our purpose a science experiment, when it isn’t. Recall what brings you joy in your life or in your work in some past experience. Start there.

How to Find Your Purpose

You might be trying to figure out your purpose or next steps in your career and maybe you aren’t really sure where to start. What you might be thinking you want to do, might not even be something that you’ve ever seen before and you are wondering if your idea is possible.

I have written this article for anyone struggling with finding their purpose. You might have a sketch of your idea but have no real plan on how to make your vision take flight. Here is my story.

Sixteen years ago, I became a mother to my first child. Before becoming a mom I had no idea of what to expect or how much being a mother would influence my work, career and life. Sure I had ideals about what I wanted my life to look like but still I had no idea of how to “have it all” or create a life including all of what I wanted. Heck, I was struggling with defining what “all was” to begin with like so many people.

My professional background is in training and development. I love to teach and inspire! I remember wanting to figure out a way to combine the three things that I loved most and that made me feel alive (teaching, training and being a mom) when I was pregnant with my second child.

I realized that there really were no examples of a “mom strategist” for me to follow, but this is what screamed to me inside my soul whenever I was among other women who were mothers. I would experience every day that people would ask me for advice or strategy about how to make motherhood work. I learned that my gift was that I teach “The How To in Motherhood”. Sure we all want balance but at the end of the day it isn’t wanting balance or hearing someone talk about it that changes your life — it is a strategy that can be applied that produces a successful outcome that moms really want. My gift was that I understood how to teach mothers successful strategies that consistently changed their lives for the better.

I remember saying to my husband one night at bedtime that I wanted to go to work as myself and he replied, “I hope someone pays you to do that.” We laughed but the truth is that I felt very alone about my lofty goal. There wasn’t anyone to share my vision with about mom coaching.

This is what I recommend to find your purpose:

1. Ask yourself, what do I you love? What do I enjoy?

Sometimes we make identifying our purpose a science experiment, when it isn’t. Recall what brings you joy in your life or in your work in some past experience. Start there.

2. Don’t ask others to validate your dream because they can’t. If it inspires you, commit to find a way to make it happen. I meet so many people who want to get a permission slip from others before they move forward for what is best for them. See a need and fill the void.

3. Start small with your ideas and have fun with it.

I had no idea that combining my love of training and motherhood would result in personally coaching hundreds of women in both their life and business. I started working with one client at a time and perfected my craft.

4. Get a mentor.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. I hired a business coach who wasn’t a mother however she ran a very successful six figure coaching business and showed me how to do the same. She owned her time and taught me how to build a business that allowed me to have both lifestyle and freedom.

5. Give yourself credit, you know more than you think.

Sometimes we choose paralysis or inaction because we are afraid of making a mistake. The only way to learn is to try. Trust yourself and listen to that small voice called inspiration. Let it guide you.

6. Fine tune as you go.

You will eventually learn from what works and be able to create systems from it. Perfection prevents us from being vulnerable and taking risks. If you find yourself always seeking the perfect moment or need others to stroke you before you can move forward. Stop it. You are enough.

7. Get started.

I run a wonderful coaching program for moms called Core Moms Accountability. The moms in this program have gone from having a basic idea just like me to monetizing their dreams in just a few weeks. Just recently we had three participants write and publish their books within two months, two got corporate partnerships and one got a television contract within three weeks. They had success because they made time for their goals every day and took the right actions to support their results.

8. Surround yourself with a community of doers.

I run a free goal setting group on Facebook called Mom Strategy — Actions, Systems and Results to inspire women to take consistent actions each day. I’m inspired each day by the women who find that just being consistent with other goal oriented women they can accomplish so much.

9. Be patient with yourself.

I kept my vision in front of me but I was never deflated by my mistakes and failures. I saw my mistakes as opportunities to readjust my direction.

10. Success will find you when you do what you love.

While I’m still waiting for my call from Oprah for my own show, I have built an amazing business doing what I love and you will also. I’ve found that living out my calling has positioned me and my life with countless opportunities that support my vision.

I now have three children and have been a full-time life and business coach for the last eight years. My work has allowed me to support hundreds of women with designing a business of their dreams. 49 of my clients have written books, several garnering corporate partnerships, national media, bestselling books, restored marriages and improved life systems. I have had the privilege to coach families live on The New Ricki Lake show, and join the cast of the Emmy nominated show America Now for their 4th season in addition to writing several Amazon #1 bestselling books and leading a coaching movement for moms nationwide through Time for Mom-me groups in partnership with national brands like Corner Bakery Café and Panera Bread Company.

This all started from an idea to combine what I love to do into a business. I want you to understand this and be inspired to shoot for your goal from my story. No matter where you are right now, I want you to know that you can start. It is so easy to look at the success of others and not know how to begin with your big idea. I hope my story has encouraged you to begin and know that you can have amazing success. You can do this! Let me know if I can support you?

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3 Ways to Avoid Mommy Burnout

At some point in motherhood, burnout is going to happen. For most moms, it happens during those first few days after you leave the hospital with your baby. It begins with endless feedings and diaper changes that last throughout the night until you feel like you are moving in slow motion because of fatigue. I remember being so tired from nighttime wakings that I found myself falling asleep while talking to my husband on the phone because that’s when life presented a quiet moment. Burnout happens so often today because moms are no longer multi-tasking, they are mega tasking — which means doing way too much too often.

As a mom of three, I find doing the following tricks helps me avoid doing too much and becoming overwhelmed.

1. Write down everything that you do for your family and include the small things.

I was able to gain perspective about all the things I was doing daily to contribute to my family’s well-being by writing down those things. It also gave me permission to rest.

Sometimes moms are unrealistic in our expectations of ourselves. We do too much, and most of the time we are unaware of how much we actually get done in 48 hours. Try it. The results will surprise you.

2. Give yourself a break.

Literally. Schedule breaks into your day as a mom. It could be an exercise break, coffee/tea, journaling, meditation, or something else that simply relaxes you. Get off the treadmill of life and relax.

3. Stop trying to seek balance in your every day and instead, focus on finding joy.

Balance is such an unrealistic goal for moms. The truth is that most of our days will never be perfectly balanced, because no two days are exactly the same in motherhood. Sure, we have similar moving parts to each day, but the dynamics are different. I teach my mom-coaching clients to focus on fulfillment. Do something that you love each day with your spouse, yourself and your children. Moms that enjoy their lives are happier mothers. Get rid of expectations.

I’d love to learn how you avoid burnout. Please share your tips with me.

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Social Media: 4 Strategies for Growing Your Online Network

According to Pam Dryer in her article “How Women Use Social Media,“ 53 percent of American women regularly use social media. 75 percent of them use it to connect with friends and family, 57 percent use it for fun and entertainment, and 52 percent use it to “connect with others like me.”

Maybe you’re in that last 52 percent looking for like-minded women. If not, you’re probably in a large minority regularly surfing Facebook, uploading photos and commenting on your friends’ and family’s status updates. But beyond that, you haven’t tapped into the huge potential for social media to grow your business, extend your professional network or find new people who think and live like you do.

“Social media networking is powerful and so new to the marketplace,” said Dabney Porte, co-founder of Social media Girlfriends Productions, LLC. “None of my friends or neighbors could relate to my work and so it was easier for me to find meaningful connections and networking online with other women doing the same thing.”

Porte, along with Britt Michaelian, created their company to help women and businesses build stronger online connections. They met online via Twitter and became friends and business partners. Together they have helped thousands of women connect by virally sharing videos and positive messages that help promote community and resource-sharing to help one another.

I have successfully utilized social media to find members for my Iron Moms Triathlon team on Facebook and Twitter. After asking all of my friends and family — with no takers — it was much easier for me to seek interested team members using social media. The best part of this process has been the new friendships that I formed with other individuals interested in the exact same things as me.If you are like me, sometimes it is exhausting to continue to ask the same group of friends to join in and participate.

Here are a few strategies that you can use to enhance your online connections:

1. Be clear about the kind of connections that you want to establish using social media

You might be interested in meeting other women working in your profession, or women interested in losing weight, or those seeking certain types of hobbies of interest to you.

2. Get in the conversation and be an active participant on your wall and page.

Instead of waiting to see who is talking about what is interesting to you, lead the discussion by posting question of interest on your feed.

3. Expand your view of social media.

It is hard for some of us to make the leap and accept the idea of using this resource as a resource for making friends. Try it. I’ve made 14 new (non-virtual) friends using social media.

4. Explore all that social media has to offer.

Don’t stop at Twitter and Facebook. LinkedIn, for example, is a site for professionals in a wide range of fields to find networking opportunities. And there are many more sites. There are blogs for every possible topic that interests you. Blog writers are usually happy to interact and respond to your questions and comments. And, if by chance there isn’t a blog about a topic of interest to you, start your own!

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How Your Success is Determined by Your Mindset

how your success is determined by your mindset

 

What’s stopping you from succeeding? You are amazing! You have a great product. You have all the things planned and organized – what’s missing? The right mindset.

Success is determined by how you think.

People who create greater success think differently. They learn from their mistakes and take responsibility for it. They have the mindset that breeds success because they are:  

  • solution-oriented
  • problem solvers
  • learners
  • action-takers
  • over-comers

Here are some ways on how a mindset affects your success:

You are held back by people who always say No.

Do not work with people with a poor mindset. They are those who just say no, or would rather say that they need to think about it. Stop waiting for them – they are stuck. People with the right mindset will always try to find answers. They are the ones who seek opportunity for growth in their journey. You should work with these people for better results.

A circle of people with the right mindset can help us grow.

People with the right mindset will hang out with people who have the same line of thinking. Create a circle of people with the right mindset and let your positive character encourage each other to grow. You can make this happen by attracting people with your truthfulness.

The right mindset creates a great product.

A great product provides the process to get things done, and this comes from a mindset that seeks out a solution for every problem. You add incredible value to your product if you point it out in a clear and pristine manner. With a process that creates results, there will no longer be a need to push your products to people. They will see how clear the process is, how you did it, and how it is possible for them to do the same.

We keep it real when we have the right mindset.

Being real is being imperfect. It’s allowing people to see that you can make mistakes all the time. They’ll see that you own it 100%.  Then they’ll see how you have overcome your difficulties and how you deliver the results. People with the right mindset are attracted to imperfection. By setting yourself as an example, people will see what the different possibilities are, and you are the best representation of that process.

 

 

success and mindset
If you grow what you believe, you will grow what you receive

 

Your mindset on value should lead to giving what people need.

Be service-oriented. Give it all  you’ve got! Give more than what is expected from you. Going the extra mile will help you push yourself more than what everybody else offers. The more you add value for others, the better results you will deliver. The right mindset is seen in a series of actions. Walk the talk – let your results support your beliefs. You need to tell yourself the same things that you tell others, and heed your own words.

Check the beliefs you have. Grow the right mindset. Create a system to overcome problems, and solve them. Make these solutions available for others. Remember that if you grow what you believe, you will grow what you receive.

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Why Women Need Permission

 

Why Women Need Permission

I’ve worked professionally as a life and business mentor to mom entrepreneurs for so many years. I’m the mother of three gorgeous children. I built my business while my husband was on dialysis for five years, and never used the fact that my children were young or that my husband’s health was compromised as an excuse to not honor my goals. My husband had a successful kidney transplant. Through it all, I gave myself permission to do exactly what I wanted including three triathlons, building a successful business, joining a nationally syndicated television show, building a huge national brand, and taking excellent care of my family.

I work with women who have goals that they want to realize, and I support them by creating systems to realize those goals without compromising their quality of life. The one common trait I see among my clients is their need for permission to invest in themselves without excuses. I wanted to share with you five key areas that I see over and over again among women regarding their need for permission to live their best lives

Mia Redrick on The New Ricki Lake Show.

1. Lack of Role Models

— I believe that women need permission because they haven’t experienced enough female role models and mentors who have been unapologetic about their wants, dreams and desires. Instead, many of the women in their lives have made excuses about being successful and accomplishing their goals as a mom. They turn it into a conversation about convenience and waiting their turn — as if success has ever been convenient and the “right time” will simply present itself.

2. Fear of Judgment

— Women seek permission, because oftentimes they judge other women when those women have chosen to give a voice to their dreams and acknowledge that motherhood alone will never fill the thirst of self-worth and esteem. The “permission seekers” haven’t learned that surrendering their lives to being a mom and not acknowledging their own “me” in mommy will leave them resentful of their children and spouse, or feeling left behind and clinging to the days when their children were little.

3. Unrealistic Expectations for Themselves

— We seek permission because we often say yes to things that our partners never asked of us like putting them and our children on the calendar but leaving ourselves off, all in an effort to keep everyone happy. We live by a list of “shoulds” and “oughts” and in the end question why we never just showed up for ourselves, understanding that our family benefits when we add value to ourselves.

4. Guilt and Shame

— We need permission because some of our own mothers guilted and shamed us into believing that “doing it all” is easy, and that we should simply be grateful for our home, healthy children and the dream of happiness. Instead, it would be more beneficial if daughters knew what their mother’s silent struggles were such as putting their lives on hold, or saying yes when they wanted to say no. Instead, some of our mothers felt powerless because no one else expressed their true feelings about being supermom and how unhappy that made them.

5. We Don’t Want to Appear Weak

— We seek permission to admit that we are tired after working 40+ hours a week, picking our children up from school, child-care and extracurricular activities, piles of laundry, meals to make, etc. We want someone (anyone) to recognize that we need help like an occasional laundry service, groceries delivered, childcare help, etc. Seeking help shouldn’t make us feel incompetent regardless of how effortlessly and seamlessly some women make it appear.

The happiest mothers I know are the ones who aren’t looking to escape from their lives with a spa appointment, get-away or vacation, but those who have said, “Damn it, I give myself permission to design a life, business and work that I want to come home to and that I deserve!”

The most fulfilled women I know are the ones who have given themselves permission to be vulnerable enough to say they need support, and who have the clarity to ask for exactly what they need without seeking approval from anyone else.

Finding Definitions, LLC

Finding Definitions, LLC is a coaching, training and consulting company that designs modern work/life satisfaction educational products and services for mothers for their life, business and careers.

Our tools support individuals, businesses, corporations to empower women to maximize motherhood and reach for their goals. We understand the needs of the modern mom and provide the training needed to fully support work/life integration.

Consult with us. We get it.
Call 1-410-618-1340

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