Meet the Mama behind Real Juice:

Hey, friend! I'm Emily! I'm a faith-filled mom of two looking to make the most of every moment. We weren't meant to just survive this season, but THRIVE in it. So I'll share simple, practical ways to enjoy your life exactly as it is right now!

Alright, we’re well into January and you’re in one of three categories. 1. You set goals, started on January 1 and are THRIVING in them (go mama!). 2. You set goals, started, annnnnd have slipped up. Or 3. Best of intentions but no goals yet. No matter which category you fall into, this encouragement on goals is for you! 

Even though there’s nothing magical about January, there is something powerful about a starting line. No matter what day or month it is, it’s good for us to dream about the better version of ourselves that we want to be. But without a plan, it’s just that - a dream. But with just a few added steps you can turn your hopes and dreams into your reality. We know you can do it! 

Step 1: Dream Big 

I like to begin with a blank sheet of paper. At the top I write “In 2023, I will be the kind of person who…” and then I just write randomly all over the paper as things come to mind. Don’t overthink it. If it comes to mind, write it. I’ll leave the paper out for a day or two and add to it as things continue to pop up over the course of the day. 

Step 2: My Why  

Next, I circle 8-10 that really mean something to me. Things that will really change the course of my life even in a small way. Write them out as goals with the reason why you want to work on this specifically. Here’s an example. If I want to establish and stick to a morning routine, I might note that I am so much more joyful when I am up and ready to greet the kids into the day rather than slumping out of bed when they do. 

Step 3: My How 

Now, brainstorm 4-5 bullet points of how to accomplish this goal. They need to be small and measurable steps. If it’s not something you can check off of your to-do list, it’s probably too vague and will be easy to put off and never do. Habit stacking is an amazing strategy that can help you stick to these. For example, if I love to sip coffee in the morning, then setting up the coffee pot the night before to brew automatically in the morning is a great habit to link with waking up early. If I already made the coffee, it’s more likely to draw me out of bed than if I still have to make it. Here’s some inspiration to get you started: Write out what I would like to do each morning and how long each item will take so I know what time I need to get up, set coffee pot to brew automatically in the morning, put phone/alarm clock across the room and near a lamp, so I have to get up to turn it off. Bonus points to turn the lamp on while I’m there, go to bed in time to get enough sleep, and tell someone that I’m doing it and ask them to check in every now and then to see how it’s going (accountability is soooo helpful!)

Step 4: Roadblocks & Solutions

Next, I like to identify roadblocks I might come across and how to overcome them. That way, when things get tricky I don’t have to panic or give up. I just embrace the natural resistance and carry on with the plan. 

Possible roadblocks and how I will overcome them

• Kids waking up early some days

Solution: gladly invite them to cuddle up next to me with a book and enjoy reading side by side or even put a show on for them (keyword: gladly🤪)

• Genuinely feeling too tired and needing more sleep

Solution: Cut out something unnecessary at the end of the day so I can go to bed earlier. It will be worth it! 

• Wanting to stay up late

Solution: No tv after 8 pm, leave phone in an Aro box or another room, set watch timer to go off when it’s time to start night routine

So that’s goal setting. We have high aspirations, hopes, and dreams for the year and it’s all fun and games that first week or so, but what happens when the going gets tough. When those roadblocks we identified are strong and the excuses are stronger? When we’re a week or two in and we already find ourselves failing at them? Listen, some of you are in a season where there are valid reasons to be more relaxed on some intense goals. I’m looking at you newborn mamas! But others of you -us- are just in a season of making excuses. Ouch! 

Excuses are the language of self protection and self preservation, and they’re always the strategy of a fearful part of us. When we make excuses, we’re operating out of this fearful identity that we are a failure, that we can’t commit, that we don’t do what we say we’re going to do. Scared to only have ourselves to blame if we’re not successful with it. But this pressure we put on ourselves can actually be the greatest stumbling block of all. What if we just thanked our brains for looking out for us, for offering these thoughts, and decided to politely disagree? I can commit. I do what I say I’m going to do. This release is freeing. We don’t expect our kids to hop right onto a bike and zoom down the sidewalk. We will lovingly help and encourage them while they are bad at it, until they get the hang of it, and then can do it easily. When we operate out of this place of already being loved, we’re not identified by our success, and we can stop making so many excuses. 

Goals don’t have to be these big bad intimidations ready to judge you either as a success or a failure. They are beautiful beginnings of hope and opportunity. And the more times you start again because you have to, the more resilient you become. Let’s embrace fear and failure and decide that it doesn’t mean we can’t do it, it only means that we’re one of the humans and we’re learning to do something new. That’s something to be proud of! 

You can do this! You just have to decide to start.