The Tiny Shift That Makes a Big Difference

You downloaded the printable. You bought the planner. You even color-coded the chore chart.

And yet… by Wednesday, it’s chaos again. You’re eating snacks out of the pantry at 3 p.m. while folding yesterday’s laundry and wondering how your to-do list exploded overnight.

If you’ve ever started a new routine with the best intentions, only to fall off within days — you’re not alone. And more importantly: you’re not broken. Your system is.

As a mom, your life isn’t predictable. It’s loud. It’s interrupted. It’s beautiful and exhausting all at once. And most routines out there just weren’t made for that.

The Real Reason Routines Fall Apart for Moms

Here’s the truth: most routines are built on motivation and wishful thinking. But when you’re running on five hours of sleep, motivation is the first thing to go.

What actually happens?

• You try to do too much, too fast

• You forget to factor in the real-life chaos of mom life

• You rely on willpower instead of design

• You start feeling behind, discouraged, and like you’ve failed — again

And then? You give up. Or you keep trying harder and burning out faster.

But here’s the good news:

You don’t need to overhaul your life to feel more in control.
You just need to start tiny.

The Tiny Habits Approach That Works (Even for Moms)

Tiny Habits is a method created by behavior scientist BJ Fogg at Stanford University, and it’s changed my entire approach to mom life.

Instead of trying to change everything at once, we focus on:

• Starting small (like 30 seconds small)

• Tying new habits to things you already do

• Feeling good every time you do it (yep, celebration matters!)

So instead of saying:

“I’m going to meditate for 15 minutes every morning,”

We start with:

“After I brush my teeth, I will take one deep breath.”

It sounds too simple to work, right? But that’s the point. Tiny habits grow. They build confidence. They create momentum. And most importantly, they actually stick — even in the middle of toddler meltdowns and teenage attitude.

My Own Tiny Habit Wins as a Mom

When I first started, one of my first habits was:

“After I turn off my alarm, I will say, ‘Today is a fresh start.’”

That single sentence shifted my energy.

From there, I built habits around:

• Getting dressed (even if it’s just leggings and mascara)

• Connecting with my kids during transitions

• Tidying without resentment

• Setting routines that don’t fall apart when life gets crazy