The Journey of Becoming That Mom
I’ve been watching the “That girl” /“That mom” trend on TikTok for years — the concept of becoming the best version of yourself in all areas of life : waking up early, working out, eating healthy, and taking care of your mental health.. But with work stress and even a lack of discipline, I was never able to fully adopt that lifestyle.
And now, after becoming a mom, I’ve discovered the “That mom” trend — and I truly feel inspired and motivated to bring it into my life. It’s been over a year since I became a stay-at-home mom, and I deeply feel the need for change.
I really need the satisfaction of feeling like I’m in control of my life, and that I’m taking care of myself the same way I take care of my family. I’ve finally understood that I need to make time for myself first, so I can give the best of myself to others.
It’s time to take my life into my own hands and become the woman — and the mom — I’ve always wanted to be.
After I made that decision, I wanted to know where to start. I waited for my son’s nap to sit down and make a plan. I looked around — my house was a complete mess, I had 15 extra kilos, and it had been 18 months since I stopped going to the gym.
That’s when I realized how hard the first year of motherhood had been for me. I had completely sacrificed that year to my son — and somehow, that realization gave me even more motivation to pick up a planner and start thinking about the next step.
So I decided to ask myself three key questions: Where am I right now?Where do I want to go?How can I get there?
1- Where am I right now in relation to That mom
Right now, I’m in a messy, chaotic home — dishes piled up on the stove, dirty laundry everywhere, and I didn’t even vacuum today. My body doesn’t feel like mine anymore — I’ve gained over 15 kilos, I get out of breath just from walking too much, and I haven’t exercised in 18 months.
Most of my meals are frozen or takeout, and let’s not even talk about sleep — I can’t even remember the last time I had a full night’s rest.
I’ve become addicted to my phone, constantly scrolling through social media, and I procrastinate on so many tasks and projects that I really want to start.
So, I’m definitely not that mom yet.
2- Where do I want to go
2-1 I want to have an organized home
That mom keeps her house clean but I don’t want perfect cleaning, because I know with a one-year-old that’s impossible — but at least the basics. Just 70% would be enough. I want a space where I can sit, drink my tea, read, write, or work without seeing the chaos in front of me
2-2 I want to start exercising again,
Not to look a certain way, but to take care of my body — because I’ve realized that my body is going to carry me through the rest of my life, and I need to take care of it now.
2-3 I want to eat healthy
That mom always eats healthy so stop relying on takeout and frozen meals, and start cooking more at home.
2-4 I also want to reduce my time on social media
It drains so much of my time and energy. And honestly, in a world where everyone is trying to show a picture-perfect life, spending hours watching that just makes me feel like I’m not good enough — like I can’t manage my life or my home the way others do.
And finally, I want to make time to work. Life is expensive and unpredictable, and having an extra source of income would make me feel more comfort
3- How Can I Get There — and Become That Mom
3-1 Wake up early
To reach my goals, the first thing I need to do is wake up early. My son usually wakes up around 6:30 AM, so I’m going to start by waking up at 5:30 AM, with the ultimate goal of getting up at 5:00 AM.
During that hour, I’ll do 30 minutes of exercise. Then I’ll take a shower and do my skincare routine.
Depending on the time left, I’ll either read a few pages of my book or start preparing breakfast. Because after I change my son’s diaper, he immediately looks for his milk, and if he can’t find it, he starts crying. I want to start our mornings as calm as possible.
3-2 Clean house :
Another important step is creating a cleaning schedule — both daily and weekly. A clean home means a clear mind, and it really helps reduce my mental load. Otherwise, I find myself constantly thinking, “I should start… I need to clean…” every single minute.
So I wrote down all the daily tasks I need to do — like washing the dishes, vacuuming, cooking — and also the weekly chores like changing the bed sheets, dusting, and cleaning the fridge.
I actually started this two weeks ago, and so far, it’s been working really well.
3-3 Cooking
When it comes to food, I’m going to start planning our weekly meals in advance. The day after I plan, I’ll go grocery shopping. Then on Sundays, when my partner is home, I’ll prepare everything — wash and cut the vegetables, cook a few meals that can last for up to three days, and prepare healthy snacks for both of us and for my son.
3-4 Workout
I’m committing to 30 minutes every morning non-negotiable. I’ll also go for walks during the day since the weather is nice right now. Once winter comes, I’ll make a plan to go to the gym three times a week.
3-5 Reducing my time on social media
Is something I seriously need to take control of. It’s crazy how much it steals my time, energy, mood — even my thoughts!
Sometimes I catch myself thinking about a random influencer’s video and wondering what happened next in their story. But why? I don’t even know them. Meanwhile, I have so many things in my own life that need my attention.
So I’ve made the decision not to use my phone at all until noon. Depending on how well I stick to that, I’ll allow myself 30 minutes of scrolling later in the day — but only if I’ve earned it.
That mom controls her needs and doesn’t let her wants control her.
I’m starting this new chapter to become That mom, the woman I’ve always wanted to be and take back control of my life. I don’t want to be perfect — I just want to do the things that make me feel alive, the things that matter to me.
I want to live my life, not just sit and watch other people live theirs.
I’ll share an update in a month, and if you feel like talking or starting this journey with me, send me a message on Instagram or Facebook — let’s motivate each other.
SEE ALSO : What about the mom who feels lost at the end of maternity leave?
