New Year Goals When You’re Growing or Raising Humans

If you’re pregnant, recently given birth, or raising small children, the traditional “New Year, New You” narrative probably doesn’t fit your life right now.

Because let’s be honest: the people making grand resolutions in January aren’t carrying a baby, haven’t just given birth to one, and aren’t running four different schedules at once.

So let’s talk about what goals and time actually look like during this phase of life.

How Are You Really Doing Right Now?

Before we even think about the new year, let me ask: how are you handling the holidays? If you’re pregnant, are you managing the smells of all the food, the change in schedule, the social activities when you’re exhausted and just want to be in bed by 8pm?

If you have small kids, is the schedule completely out the window? Are you dealing with constipated toddlers from too much party food? Has naptime become completely unpredictable?

Let me tell you what happened in my house. One of my twins napped at 6pm. Two hours before bedtime. My daughter got constipated from lack of fruit and vegetables.

And on December 26th, I was completely depleted. I woke up at 6am. By 8am, I told my husband: I’m going to lie down. I woke up at 10:30am. And here’s what was different. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t ask “Is it ok for me to go lie down?” I didn’t say “Wake me up if you need me.” I didn’t come out later and thank everyone for letting me rest or apologise for not helping with the kids.

That small shift? That’s my version of evolution as a mother. But it didn’t happen overnight. It came from small steps, awareness from my yoga practice and coaching support.

And then there’s the FOMO. You scroll social media and see people travelling, wining and dining, gorgeous Christmas trees with perfect ornaments.

Meanwhile, I have to keep my tree minimal because my twin toddlers rip it all apart.

You’re Not Missing Out, You’re in a Different Season

Here’s something we don’t talk about enough: when you’re pregnant, postpartum, or raising small children, you live in a different reality. Your perception of time is different.

Most people measure time in weeks, months, years. January to December. Quarter 1, Quarter 2. But you? Time is measured in trimesters. Weeks of pregnancy. Months since birth. Wake windows and feeding schedules. Your year doesn’t run from January to December. It runs from conception to birth. From birth to first birthday. From one stage to the next. Your capacity is different too.

What you can achieve in a day, a month, a year is completely different.

Where the Goal-Setting Pressure Actually Comes From

Here’s what I’ve noticed: a lot of the loudest voices about New Year’s resolutions are men on social media. Men who don’t understand what our bodies and minds are going through. Men who aren’t waking up multiple times a night to feed a baby. Who aren’t navigating pregnancy exhaustion or postpartum recovery or the mental load of managing an entire household. Men who can sleep through the night. Who have uninterrupted time to work on their goals. Who have physical and mental capacity you simply don’t have right now. When they tell you to wake up at 5am or hit the gym six days a week or build a business while being an amazing parent, they’re speaking from a completely different reality. So when you see those posts and feel guilt or inadequacy, remember: those messages aren’t for you right now.

Know Where You Are Before You Move Forward

Yoga has taught me something important: before you can move forward, you need to know where you are. Think about a map. To get directions somewhere, the first question is always: Where are you now? There’s no point getting directions if you don’t know your starting point. So before thinking about 2026, you need to know where you are right now. Are you pregnant? How many weeks? How are you feeling? Are you postpartum? How’s your recovery? How’s your sleep? Are you raising small children? What stage are they in? What’s your capacity? This isn’t about judgment. It’s about awareness.

Look Back Before You Look Forward

Recently, I had to do my accounts for the year. My numbers weren’t what I hoped for, and I felt down. So I did something different. Instead of focusing on money, I looked at how many lives I’ve touched. I wrote down all the women I’ve worked with. Prenatal yoga. Postnatal yoga. Women I’ve helped with pregnancy discomfort, period pains, women who couldn’t relax until I showed them how. I taught hypnobirthing courses and helped women have positive births. One student didn’t believe she could do it without an epidural. She totally did. Looking at that list, I realized: this business isn’t about the dollars. It’s about helping mums find themselves and know what they’re capable of. So before making lists for next year, look back at what you’ve already done. If you’re pregnant, you’ve been growing a human while functioning in daily life. That’s extraordinary. If you’ve given birth, you’ve brought life into the world and survived sleep deprivation. That’s everything. If you’re raising small children, you’ve been holding it all together. That’s heroic.

My Word for 2026: Space

For 2026, I’m not setting traditional goals. I’m working with one word: space. More space in my day, my life, my work. I’m starting small. Creating space between activities. Coming home and taking 60 seconds to sit and breathe before starting dinner. Creating space between yoga poses instead of flowing directly from one to the next. Pausing between work tasks. Small moments of space that will add up to more ease, more presence.

What’s Your Word?

What might your word be? Rest? Patience? Trust? Ease? Connection? Play? You don’t have to figure it out by January 1st.

Just sit with the question: What do you need more of this year? Then create tiny moments of that throughout your days. If your word is rest, can you lie down for 5 minutes without asking permission or apologising? If your word is ease, can you let go of one thing that doesn’t actually matter? Small moments. Small shifts. That’s all you need. As we head into the new year, release the pressure.

You don’t have to have big goals or transform your life. You just have to take care of the human you’re growing or the humans you’re raising.

And take care of yourself. That’s enough. That’s more than enough.

Ready to find out what hypnobirthing can actually do for you?

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