What Homeschool Moms Should Know About Personal Development

Inside: Steps to make personal development a priority + free SWOT worksheet and Homeschool Wellness Planner.

She spent the money on silk stockings.

I still remember my junior high outrage at Mrs. Sommers choosing to spend her windfall on herself instead of her children. What a selfish mom, I thought.

It wasn’t until I was a mom myself, that I truly understood her actions weren’t selfish, but necessary.

As homeschool moms, we spend much of our time devoted to helping our children set and achieve goals. We spend hours agonizing over their personal development, and yet, we give no thought to our own.

Personal development or self-improvement, however, you want to market it, should be on the top of every homeschool mom’s list. And yet, many of us still feel guilty for spending focused time on ourselves instead of our family.

But the truth is, we will be much happier and more confident in our ability to homeschool our children if we include our own self-improvement as part of our homeschool day.

And spoiler alert–your personal development doesn’t have to be related to homeschooling!

You are Worth Developing

I remember a friend telling me about her sister, who found herself an empty nester and suddenly had nothing to talk about or purpose in life now that her kids were grown. She had been so preoccupied with her children, that she neglected to spend any time honing her own person. She simply didn’t know who she was without a child to care for.

My family is the most important thing to me. But I know I am more useful to them and happier to be around when I cull out time for my own personal development.

When I go out on dates or spend time with friends, I want to be able to talk about more than my children.

I matter as a person and so do you, my dear homeschool mama. You are worth spending time and effort on.

Clarify Your Vision

Envision what you want the future to look like as you plan your personal development. You can think small (the immediate future) or big (decades from now). The most important part is that you spend some intentional time thinking about your own self-improvement. It’s hard to set goals when we don’t know what outcome we’re shooting for.

Ask yourself this question–what would my life look like if all my dreams come true? Then work on filling in the missing elements to set goals for your personal development.

For example, if your goal is to be fit and healthy, but you eat out every day and never exercise, you won’t accomplish your goal. So you need to ask yourself if it’s a goal you are actually prepared to put the effort into achieving. If it isn’t, then maybe choose a different direction.

Use a SWOT Analysis to Identify & Enhance Your Strengths

Many times when we think about self-improvement, our minds turn to our weaknesses. But for this, I want you to focus on your strengths. You can outsource, automate, delegate, or learn anything you want to learn. However, focusing on your interests and what you’re naturally good at and like to do is far more efficient.

To help you do this, complete a personal SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. A SWOT Analysis is most commonly used in businesses but can be helpful in a personal development plan to identify your strengths and potential pitfalls.

By focusing on your strengths, you’ll be more likely to succeed. Not to mention you get that endorphin high from being able to make those wins and progress. And by identifying your weaknesses and potential threats, you can come up with a plan to overcome them.

Grab your free SWOT Analysis worksheet to help you with your personal development.

Know Your Purpose

The person without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.

Thomas Carlyle

As you begin to set goals for your personal development and think about why those goals matter, the process will lead you to discover your purpose. The why behind what you are trying to achieve. It is normal for your purpose to change as you learn and grow. In fact, it may differ at different stages of your life. The key is to understand what your driving force is.

Knowing your purpose will help you keep taking those steps toward your goal.

Make Mental Health a Part of Your Self-Improvement

Mental health is so very important to be able to improve. When we have a positive attitude and growth mindset, we set ourselves up for success. Anxiety and depression can make us feel helpless, weak, and defeated.

Learn ways to improve your mental health. Whether it’s seeking the help of a professional or learning coping skills for a bad day. Prioritize your mental wellbeing as part of your self-improvement.

My Homeschool Wellness Planner can help you keep track of your mental wellbeing.

Making Personal Development a Priority Sets a Good Example

One of my goals for my children is to nurture in them a desire to be lifelong learners. I want to cultivate in them a joy of learning. What better way to do this than by example.

By taking time for my own personal development, I’m showing them what it means to be a lifelong learner. I’m showing them how to consistently be honing and growing their talents.

You’ve probably heard people say that if you want your children to love reading, it’s important they see you reading books.

Well, if we want our children to work on self-improvement, then shouldn’t we model that behavior?

Take some time this week to think about your own personal development, then make a plan to move forward and be that positive example for your kids.

Because it’s okay to buy yourself the silk stalkings.