Single Mom Goals: How to Set Them and Move Forward!

All single moms need to make plans for the future for themselves and their kids. Here are tips for creating (and reaching) your single mom goals!

There are many benefits to setting life goals.

If you have a goal and a purpose (plus a plan), you can get there!

All single moms need to have a solid plan for their lives, not only just for themselves, but also to help their children and set a good example for them.

I’ve been a single mom for 3 years and while it’s been tough at times, I can credit my success up to this point to the fact that I have set several (and achieved some) goals for myself.

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Do you want to have a successful life as a single mom?

Do you want to move forward in your career, with your finances, in your parenting, and toward a better future?

Then you need to set some short and long-term goals for yourself.

A coffee cup and saucer, a pair of glasses, and a pen are next to an open notebook. On the notebook, "My goals" is written in the center in a bubble with 6 arrows pointing to 6 different colored bubbles on the page.

What to Consider Before Setting Goals as a Single Mom

Before you start setting some single mom goals, you should ask yourself a few questions:

**1. Why Should you Set Single Mom Goals?**

People who set goals are one step closer to actually achieving them.

Goals help you stay focused and teach you self-discipline, which helps in all areas of your life.

(Write down your goals and keep them in a prominent place to stay motivated.)

2. In What Areas of Your Life Do You Need to Set Goals?

You might want to start by looking at these 6 main areas of life:

Spiritual
Physical (health)
Social (cultural, community)
Mental/Emotional
Family
Financial

How would you like to improve in each area?

What do you need to work on?

3. Why Are You Setting Goals?

Make sure you are setting goals for yourself and your own personal growth (and to help your kids) and not to impress anyone else or because your close friends are setting goals.

Do you want or need a goal in this area of your life?

If yes, then set one!

4. How Will You Stay Focused and Motivated?

It’s VERY easy to set a goal and stick with it for a while (like how everyone sets a weight loss or fitness goal in January and forgets it by March or April…).

Sticking with a goal through to the end is challenging!

Whether it’s a goal to lose weight or save money for a downpayment on a house or take some classes to further your career, you will need to stay focused on the final prize.

Write down your goals and evaluate your progress at the end of each day (or each month).

Don’t focus on your failures or how many times you slip up as you work toward the end.

Keep moving forward every day.

Keep getting up and don’t stop.

You can do it!

(Give yourself pep talks – I do all the time and they help!)

Are Your Goals Reasonable and Can You Accomplish Them in The Time Frame You Selected?

When setting goals, your short-term goals should be for about 1 year. Long-term goals can be for several years or more.

For short-term goals, focus on the upcoming year and make sure the goal can be attained in one year. (It might be impossible for you to save $100,000 in a year, but a $10,000 savings goal could work!)

Focusing on one year at at time helps you make goals that are:

Attainable
Small enough to make progress
Not so big as to be completely overwhelming

What if You Don’t Reach Your Goal?

As long as you are making progress, don’t stress about not reaching your goal.

Celebrate what you HAVE accomplished and practice gratitude for that.

At the end of the year, you might need to reevaluate your goal (and the reasons for it) and set a new one (or extend the length of this one).

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Goals for Single Moms

If you are a new single mom, you might just be trying to figure out your day to day life and feel overwhelmed when trying to look at the long-term. That’s ok!

Start by setting a few, small short-term goals and focusing on daily routines.

Then, just keep moving forward.

Short-Term Goals for Single Mothers

When I first became a single mom, here were some of my short term goals:

find a cheaper place to live (we had to move)
pay off debt (thankfully, I didn’t have too much so this was a short-term goal for me)
make a financial plan for myself and my kids
have a lawyer make a will

Some other short-term goals for single moms might be:

save money for a large purchase (or downpayment for a house)
build up an emergency fund
go on a vacation

Long-Term Goals for Single Mothers

Here are some of my long-term goals (I’m still working toward most of them):

Save for a downpayment on a house
Go to therapy (this can be a short-term or long-term goal depending on how much time you need)
Save for college for my kids
Save for retirement

Some other long-term goals might be:

Save for a longer or more expensive vacation
Buy a rental property

As a single mom, one of your main goals should be to get your finances in order (such as pay off all debt, build up an emergency fund, save for retirement).

Life as a single mom can be rough enough, you want to make sure you have enough money to pay your bills (and pay off your debt) and save up for emergencies and other purchases.

A woman's hands are raised straight above her head as she is facing the skyline of a city during sunrise.

Single Mom Goals for All Single Moms

Here are some things that all single mothers should consider when setting goals:

Financial Stability

Reviewing your finances should be one of your top priorities. You want to make sure that you are able to take care of yourself and your children.

Ideally you want to work toward being financially independent and surviving without any help (child support, government assistance, or otherwise), but if you are struggling right now and need extra assistance, then use it!

If you can be financially independent, you won’t have to worry about needing help and you can stand on your own.

Here are some tips for reaching financial stability:

1. Budget

Review your budget regularly.

Don’t have one? Start one today!

With a budget, you will know what money you have coming in and where it is going.

This is important to keep track of your spending and so you can save money for your future.

2. Earn More Money

If you are struggling financially or have a lot of debt to pay off, look for ways to earn more money.

How?

Here are some ideas:

ask for a raise
look for a better paying job
start a side hustle
have multiple income streams (main job, side hustle, etc.)

3. Save More Money

In addition to earning more money, find ways to save more money.

Spend less than you earn. Many adults don’t know how to do this! But this is the best way to save more money.
Start by paying yourself first each paycheck. You can set up an automatic withdrawal and have a portion of your paycheck go directly into your savings account.
Have a “no-spend” month – where you only purchase absolute necessities (food, etc.). Put the rest of your paycheck into savings.
Build up your emergency fund. If you don’t have one, start one now!

Some other recommended resources to help you get your finances in order:
Budget Planner
The Simple Path to Wealth (my all-time favorite financial book)
Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing

Self-Care

As a single mom, you might feel like you have to do it all yourself and don’t have time to spend on you.

However, it is very important for you to take time to care for yourself. If you don’t, then you’ll burn out and won’t have enough to give to your kids, work, or anyone else.

This includes:

physical health – take care of your physical health by eating healthy foods, drinking lots of water, and exercising, so you feel well and have energy.
rest – get enough sleep, decrease stress as best you can, plan regular trips and getaways (even just staycations or a short road trip can be rejuvenating).
emotional health – get therapy if you need it. make time to connect with others (family and friends). Say no (you don’t have to do it all).
doing something that makes you happy – If you don’t have one, find a small hobby and take time to do this a little every day. If you like to read, spend time 5 minutes before bed with a good book. Start a sewing project and work in small increments. Plant and take care of a little garden.
have time away from your kids – do grown-up activities that don’t involve kids

Connect with Others

Be sure to connect with your kids and also spend time connecting with your family, friends, and community.

Everyone needs support and friendship!

Find your community, get connected, and don’t be afraid to ask for help!

MeetUp is a great way to find local people to connect with.

Routines to Be Productive

Having routines and structure to your day can help you feel less overwhelmed and help the day run more smoothly.

Set a daily routine.
Use a calendar. I love this weekly one for the fridge. Or a yearly planner like the one from Erin Condren.
Meal Plan
Get organized (if you feel overwhelmed, start with one area of your like and go from there)
Involve your kids (even little kids can benefit from helping with daily chores – like tidying the room – they just need more prompting and help)

Prioritize but Be Flexible

Learn to prioritize the important things (like feeding your kids) and let go of the less important things (like keeping a super tidy home).

It is 100% ok for your kids to eat cereal for dinner or for your house to be messy at times (even lots of times).

Be prepared, since it’s good to have a plan, but also be flexible and know when to relax the plan.

Become a Better Mom

Your kids will learn more from who you are and what you do than from what you say.

So, one of my goals is to consistently work on becoming a better mom.

What does this mean?

For me, I want to:

be a good example for my kids – I know they are watching everything I do (how I react, what I do with my free time, my technology use, etc), so I am striving to take better care of myself and my health and develop good relationships and boundaries with others (and my phone!).
have open, honest conversations with my kids
work on being patient and listening to them carefully and respectfully
spend time with them regularly
teach them responsibility
teach them basic life skills
teach them about personal finance

Related: Money Books for Kids

Coffee in a mug is sitting on a napkin. Written on the napkin is "A goal without a plan is just a wish."

Can a Single Mom Be Successful?

Absolutely!

Let’s break the stereotypical idea that single moms are destined to be sad, poor, and needy!

Start with the 6 areas of life and find 1-2 goals you can put under each one.

Write those goals down (with actionable steps) and start working on them now!

Action Steps:

Write down your goals
Break them down into time frames
Have a deadline for each
Review regularly (maybe monthly or quarterly)?

It may feel easy to let the stereotype of single motherhood pull you down, but you don’t have to be a struggling, poor single mom!

You can make choices that help you get on your feet and make a good life for yourself and your kids.

Choices like: going back to school, paying off debt, preparing for your future, and saving money.

Make sure you also teach your children about personal finance and money management and goal setting.

Your kids can learn to set goals too!

Final Thoughts on Single Mom Goals

Everyone should make short and long-term goals for their lives, single moms especially.

Don’t wait for someone to rescue you from your life, start taking charge now and making your life successful by setting some concrete, realistic single mom goals.

What goals do you have right now? Which ones do you think are the most important? What goals are you going to set today?

Single Mom Goals: How to Set Them and Move Forward!

What to Consider Before Setting Goals as a Single Mom

**1. Why Should you Set Single Mom Goals?**