Mom life & my 5 Keys to Adaptation
Adapting is my trademark, and definitely a passion area – in and out of the water. If you’ve spent any time on this blog, or heard me speak, you know how strongly I feel about the need to adapt in life.
There has been a lot of adapting in our household since little Micah came along. Hard to believe he is 5 months old now! Motherhood requires adapting all day long! A little bit about Mom life with one arm… Since this is our third son, the tricks and adaptations are getting better with each child. When babies are really young the workload and the joy are uniquely high…they have wobbly heads, and of course need constant attention, nursing, diaper changes, tummy soothing, lots of sleep and LOTS of smiles, kisses and affection.
In the early months with Micah (and beyond) I use my feet to help with diaper changing, lots of pillows with nursing, a baby carrier all throughout the day and tricky styles of holding to keep baby’s head up. Our babies usually don’t wear much clothing since it’s so hot out here, so dressing him is less of a concern 🙂
Sometimes it can get frustrating but I just gotta keep moving forward, have lil’ breaks and keep it positive! Plus I remember that I’ve done it before. As a family we make it work and we are loving our lil’ Micah and looking forward to more life with him!
In a recent conversation on Jennifer Allwood’s Podcast, I shared what I think are 5 keys to adapting. These could be applied to motherhood, surfing… anything really! You can check out a 5 minute audio clip from the podcast for my full answer.
Here is my blueprint for adaptation
(with a link to a previous blog posts where I go more in depth on each one). It spells A.D.A.P.T. so it’s easy to remember!
- Appreciation. Gratitude is key to adapting. Don’t dwell on the past, or how you wish things would have gone. Be present and grateful for where you are and what you have! A Grateful Mindset Will Have a Domino Effect
- Direction. Goals, a sense of direction, and working toward something positive keeps us from negative spirals. Look for the needs around you and you will take your eyes off of yourself and find that you are already adapting. Meet Marie Forleo – Let’s Talk Goals
- Associations. Your relationships and your community help you on the adaptation journey. Find people who lift you up and encourage you. Made For Wonderful Things
- Perseverance. Determination and resilience is necessary for adaptation – it doesn’t happen all at once. Stick with it and do the hard work. Resilient
- Teachable. We all need help learning to adapt. Find a teacher or mentor who can guide you and show you a new way to do something or how to make lasting positive changes. Be Coachable
Cheering on all you mamas and people out there grinding, loving and doing your best! Whether it is motherhood, or any other part of life, learning to embrace adaptation is crucial to being Unstoppable…and it can be fun!
For more posts on how I’ve adapted check out: Embracing Change…Welcome to Innovation.
Or build your adaptation skill set with one of my Unstoppable Life courses: Overcoming Obstacles with Nick Vujicic; and Train Your Mind with Gabby Reece and Laird Hamilton.
