How to Set Goals as a Single Mom and Actually Achieve Them

Look, I get it. When you’re a single mom juggling bills, depression, and kids with zero family support, the idea of “setting goals” can feel like a joke. Trust me – as an LPN working night shifts I don’t love just to make ends meet, while raising two teenagers entirely on my own, I know exactly how overwhelming it can feel.

But here’s the thing: I’ve learned that without some kind of plan, we just keep treading water. And I’m tired of treading water. So I’ve been testing different goal-setting methods that actually work for real single mom life – not the perfect Instagram version. Let me share what’s working for me. In this post, I will cover key frameworks like The 12 Week Year and the Wheel of Life to help set goals that are achievable, actionable, and realistic.

First Things First: The Wheel of Life (But Make It Real)

You might have heard of the Wheel of Life – it’s this tool where you rate different areas of your life from 1-10. By evaluating each area, you can pinpoint where to focus your goals. But let’s be honest about what these categories really look like for single moms:

• Health (including mental health and those days when depression hits hard)
• Money (dealing with debt, bills, and trying to build savings)
• Career (balancing better pay vs. job satisfaction, like my switch from assisted living to skilled nursing)
• Relationships (with our kids, and maybe attempting to have a social life?)
• Personal Growth (when we can find the energy)
• Home Environment (keeping it all together without help)

Which areas feel the most out of balance for you? Which would make the biggest impact on your life if you improved them? These are the areas you need to focus on.

Create a vision Board

Once you’ve identified the areas of your life you want to improve using the Wheel of Life, it’s time to visualize your dreams. A vision board is a powerful tool that helps you stay focused on your goals by turning them into tangible, inspiring images.

To create your vision board, gather magazines, print out pictures, or draw visuals that represent the goals you want to achieve—whether it’s financial stability, better mental health, or personal growth. Arrange them on a poster board or a digital canvas.

Place the vision board somewhere you’ll see every day. Taking a moment each morning to look at your vision board keeps your dreams top of mind and motivates you to take action, one step at a time.

I have made a vision board every year for the past 4 or 5 years. Except last year (2024). And let me say that last year was a very bad year for me. I always had fun making them the old fashion way, cutting things out of magazines. But I stopped getting the magazines, which is why I did not make one last year. Well now I have discovered that you can make one online and have it printed!!

I created mine on Canva and had Walmart print a “poster” of the image for like $13. I also printed it out on my computer and use it as a book mark. Here is what my Vision Board looks like!

The 12 Week Year: Because a Year Is Too Long to Wait

Let’s be real – as single moms, we can barely plan next week, let alone next year. That’s why I love the 12 Week Year concept. Instead of setting huge yearly goals, you focus on just 12 weeks at a time, giving you a clear, actionable time frame to focus your energy.

Step 1- Set one to three major goals for the next 12 weeks

Remember the ratings from the Wheel of Life? Set a goal for the area or areas with the lowest score. For example, in this 12-week cycle, you might decide to focus on financial wellness and mental health, as they will have the most significant impact on your well-being. Example: If financial stability is a priority, a goal might be: ‘Save $500 in the next 12 weeks’.

Here’s an example of my current 12-week goals:

• Start a savings account and start building an emergency fund. Open a High-Yield Savings account and start putting $10 a week into it. (I can’t guarantee that I can save $500 right now while trying to pay down debt. But I can do $10 a week for now)
• Set up one steady side hustle (this blog!)
• Pay off my smallest credit card of $700

Notice I’m not trying to change everything at once. I’ve learned the hard way that trying to overhaul your entire life while parenting alone is a recipe for burnout. So I chose to pick 3 goals based on my finances, since that is what I am struggling with the most.

Step 2- Making It Actually Happen (Take Action)

Figure out what you actually need to do to achieve these goals and then create an Action Plan. Break each goal down into weekly and daily tasks. For each goal, list the actionable steps you’ll take each week.

Example: “Goal: Save $500 – Action steps might include reducing unnecessary expenses, creating a budget, opening up a savings account, and setting up an automatic transfer to savings, etc.” So for this example, in Week one: Review spending habits and create a budget. Week 2: Set up a savings account.

Another tip: Time Blocking!! This has helped tremendously with planning my week. This may not help with financial goals, but if you have a goal to get a side hustle up and running, this helps a lot!

Step 3- Stay Accountable and Track Progress with Weekly Check-ins

Accountability: Staying accountable is key to achieving goals. Find an accountability partner or group. Find a fellow single mom who’s also working on her goals. Check-in weekly to share your progress and motivate each other. If you don’t have one, that is okay. Post here in the comments, we can help each other. Or you could make some new friends. Find an accountability partner online. That is what I did.

Weekly Reviews: This is one of the most important steps for me. Every week I review my goals, identify what went well, and adjust my action steps for the upcoming week. Then I create my schedule for the next week using time blocks.

Step 4: Be Flexible, Patient, and Compassionate with Yourself

Life as a single mom can be unpredictable, and setbacks will happen. If your toddler is sick and you miss a week of progress, don’t be hard on yourself. Just reassess and keep moving forward. Even small wins count! If you save $100 instead of $500 this month, celebrate the progress you’ve made. Remember that “small progress is better than no progress”. I’m not sure who came up with that quote, but I love it.

Additional tips to consider when things fall apart (Because Sometimes They Will)

Let’s talk about reality: Sometimes your kid will have a crisis right when you’re trying to work on your goals. Sometimes depression will knock you down for days. Sometimes an unexpected bill will derail your savings plan.

What I’m learning is that this doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re human. And being a single mom is really, really hard.

So I plan for the bad days. I build in buffer time and backup plans. I’m also learning to forgive myself if I have a bad day. Instead of beating myself up, I let myself have a “bad day”. After getting some rest, I get back on the horse and try again.

Also remember to use what you have. No fancy apps or expensive planners needed. I use my phone’s notes app and a simple calendar or notebook. Whatever I happen to have. What matters is consistency, not tools.

Here’s what I want you to take away from this:

• You can set goals even while struggling
• Small progress counts
• It’s okay if your path isn’t perfect
• You don’t need anyone’s permission to dream bigger

Start with just one goal for the next 12 weeks. Something small but meaningful. Share it in the comments below, and let’s support each other. Because even though we’re doing this alone, we don’t have to be lonely.

What’s your one goal for the next 12 weeks? Tell me below, and let’s check in with each other as we go.

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If you are interested in the book The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, I highly recommend it. This Book helped me break down my goals into actionable steps. I would not have been able to get this blog up and running if it weren’t for this book. If you want a copy for yourself, check out the link below.

• 50 Self-Care Activities to Prioritize Your Mental Health and Well-Being
• The Healing Power of Expression: How Writing Helped Me Through Depression
• The Night I Ignored My Intuition—and Lost My Job
• How to Spend Your Tax Refund Wisely (Real Advice for Single Moms)
• Building an Emergency Fund: A Realistic Step-by-Step Guide for Single Parents with Low Income