Redefining Success: A Mom’s Perspective on Habits, Hustle, and Fulfillment

What does it really mean to be successful?

As moms, especially those building a business or working toward passive income, “success” can feel like a moving target. One day it’s having a calm morning without any toddler tantrums. The next, it’s figuring out Pinterest SEO or finally launching that digital product. And sometimes, it's just having five minutes to drink a hot cup of coffee (is this even possible these days?).

Success is deeply personal. For some, it's financial freedom. For others, it’s peace of mind or being fully present with their children. There’s no universal metric. And that’s the true beauty of it. You get to define what success looks like for you.

The dictionary defines success as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” That might sound lofty, but let’s bring it closer to home: if your goal was to get the kids out the door this morning—and you managed it (even if it took a fruit snack bribe and a lot of deep breathing)—you were successful.

We tend to wait for big, dramatic moments to validate our progress. But real success is built on the small, consistent wins we often overlook. Every diaper change, every blog post published, every time you resist quitting, that's success in action.

As James Clear shares in Atomic Habits, tiny changes compound. Even a 0.01% improvement, done daily, creates extraordinary momentum over time. Think about a habit as simple as flossing. One day doesn’t make a difference—but over months, it transforms your dental health. The same applies to life, business, and motherhood. The seemingly small choices you make today, choosing to work on your business for 10 minutes, stacking a habit onto your morning routine, staying patient with your kids. All of it adds up to a life of intentional, meaningful success.

One of the most powerful concepts from Atomic Habits is habit stacking—linking a new behavior to an existing one.

• Want to journal but never find the time? Stack it after your morning coffee.

• Need to post to Pinterest for your business? Stack it before your daily scroll.

Instead of trying to overhaul your entire life at once (which, let’s be honest, never works for moms), you create sustainable rhythms that work with your lifestyle. Passive income isn’t built in a day. It’s built in pockets of time, fueled by consistency and intention.

Money is often seen as the ultimate marker of success, but is it really?

Success doesn’t automatically mean wealth, and wealth doesn’t automatically mean peace. As moms, we can fall into the trap of thinking we need to make a certain amount to “arrive.” But what if success was about alignment, not income? The funny thing, is you hear all the time once people hit that dollar amount they are usually met with a feeling of "now what?"

Money is simply a tool—a currency we trade for time, freedom, or support. You get to assign the value to it. $20 might be your coffee budget for the week, lunch out, or the cost of launching an Etsy template. It all depends on what matters to you in that moment.

Passive income is often the goal, not for the money alone, but for the freedom it brings. Being fully present at school plays, never missing bedtime, and breathing easier knowing your bills are covered on autopay. This is also why I am so passionate about Pinterest, it can create the foundation for passive income. You can read more about it in Buyers not Browsers: How to use Pinterest to Attract Customers Ready to Purchase.

When we see someone else “making it,” we’re often witnessing the result of years of work, late nights, trial and error—and yes, breakdowns in the pantry while hiding from the kids.

You don’t see their setbacks, their doubts, or the mornings they almost quit. But trust me, they’ve been there. We all have.

One of my favorite entrepreneurs recently shared how hard things have been for her. I was shocked, to me her brand screams success! But it was a reminder: everyone struggles, even the people we admire most.

Success isn’t linear. It’s messy, uncertain, and deeply personal.

If you’re like me, setting goals can sometimes trigger guilt. When I don’t meet them, I spiral into feeling like I failed. For a long time, I avoided goal setting altogether. I remember meeting with my college mentor, and telling her lets not call them goals because I don't believe in goals. She had a really hard time accepting that way of thinking, but it was where I was at in the journey now I have a much healthier take with intention setting and taking inspired action towards what I want.

I see it differently now, it’s not about the lofty end point. It’s about tracking the process—the checklist, the small tasks, the morning routines. Success hides in the showing up and taking messy action, not just the “done.”

So if you:

• Sent an email to your list

• Scheduled Pinterest pins

• Showed up for your kids

• Or just made it through the day...

Congratulations! You’ve already succeeded today.

Take a few moments to journal, asking yourself deeper questions:

• What does success look like for me?

• How do I want to feel?

• What legacy do I want to leave for my children?

Maybe for you, success is:

• A healthy, joy-filled home

• The ability to pay bills without stress

• Creating content that inspires other moms

• Leaving behind something your kids can build on

Whatever it is, let it be yours 100% not society’s, not Instagram’s, not your mom’s but yours.

As James Clear puts it: “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become.” So stack your habits, take your tiny 0.01% actions, and give yourself credit.

Because you’re already more successful than you think.