As I sit here with my growing baby belly competing with my leggings for space, I’m caught reflecting on the incredible mental shift that has occurred with this pregnancy.

I remember that five months ago, having a belly hanging over my leggings would have sent me into a very different mental space. Five months ago, while I had goals related to staying fertile and healthy, I also maintained my existing goal of being lean and powerful. Five months ago, I looked toward the future with a lot anxiety surrounding the idea of starting a family.

Pregnancy changes everything. I felt that the moment I saw “pregnant” on the test.

Do I still have days where I miss my smaller belly? Yes. Do I miss the rush of lifting heavy and putting in full effort during workouts? Yes. Is it more complicated to consider the future of my business in light of impending motherhood? Yes.

These days, my goals have had to shift to include my new reality. Here are a few examples of how my approach to goal-making has changed.

Fitness:

I now look at my body with a lot more understanding and respect. Fitness, movement, working out, training, etc. has now become more about taking care of my body rather than changing it. I want to be strong and resilient for labor, birth, recovery, and motherhood. I don’t often concern myself with the aesthetic effects of my training anymore. Sure, just like any woman, I want to look good, but the need to control and drive that result seems  less important. I am more dedicated to keeping my body strong and vital for my baby and my own recovery from this physically demanding part of life. That’s the kind of goal that will always serve my body well.

Nutrition:

Similar to fitness, I am much less concerned about the AMOUNT of food I am eating and much more tuned into what my body is wanting vs. not wanting. When I’m full, I’m full and there’s no need to eat more. If I’m hungry at 9 pm before I get into bed then I’ll have a banana, a sausage, or a hard-boiled egg. There aren’t “rules” anymore like ” carbs are better at night” or ” carbs are better in the morning” or ” don’t eat before bed” or ” that’s too much butter on my toast”. I eat what I want within reason. Like pre-pregnancy, I am still a nutrient-seeker, but I hold so much less judgement for my choices now that I realize I can trust myself to be consistent in making healthy choices for this body and my baby.

Business:

I’ve never been particularly financially driven to succeed in business, but I do love to be busy and productive. I’m extremely task-oriented and enjoy a good project. I especially love that my chosen profession helps people practically and physically. During this time, I’m also realizing how blessed I am to be self-employed with the flexibility to work around my pregnancy, to not have to report to a boss, or navigate the corporate protocol for taking maternity leave. That being said, I’m also the only one in charge of my business’ success which adds a certain layer of pressure and responsibility. I am so fortunate to be able to contribute to my family’s financial future and with this pregnancy, I am forced to rethink how my role will change in the coming months and years.

As the years go on, all these goals will change. I think the trick is to stay flexible and always stand in a position of gratitude for what is happening right now. I would never get the chance to think about my body or my role in business in these particular ways if I were not blessed with the opportunity to carry a child.

To sum up, I would say that my goals are to take care of myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually, to enjoy the time I have with friends and family during this expectant season, and to innovate and create new ideas around the roles of mother and business owner.