I was raised by a single mother. She was 21 when she rescued me, she worked low-wage jobs with limited English, and she reinvented herself three times. If you are starting over as a single mom right now, I wrote this for you, and I wrote it the way she lived it: one small step at a time.
Step 1: Get safe and steady first
Reinvention starts with safety. If you or your children are in danger, call 911. Then write down the three things that keep your home steady: a roof, food and one person you can call. Everything else can wait a week.
Step 2: See one, do one, teach one
In medicine, I learned skills this way. My mother learned hers this way too. She watched an ultrasound technician, practiced scans on me when I was a teenager, and became one. Pick one person doing the work you want. Watch them. Then try it. Then teach it to someone else.
Step 3: Write the plan down
A plan you can see is a plan you can follow. Write your goal, the first small step, and the obstacle most likely to stop you. Decide now what you will do when that obstacle shows up.
Step 4: Keep a win jar
Single mothers rarely celebrate. You should. Every time you finish something hard, write it on a slip of paper and drop it in a jar. On a bad night, read them. Celebration is fuel.
Step 5: Put your own health on the list
Mothers put themselves last. Please do not skip your own checkups. Mammograms are now recommended every two years from 40 for most women, and your doctor can tell you what else you are due for.
Start with my free reinvention plan and win jar. Nothing leaves your phone. And if your own mother could not believe in you, I wrote in my book that mine is now yours.
I speak on this to hospital boards, associations and conference stages. Book me to speak, or read more at https://www.HarveyCastroMD.com.