For a long time, if you’d asked me what I was most proud of, I would have told you about my work. I’d written two books and become an international bestselling author. I’d stood on stage in front of 5,000 people at a YouTube summit. I’d built an online community that reached people all over the world.

Of all those milestones, what stayed with me most were the messages. Someone would write to tell me that something I’d shared had made them feel less alone, or had given them a little reassurance when they needed it. I’ve always wanted to be a positive role model. And for me, that has meant being willing to share the things I’m learning as I go, including the lessons I only understood after getting something wrong. To hear that my work had made a difference in someone else’s life meant more to me than I knew how to say.

I’m proud of that work. I still have ideas I can’t wait to get started on. And somewhere in the everyday business of becoming Noah’s mum, my answer to that question; "What am I most proud of?" changed.

What I mean when I call motherhood my biggest achievement

It feels a little strange to use the word achievement for something I’m in the middle of learning how to do. Noah is his own little person. When I say motherhood is what I’m most proud of, I’m thinking about the privilege and the responsibility of being his mum. I get to care for him, help him make sense of the world and watch him discover what he loves.

Some days I notice that growth in something as small as stopping to pick a flower together on a walk. I get to see what caught Noah’s eye, and for a moment I’m moving at his pace. So much of motherhood has been like that for me. As he grows and discovers more of the world, I’m learning to pay attention differently and be as present with him as I can be.

That’s what I mean when I say I’m raising him alongside raising myself. I can feel myself becoming more patient, compassionate and understanding, both with Noah and with myself. There’s a kind of maturity that comes from being responsible for someone else day in and day out. His needs come first now, and what’s surprised me is how naturally my attention goes to him. Even when we’re apart, part of me is wondering how his day is going. Caring for him has made me more selfless, and it’s also made me gentler with myself. I’m growing into someone who can give us both a little more time and understanding as we figure things out together.

What matters most to me now

Before I became a mum, I could have told you that my family would always come first. I don’t think I could have explained how that would feel. There’s a relief I feel in my own body when Noah finally settles in my arms. Sometimes I only realise how much I needed to slow down when I sit with him long enough to notice that my shoulders have dropped, too. I knew I would love him. The depth of that connection is the part I couldn’t have imagined.

I still get a real sense of purpose from writing and creating. I love the feeling of having an idea and wanting to sit down and work on it straight away. I also know how much I want to be there for the little things that make up Noah’s childhood. I find myself thinking about what I want an ordinary Tuesday with my family to feel like, and making decisions about my work with that in mind. A few years ago, I would have started with the work and figured out what I could fit around it.

I still hope there are more books to write, more stories to share and more opportunities to inspire others through my work. That part of me hasn’t changed, and I don’t think it ever will. But motherhood has given me a different perspective on what it means to make a meaningful difference in someone’s life. For so long, I found purpose in knowing that my words had reached people around the world. Now, I find just as much, if not more, meaning in the quiet, everyday moments with one little person whose world I’m helping to shape.

And when I think about the kind of impact I hope to have on Noah’s life, it’s not about the big milestones or memorable experiences. It’s about the relationship we build along the way. I hope that as he grows, he always feels safe, loved, understood and accepted for exactly who he is. That he knows he can come to me with his biggest dreams, his happiest moments and even the things he’s most afraid to say out loud. I know that kind of connection and trust is built over years, through countless ordinary moments of showing up, listening and simply being there. And perhaps that’s what makes motherhood so meaningful to me. While I’m busy helping Noah grow into the person he’s becoming, he’s helping me grow into the person I’m becoming, too. And of all the things I hope to achieve in this lifetime, getting to be his mum will always be what I’m proudest of.