August: Goals with Grace
When I think about many of the women who inspire me most in motherhood and business, they seem to have something in common: they utilize utilize Lara Casey's PowerSheets to set intentional goals and cultivate a life of purpose. When the PowerSheets went on sale, I decided it was time to take the plunge. Why wait for January to roll around to do some soul searching and set some meaningful goals? There are 5 months left of 2016 and I plan on making the most of them.
You might associate goal setting with strict self discipline or "hustling". What I find so refreshing about Lara's process is that she encourages you to focus on progress, not perfection. I love what she has to say about goal setting:
"Traditional goal setting doesn't work for me. Goals can be overwhelming if they aren't connected to what matters. They can make life busier. I don't want a new to do list for my life; I want a clear, meaningful path. I want to know I'm living with intention & purpose instead of living by accident. Powerful goals - meaningful goals - simplify life and help you take action. The PowerSheets were designed to help you cultivate what matters most, little by little, with some big leaps along the way."
I've been feeling convicted lately about my responsibility to build the life God has called me to. I'm seeing how the big picture is actually made up of thousands of tiny little decisions made in the day-to-day. Many of the biggest frustrations in my life could be avoided or minimized by better planning, discipline or a simple decision. I have a great life. But I think that God has an INCREDIBLE life for me if I just say YES to him and SURRENDER. I have also realized that I am very bad at resting. I want to learn how to incorporate rest into my daily and weekly rhythms. I know that my family, my creativity and my work would greatly benefit from me CHOOSING to rest.
So with these things in mind, I set out to make goals for the rest of this year and for each month specifically. I love that Lara encourages you to think about the "why" behind each of your goals and about the positive effect taking action on them may have on your life and others. Then she challenges you to break down those goals into small, specific, realistic, physical ideas for taking action.
So without further ado, I'd like to share some of my goals for the month. August, let's do this!
- Promote and prepare to teach the Mastering Manual course on September 10th. Can't wait to teach a new set of attendees how to use their fancy cameras!
- Take back-to-school photos for my kids - I can't believe David will be going to preschool for the first time!
- Clean out linen closet - I know this sounds silly but it's a hot mess and clutter in my home steals my joy.
- DATE NIGHT - not even sure what we are doing yet but it's on the calendar! Jon has put a request in for me to wear this dress. Swapping babysitting with a friend so it doesn't break the bank. It will be our busiest month of the year yet with work and I know that we will need some down time more than ever.
- Read a book for pleasure. I finished the BEST book on August 1st. Does that count? If you haven't read it yet, I highly suggest Unbroken. I'm not even really a history person but it fascinated me to learn more about World War II through the eyes of Louis Zamperini, an olympic runner.
- Host another lemonade stand with the kids. I want to relish these last summer days! We are having too much fun with the stand Jon built out of scrap wood.
- Plan a fun activity as a family. Really wanted this to be Panthers Fan Fest but couldn't get tickets. Womp Womp. Open for suggestions here!
- Organize and make a folder of 2015 personal photos to put in an album. A baby step to the big goal of creating annual family photo albums. I'm a photographer for crying out loud but all my photos are stuck on hard drives!
- Serve my clients with passion, dedication and joy!
- Make someone a meal. Several people on my mind lately who could use a home cooked meal.
- Pray about adoption.
You might notice that many of my goals are more personal and less business-related. I think this is because I tend to fill my days with work and chores, losing sight of the big picture. These are the goals I need accountability with!
What are your goals for the month of August?
Is there anything cuter than watching a young boy polish off his plate of blueberry waffles?
