March Goals

I'm a big fan of Lara Casey's Powersheets! I have a set for home (which I'll share here), and I also use the same basic process at work (though simplified a bit). Each month on her blog, Lara does a review of her goals for the previous month and her new goals for the month ahead. As another tool to hold myself accountable for the dreams I hope to make into reality, I'm going to do the same thing and share my monthly goals with you.

In the Powersheets program, a person annually goes through a process to discern her main goals. Then, each month she fills out her blank "tending list" to create daily, weekly, and monthly goals that help her reach her main goals for the year.

All of the goals and lists can be adapted at any time! Nothing is set in stone.

The process also involves setting a theme word for the year. My word for 2018 is: FREE! (my theme Bible verse is John 8:32 - "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.")

My main 2018 goals: 

1. Daily awareness and celebration of my freedom with a foundation of daily morning meditation/reflection/writing time. 
2. Read 52 books. 
3. Cultivate playfulness, affection, thoughtfulness, kindness and spontaneity in our marriage. 
4. Honor my body and mind. 
5. Create with regularity and purpose - especially through writing, blogging, videos, and social media. 
6. Make intentional space for time with family and friends. 
7. Explore entrepreneurship with bold curiosity and confidence. 

When it comes to the big over-arching goals, a person can choose to have anywhere from 1 to 10 of them. They can be added, adapted, changed, or deleted over the course of the year. 

I also color-coded the sheet above so that each of my tending list goals relates directly to one of my main 7 goals for the year. It's a helpful way to connect daily, weekly, and monthly habits/behaviors with the larger hopes and dreams.  

My March tending list: 

Monthly goals: 

• Spiritual Direction: I've always wanted to commit to a regular practice of spiritual direction. I've gone a couple times over the last 10 years but never stuck with it. After interviewing my friend Linda for this column, I decided to Google and find a Spiritual Director! I meet with her in a couple weeks! Looking forward to it. 
• Life Coach: I'll share more about this along the way, but an amazing opportunity has landed in my lap! I am abundantly grateful. I'll be working with a life coach for the next 4-6 months. It's a vocational time of discernment for me, and I'm excited to see how this coaching process may help bring a sense of clarity to what I want for my life after the bishop's election in 2019 (our team is all co-terminus. When the bishop's term ends, our terms end as well). I love my job SO MUCH! But it will be up to the new bishop to discern her/his staff, so I need to be ready to explore whatever new possibilities the Spirit is cooking up. I am so excited for coaching and especially a chance to articulate some of my entrepreneurial goals aloud!
• Med City Beat Article: I love this online publication and am striving to produce a piece this month for Sean. 
• Fun in Iowa with Josh and Sweta: We're heading to Iowa for an overnight this month! So excited for time with brother and sister!
• Lead Boundaries Workshop with gratitude: This is more work-related but it's significant personally, too, because it's not something I've done before. All rostered ministers are required to take something called a boundaries workshop every 3 years. Last fall I went to Chicago to learn how to lead a training. In a couple weeks a colleague and I will get to empower the leaders of our synod to embrace the beauty of boundaries! I never imagined growing to love boundaries and talking about boundaries as much as I do! 
• Walk15 certification: I've wanted to complete my walk instructor training for about 19 months! Time to get 'er done! I may need to take a continuing education day to do it, but I WILL get it done in March or April! 
• Clarified voice & audience: I'm going to take a couple hours this month to implement some of the things I learned from "Louder than Words" by Todd Henry. They involve getting clear on my voice & also my intended audience. This relates primarily to writing/freelance work as well as future writing/speaking opportunities. 
• 1 Emoji adventure: Justin and I loved making these earlier in 2018 and hope to make another this month. 
• Quality time with Mom
• Quality time with Stolls
• Quality time via email/text with Dad

Weekly goals: 

• Date with hubby
• Long walk/dog park with Finn
• Gym (x2)
• Read a book
• Write column with intention
• Identify meditation resources & use them
• At least 1 hour per week for spacious relaxation

Daily goals: 

• Movement
• 60 oz of water & 3 meals
• Kiss hubby
• Read
• Write/reflect

Thanks for the opportunity to share my March goals with you! Looking forward to checking in on this each month to share progress and updates. 

Wellness and Stuff

New feature. "Wellness and stuff."

As 2016 begins, I am recommitted to many of my core values. One of those core values relates to the importance of treating my body with a lot of kindness - from the kinds of things I eat, to exercise, to the kinds of energy/information I let into my brain.

So - here on the bloggy - you can expect an increased number of posts on wellness and stuff.

The drug that I am injected with for the platelet situation - Nplate - is so strong that its effects...both when it's working and when it has worn off...probably supersede any differences I can make to my platelet count with lifestyle and diet.

BUT - nevertheless - I feel renewed in my commitment to keep trying as hard as I can anything. To get good sleep. To minimize stress and utilize stress-management techniques. To surround myself with conscious, collaborate relationships. To put really nutrient-dense food into my mouth and as much as it is possible, to avoid putting anything that isn't life-giving in my mouth.

I generally eat quite healthfully. But not always. And when I put crap into my body, I think to myself..."What difference does it really make?"

But nowadays, I'm thinking...wow...even small amounts of things DO make a difference. One tiny little pill (whether it's Tylenol, Benadryl, or any other daily medication) can do a lot! So even small amounts of what we put into our bodies MUST be related to how we feel and how our organs function. Whether it's medication or alcohol or food or sugar or caffeine or processed crap or pesticides. Everything we consume sends signals throughout our body from the moment it enters our mouths!

Any hematologist will tell you my condition, ITP, has nothing to do with diet or stress. Perhaps but I'm actually really beginning to question all that again. Intuitively, I feel like there MUST be some correlation. Even if there isn't, I think my ability to thrive in life - with or without ITP - is very related to diet and stress management and healing old wounds of all kinds. So I'm going to give it my best shot.

I've now worked my way through the initial phase of Lara Casey's "Make it Happen" Powersheets, Leonie Dawson's "Create Your Shining Life" workbook, and the introductory section of Sacred Ordinary Days. I ended up finding that these tools compliment each other well! My favorite is Leonie - but I truly value them all. And in just a few days of use, I'm finding the Sacred Ordinary Days resource to be a great motivation to spend time devotionally with the Bible...which I *cough* hadn't been doing much of for the last year.

I'll share more about the discerned goals in the coming weeks.

For now, I'll share this....my word of the year is CONSISTENT.

I am a person with plenty of good ideas for lifestyle changes and habits and future plans. But, I am a person who struggles with being CONSISTENT in my routines...especially during times of increased stress.

So that's the word for this year.

CONSISTENT!

I'd love to hear your 2016 theme word. Comment below if you'd like. I'd love to increase the back-and-forth interactiveness of the blog in the year ahead. I miss ya'll. I was mega inconsistent in blogging for most of 2015. But...now...with my new "theme word" - I'll hopefully be writing and sharing again on the regular.

Your turn. What's your theme word for this year?