Mar 28, 2018

March Progress + April PowerSheets Goals

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Lara Casey blog - april powersheets goals28

Do you know what it feels like to rely on your own strength?

Yep. It’s fleeting.
Frustrating.
Exhausting even.

I stood on this beach last week and my thoughts felt tangled as I tried to fix everything on my own. Worries. Fears. A mess of various thoughts.

Then Ari asked the kids, “Do you know who made this ocean?”

It was simple and it was powerful.

If God made this vast beautiful teeming-with-life body of water, surely my small challenges were easy. Light. A delight for Him to help me with, just as I delight in helping these three.

Something I’ve been chewing on lately: how these three fully rely on Ari and me. For direction, for food, for comfort, for safety, for love. And how often I fail to rely on my Father who gives me 1000x as much.

Taking care of my tangled thoughts and fears and worries was already done before I even asked.

Before my kids ask, I know they need food. Before they rub their eyes, I know they need rest. And before I put my feet in this sand, He knew I would need the simple reminder that God is big and I can LET GO.

These three had fun together on vacation last week!

Lord, in this new month of April, help me to rely on Your voice over the world. Your strength over mine. Your power over my total inability to calm my inner storms on my own. Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you for loving us right where we are. And thank you for never giving up on us, even when we are a teeny weeny bit stubborn!

A look back at my March goal progress (read March’s goal post here!):

Monthy Goals:
— Pray + Praise! These two things keep me on track for the rest of life! I marked this as my top priority for March with one of my favorite Goal Setting Sticker Book stickers. — Yes! There was a lot of both that happened.
— Gardening 101 series + garden prep. I am waiting till the recommended time (after April 15th here in Chapel Hill) to plant the garden, but there’s a lot to prep in March—clearing out old plants, cleaning pots, and it’s time to replace the garden beds themselves. I discovered several critter colonies and most of them are falling apart now after the winter. I resisted replacing them before (as you know if you’ve read Cultivate), but they are not functional in places now. So, new cedar beds are in our future. — Yes! The garden has been cleared out, the Gardening 101 series has been a huge success (the giveaway ends Monday!), and new cedar garden beds from Gardener’s are waiting for me on my front steps. I can’t wait to dig in!
— Prayer journal date. — Yes!

Photo above by Gina!

— Celebrate 12 years of marriage! Our anniversary always falls on the weekend that the Making Things Happen Conference kicks off, so we’ll be celebrating with lots of friends at dinner that night.  — Well, the best friends in the world surprised us big time! Cards, balloons, a gorgeous bouquet from Rhi (!), and best of all, prayers for our next twelve years together. I love you all so much! What a blessing this was!

If you need encouragement in your marriage, download my free marriage guide that includes links to read our story. We’re two imperfect people who know for sure that grace is a real thing and that the impossible is possible.

— Lead our best-ever MTH conference. — We’re nine years into making Making Things Happen happen and it just keeps getting better! It was our best conference yet, and we have so many ideas for the fall conference to make it even more impactful. So grateful for this time and all the women who joined us!

Photo from MTH above of me and my friend Shunta by Rachel Coffey.

— Have a meaningful Purim and Passover. — Purim was great and Passover was not what I planned, but it was good in the end! We had come home from an exhausting travel marathon the night before and the kids were tired. Really tired. We showed up to a beautiful Passover meal that Ari was leading and I couldn’t keep the two little one’s quiet or still, so I took them home and put them in a bubble bath. It was needed quiet time for all three of us! Ari and Grace got a ride home and everyone was happy. : )
— 2019 project finalization. — Here’s where my April priority comes in. We got a lot of new products off to print in March, and now it’s time to cut some projects ahead. More in April…
— Onboard new team members. — Yes, we have welcomed two new team members and they got thrown right into the good stuff: MTH, a team summit, a big shoot, and more! Why do we wait 90 days to announce them? We want to fully equip each new team member and give them time to settle in before they do forward-facing tasks. This has been so helpful and much-appreciated on their end so they feel confident in their roles when they are announced. We can’t wait to introduce them in a few weeks!
— Spring Team Summit prep. — Yes! The Cultivate Team Summit this week was all about digging into our vision, our heartbeat, and cultivating what matters in our own lives so we can give the same to you.
— April Cultivated Calendar prep. — I missed a lot of this but I don’t feel bad about it. I did what mattered most!

Weekly goals:
— Strength training 2x/week — I did this twice and definitely got my strength workout in other ways the last two weeks (carrying kiddos while traveling, paddling a boat, biking a LOT!).
— Write + study He + Waw (Psalm 119) — Now that the weather is getting warmer, I’ve been outside after church instead of inside trying to stay warm. So, I’m scrapping this for this season to make room for garden time.
— Undistracted + cultivated homeschool — We missed a lot of school this month with travelling and spring break, but when we did school, it was great.
— Re-creation — Yes. Biking a lot in Watercolor was really helpful time to sort though my thoughts.
— Pray the Word — Yes, I prayed the Word several times.
— Finish implementing Traction — praising the Lord for this book and all we’ve learned over the last year! — Almost there! So close!
— 2 days “on” + vacation — I ended up having to work on my days “on” but we did complete our vacation.

Daily Goals:
— Chronological Bible reading — Yes!
— Soul care at night — A little. There were a lot of busy nights this month with MTH, our Summit, and shoot!
— Kiss Ari — Yes.
— Pray over the kids — Yes.
— Family worship — We realized that we would love for this to be the focus of future family trips. We’d love to take a trip with another believing family and make it more of a retreat to be with God together! It really doesn’t matter where we go as long as that’s the focus.

On to April! 

This week has been a turning point for me. A new season of letting go. Letting go of control to make room for life! What generally precedes a turning point for me isn’t hard work on my part or big events or great achievements or perfect timing or circumstances; it’s surrender. Weakness. Being broken down so God can build me back up again—new and different.

It was a perfect month for a goal refresh! Every three months in the PowerSheets, we refresh our goals, and I LOVE what I uncovered. Here’s a peek:

And here are my refreshed goals for the next three months. A certain little kindergartener helped me add the stickers!

These goals make me so excited and grateful! Next, I filled out my April Tending List to start bringing these goals to life…

April Monthly Goals:

— Choose less. A radical move to less so there’s room for life. As I wrote about last week, there are inevitable times of overload that will creep up in our lives. These times are not cause for guilt or worry; they are opportunities. I’ve found myself in one of those little-margin seasons and my top priority in April is pruning. Choosing less to make room for life!
— On that note, I’m reading Emotionally Healthy Spirituality this month.
— Plant the garden.
— Decide on office space.
— Lead a prayerful summit and shoot. — I can already update you on this and tell you it was the best week! Lots of prayer, digging into our vision, and helping each other cultivate what matters so we can give the same to you.
— Lead a prayerful summer launch (coming April 24th!).

We loved our time together at the Carolina Inn this week!

April Weekly Goals—keeping it simple here!:

— Praise + rejoice!
— Prayer journal dates

April Daily Goals:

— Bible
— Pray over the kids
— Exercise hard

I already love this month of making room!

Seeing these kiddos using one of our new products at the shoot yesterday with Gina made me cry. You see, I don’t see these as just products, they are seeds. We are seed planters, sowing hope and joy and what lasts longer than us. So very grateful for this work we do and for this week of cultivated change.

Mark your planners: the new products release April 24th at 10 am ET!

Your turn! Do you have goals for April? What are you cultivating in this new month? I’ll pick one of you to send a special surprise box of goodies to from the Cultivate What Matters shop. I love sending real mail, and I love hearing your thoughts! Congrats to March’s winner, Tara Verrico!

keep reading

75 Comments

  1. Alexandra Prosser on April 6, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    Cultivating meaningful and lasting connections with my children, specifically through reading books daily together. Cultivating a rich inner life by prioritizing my own reading time and engaging with art and music. Cultivating being outside more .
    And cultivating truth in my life!
    Finally just cultivating the concept of cultivating-I realized that I underestimate the power of 15 minutes. Wanting to lean into the power of little by little that really does add up, and to faithfully dues a little by little, trusting that it really does make a difference.

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 2:35 pm

      I love what you said about the power of 15 minutes! So good! It adds up.

  2. Kelsey Kuske on April 6, 2018 at 2:10 pm

    Some exciting things are happening this month! I enrolled to become a Certified Professional Life Coach which was a big step for me. M main goals for this month are to cultivate wellness (exercise and eat healthy), cultivate contentment (NO spending!), and cultivate faith (just started my first WTW journal!).I realized over the past 3 months that I tried to do too much and I wasn’t meeting my goals. So this month I am focusing on those 3 things and take small steps to reach them.

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 2:32 pm

      I love your goals for this month and congrats on your certification!

  3. Rhonda on April 6, 2018 at 2:19 pm

    “What generally precedes a turning point for me isn’t hard work on my part or big events or great achievements or perfect timing or circumstances; it’s surrender. Weakness. Being broken down so God can build me back up again—new and different.”. Lara, I needed this so badly. I’m also in a season of having to cut back in order to make room for life. I keep telling myself it’s only for a season. I want to honor God with my time and my life so it’s a small sacrifice. Thank you for being so real and encouraging. I love you and your team and watching your company grow. God bless you.

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 2:31 pm

      Thank you for this encouragement, Rhonda! I’m cheering you on as we do this together!

  4. Emily Stevenson on April 6, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    I love your “less is more” approach. I actually only have ONE goal for April, which sounds crazy….but my “goal” (more of an inevitability at this point!) is to have our baby boy! There are a lot of other things I could (and maybe should!) have added as goals, but I wanted to focus on the one HUGE and important goal this month. Fingers crossed he comes soon! 🤞🏻

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 2:54 pm

      I love your goal—how exciting!

  5. Sarah Gusky Kemer on April 6, 2018 at 2:58 pm

    I’m focusing on my family!! We’re working on getting one of my twins speech services, we’ve got our annual foster family resassessment coming up, and I have that itch that usually means we’ve got another friend coming for a short time soon 🙂 In the midst of this we’re prepping to buy a house this summer/fall. It’s a busy, scary season, and I fully know what you mean about relying on God during these times!! <3

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 4:13 pm

      Here’s to a season of relying on Him! Cheering you on!

  6. Tara Poore on April 6, 2018 at 3:04 pm

    The goal refresh excited me so much! I just came out of a busy month of March. While filling out my Powersheets for April, I saw a blank calendar in April and wrote, “The Lord is merciful!” 🙂 My goal refresh pages made me realize how drained I was really feeling. I rewrote my goals each in a way that indicated how they would revive me:
    1) Let God refresh my spirit by letting go and connecting to Him.
    2) Find a home that my heart feels connected to
    3) Discover the benefits of a Pilates lifestyle
    4) Have a season of prayer for those you love most
    5) Use recreation as a reward for tasks completed

    I am excited to keep margin in my calendar and see how REVIVED I feel at the end of the month!

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 4:11 pm

      Hooray! I love all you shared!

  7. Monica T Smith on April 6, 2018 at 3:07 pm

    Lara; I remember you sending me an email announcing you were pregnant with Gracie. How is she in kindergarten already?! I do hope you enjoy reading “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.” It was a great book that I read in seminary. I refer back to it often when life gets to be too much. May April be a fruitful month for you, your family and your business. Take good care!

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 4:11 pm

      It’s so good to see your name here, my friend! And thank you for this encouragement!

  8. Bethany on April 6, 2018 at 3:08 pm

    My main goal for this month is to give myself grace. We are flying with a 15 month old for the first time to Boston for the Boston Marathon (insert all “the scream” emojis) and packing for a move in May. I’m also going back to work (!) part-time at the beginning of May, so it’s going to be a busy Spring!

  9. Meyuna on April 6, 2018 at 3:18 pm

    Thanks for sharing with us Mrs.Casey!

    April is a special month! Not only is it my birthday month, it’s the month where I said Yes to Gods voice and become a full time missionary on the World Race Next year; therefore I have important April goals that will propel me forward but keep me focused on what really matters!!
    1. Make & Maintain my April budget
    2. Pay off my credit card
    3. Create a mission fundraising tool.
    4. Word before World: Study at least 1 hour each day. Read Through Acts.
    5. Take old cloths to the goodwill
    6. REST! Unplug at least 1 weekend this month.
    7. CONNECT: Spend time/ lunch with a friend.

    Whew! April will be a good one!!

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 4:10 pm

      What a special month indeed! How wonderful!

  10. Amanda Noel on April 6, 2018 at 3:19 pm

    Yes! The refresh was so good for me and the social media mission statement made it abundantly clear to me that God was calling me to quit Facebook so that’s my big step for the month along with other spring cleaning, refocusing in write the word, and reviving my creativity by studying The Artists Way 💗🙌

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 4:10 pm

      That is awesome! So glad to hear that!

  11. Arshia on April 6, 2018 at 3:27 pm

    Yes! One of the biggest goals on my April tending list is a big research paper I’m writing for work. Also I put to celebrate my best friend’s bachelorette and boyfriend’s 30th bday well! 😊

  12. Di on April 6, 2018 at 3:31 pm

    In April I’m decluttering and looking for a new living space. I’m also catching up on relationship tending – while I was ill in the fall, I did tons of thank you note writing and encouragement via snail mail. Since I’ve gone back to work, that’s fallen by the wayside, and I still owe some loved ones thanks.

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 4:14 pm

      That is such a good reminder! I have some thank you’s to send too!

  13. Marie on April 6, 2018 at 4:04 pm

    My April monthly goals: read two books, and finish one of my online courses.
    My weekly goal: spend tons of time with my husband and family.
    My daily goal: write and meditate

  14. Dani on April 6, 2018 at 4:07 pm

    Monthly goals:
    -stay on budget
    -complete the Simplified Ruthless Decluttering challenge to prepare for our move.
    -Read “Humble Roots” by Hannah Anderson
    -Intentional date night
    -Build individual development plans for our team!
    -Finish repainting dining room table + chairs and invite friends over to enjoy the fresh look!!
    -start counseling with HOPE
    Weekly:
    Strength training 3x a week
    Simple healthy meals + simplified grocery trip
    Pack 1 room each week
    One creative activity to cultivate JOY
    Daily:
    Speak out gratitude
    Write the word
    Active prayer
    Simple daily rhythm for whole fam

  15. Talli on April 6, 2018 at 4:07 pm

    What a refreshing post! I don’t have a formal system for goals anymore, but I decided April was my New Year after reading many of your IG stories say that there’s no rule that January is the only time for a fresh start 🙂 SOOO…for me… 1) Daily scripture reading, 2) Reading Cultivate (my husband is bringing me a copy tomorrow), 3) exercise 3xs a week, 4) social media free days, 5) more time spent playing with my babies. OF COURSE this is in addition to work + life…but if I don’t write it down, it won’t happen!

  16. Emily on April 6, 2018 at 4:13 pm

    I love your prayer for the month. My focus for April is relying on God’s strength over mine too so it fitted in perfectly with my goals. Trying to make April a month of prayer, after a March which definitely taught me that my strength alone is not enough!

  17. Laura on April 6, 2018 at 5:22 pm

    In April I’m looking to cultivate my exercise routine. I have to start and I have to realize a little at a time throughout the day is good!

  18. Heidi on April 6, 2018 at 5:35 pm

    April goals include REST, study on prayer, and lots of quality time with my hubby

  19. Megan Kohlman on April 6, 2018 at 5:52 pm

    One of my big goals for the month is to prepare for summer. As a teacher, June & July are my time to pour into my two kiddos, to pour into myself, and to dream for the next school year. I want to be ready to go when May 19 hits so I can make the most of this time & allow myself to be quiet & restful during my time off!

  20. Jen on April 6, 2018 at 6:10 pm

    We could be such good friends. You sound SO MUCH like me. (And I live near Watercolor😉!)

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 8:11 pm

      How fun! Next time we come that way we will have to hug!

  21. Laura on April 6, 2018 at 6:10 pm

    I am cultivating wholehearted all-in faith, wholehearted fellowship with hubs, wholehearted Motherhood and I am also creating meaningful content and growing something!

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 8:11 pm

      I love how you’ve focused on these things being wholehearted and all-in!

  22. ArNelle on April 6, 2018 at 6:25 pm

    I’m cultivating a heart that is fully surrendered to Christ. I want to be intentional about Him leading me and not me doing it for myself. I want to turn to Him for strength and a refill throughout my days. I want His truth to be so real to me that it’s all that flows from my heart, my attitude, my spoken words, and my silent feelings. Thank you so much for you transparency and virtual empowerment! It is a true blessing!

    -ArNelle

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      This is so good, ArNelle! Yes, Lord, lead us!

  23. Tara Blake Hatton on April 6, 2018 at 6:37 pm

    I am using the Power Sheets for the very first time this year I have used (and abandoned) a lot of planners but this is no planner!! These Power Sheets have been such a blessing in my life ! I am an enneagram 9 and it is often hard for me to know what I desire and how and where to begin. This month my primary goal is to “listen to His heartbeat.” In order to do this I have to find a clearing, fight for the quiet, prioritize silence and solitude . So thankful for you Lara and your whole team for these Power Sheets!!

    • Lara on April 6, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      This is so encouraging to hear, Tara! And I LOVE your goal of listening to His heartbeat. So so so good!

  24. Greta on April 6, 2018 at 8:40 pm

    For my “one focal goal or word for this month” I wrote “margin”! Our April calendar is jam-packed with extra things so I specifically scaled back my goals for the month to keep some peace and sanity in our weeks. My daily goals all involve srlf-care and I only set three monthly goals.

  25. Tammy on April 6, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    For me it has been to simplify and make room. Being a teacher April and May are extremely busy and at times overwhelming. So I really have to set priority and for me it is being in the Word and down time through exercise and quiet time before early bed.. I love your goals they always inspire me.

  26. Mallory on April 6, 2018 at 10:25 pm

    I really want to cultivate family and faith. I just found out today that I lost my grandfather, it was unexpected and I am looking for healing for myself, and especially for my mom. I am praying to turn my grief into a reminder to show more love to the people around me, and to appreciate the time God has given me with my family.

    • Lara on April 9, 2018 at 9:05 am

      I’m so sorry for your loss, Mallory. Prayers for comfort in this time of grief. Huge hugs to you and you mom!

  27. Joy on April 6, 2018 at 10:46 pm

    My goal is to get my goals written in my PowerSheets! This is my first time using them, I bought them in November, watched all the prep, and have been working on them little by little (and your encouragement in the little steps is sooooo good!). I’ve found digging in has been hard for me. But, I know I’m right where I need to be at the same time. I’m not ashamed of where I am and I’m not pushing either. As my heart lets me, I keep coming back. I love how you all honor God. May He continue to bless you dearly. Joy

    • Joy on April 7, 2018 at 3:39 pm

      BTW, I think you’ll really enjoy Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Peter has a very fatherly voice, but tells the truth. I went through the videos and workbook with ladies from my church a couple years ago. I told God I wanted to be a fun mom, and He sent me to that book! And then He told me I was controlling, haha! And we’ve been working together ever since! I’ve known of God all my life, and been in church, but I feel like I’m slowly and truly being born again.

  28. Brooke Speidel on April 6, 2018 at 11:31 pm

    LOVED this post! It really helped me take a deep breath and just be for a moment! My world is a whirlwind as I get my family of 7 ready for a season of moves! We have less than 20days to find our new temporary home in a new state. Plus homeschool plus blogging etc…right?! So my April cultivate goals are very similar to yours, paring down a lot and really focusing hard on cultivating what really matters most in the hearts of my children, spouse, and myself. A season of deep connection is needed. Thanks for sharing here!

  29. Laura Kliewer on April 7, 2018 at 12:38 am

    A few of my goals:
    Monthly:
    Closet declutter
    Plant flowers in backyard
    Research Masters programs
    Weekly:
    Track spending
    Exercise class 2x per week
    Meal plan
    Daily:
    Up at 5:30 to spend time with God and get ready for the day before kids are awake
    Drink water
    Diffuse essential oils

  30. Carolyn on April 7, 2018 at 12:45 am

    My goal is taking intentional baby steps towards decluttering physically and spiritually.

  31. Bess on April 7, 2018 at 9:18 am

    My April goals are to find balanace. I feel like I’m constantly going with our 2 year old, and we both need more calm days at home. I need to dig out some space to pick back up my prayer journal, and I’d like to find space to excersize too. We just experienced a big hard move, so continuing to search for peace and contentment in the tension are also goals!

  32. Joni on April 7, 2018 at 10:32 am

    I just bought Emotionally Healthy Spirituality this week, so I will read that with you this month! I am also working through the goal refresh, and looking forward to a Spring season focusing on health and wellness.

  33. Erin on April 7, 2018 at 11:38 am

    April for me is about getting outside more and planting my garden… including new raised beds! My other main priority is making my relationships a focus: special 1:1 time with my girls and husband and putting the phone down to be more present! Hoping to refresh my soul in this new season of growth and life!

  34. Lisa on April 7, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    Due to a wonky work schedule, April is really my month of starting fresh (as opposed to January when I’m really in the thick of things). With work slowing down, and more time to focus on my family, this is the month I’m really trying to process through my goals and figure out where I’m headed. I am in the process of reading “Making It Happen” and through some of the soul searching that it prompted, and resulting prayer, I realized that I might be shifting my goals and focus at work to opportunities that would make me less “in the spot light” but give me more time with my family and allow me to take on a role of teaching and mentoring newer employees…and I’m very excited about this!

  35. Laura on April 7, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    Many of my goals this month involve organizing/cleaning/setting up some rooms in the house . May and June are very busy months for my social calendar, so I’m trying to take advantage of the free time I have now to knock out these home projects! 🙂

  36. Emily M on April 7, 2018 at 7:00 pm

    For the month of April, my newest goal is to intentionally cultivate family connections. We live in western WA state and all our extended family lives in eastern WA (3-5 hours away!). Our in-laws often make the trek our way since our girls are small, but we really want to connect with both sides of our family in their spaces. So we have planned two trips, one to each set of grandparents, during this month. It will be a lot but I’m choosing to lean in, pray for endurance, and be present with those that matter most in our lives 🙂

  37. Mhay on April 8, 2018 at 2:11 am

    I love the goals refresh page! I definitely feel ready and refreshed after reevaluating my goals! I started the year with 7 main goals and now it’s down to 4. I’m choosing in April to simplify as well! My focus would be on reading God’s word daily but most importantly mediating on what I read. Also taking care of my health. Those are just two of my main focus for April. I can’t wait to dig into April and I’m super excited for your Summer launch!

  38. Traci on April 8, 2018 at 9:30 am

    Just finished my April goals and I am being lead to lean in and rest on his strength not my own. I tend to shy away from things that seem hard or don’t come automatically easy to me and that’s not the example I want to set for my children. I am determined to finish a really difficult bootcamp this month and try harder by changing my diet. I also want to get my finances in order…simply stay on budget and reduce grocery spend. I also have a lot of planning to do…K graduation, lesson plans for the summer etc. and I don’t want to wait until later I need to dig in now! The biggest thing stewing but no concrete plans is how to honor my mother who recently passed in Jan from stage 4 cancer. She was an educator and I know teachers and students who are pushing themselves were near to her heart and I am trying to figure out the best way to honor her and have her legacy continue to impact lives. I’ve been really inspired by the teachers in OK. I know God is pricking my heart to do something so I want to lean in to whatever He calls me to do.

  39. Traci on April 8, 2018 at 9:31 am

    Also the 3 month goal refresh page is so great I really really really like this new addition! It made it easier to do my Goal Refresh …I was able to clearly see where I needed to focus my attention.

  40. Charlotte on April 8, 2018 at 12:25 pm

    April – Making A Start!!!

  41. Emily J on April 9, 2018 at 11:10 am

    This month… I am starting my Powersheets! I’ve had the 2018 Powersheets since before the new year but anxiety and other issues prevented me from really diving in. And then that guilt paralyzed me from starting them for awhile…. But last night I broke out the Powersheets and got about ten pages of prep work done. I’m determined to keep going (and stop being scared of facing them) and get back on track.

  42. Chelsey on April 9, 2018 at 11:13 am

    One of my big April goals is to start Nancy Ray’s contentment challenge! For me, spring tends to be a time of mindless shopping (I think it’s because it’s warmer so I’m out and about more?), so I’m really focusing in on what’s important to me (family/friends/slowing down in a busy season), instead of spending a ton of money.

  43. Nicole C on April 9, 2018 at 11:21 am

    I love how you are making room in April. Doing and focused on less to make each thing more meaningful. For me in April I’m working on cultivating consistency in my habits and in my progress toward my goals!!

  44. Katie on April 9, 2018 at 11:44 am

    I’m “letting go” of a less-than-productive start to the year and pushing towards a great April. I am just now working on my prep work and goal setting, since the first three months of the year brought a new jobs, some family deaths and other obligations, and PowerSheets fell to the back burner. I’m pumped to get my goals figured out for April and make some little-by-little progress to have a great rest of 2018!

  45. Deena on April 9, 2018 at 12:14 pm

    April is filled with cultivating readings with the kids, keeping my yoga Mondays a priority and cutting out media to an hour a day. Super pumped for this birthday month for me!!

  46. Janice on April 9, 2018 at 12:25 pm

    I am cultivating simplicity in my goals for April. I overdid it got January through March. I can still achieve my goals just at a more simple and relaxed way. The Spring rested was a blessing and helped me to relook at why I was trying to accomplish too much each month. It is nice to have margin in my days and on my tending list.

  47. Teish on April 9, 2018 at 5:00 pm

    It was after April 1st when I did my spring goal refresh, but it was so needed! I re-vamped a few of my goals and tweaked things to work better. (Hopefully!)

    My big goal for April is developing a workable morning routine. I’m already seeing tiny bits of how this is going to be a big help!

    I’ve got reviews and an article to write this month, and sometime I’m going to do something cool with my kids. Keeping my eyes open for when an great opportunity to do something fun and different comes up, and I’m going to jump on it!

  48. Cheryl on April 9, 2018 at 11:09 pm

    April goal: well we paid off $7000 in debt so far this year so: Staying in our weekly budget.

  49. Kristen on April 10, 2018 at 8:50 am

    I’m actually in process of re-doing my April tending list. I had it all filled out with good things, but realized I need to step back and refresh my in heart and draw closer to God. I’ve been in a season of being very distracted by social media and some other things in my life. I’ve been addressing those things through what the Lord is showing me this morning with Band-Aids. He helped me see that I need to address the underlying heart issues that are at the root. My main goals now are to draw closer to the Lord this month by re-establishing a good quiet time with Him, and to be in prayer for His wisdom in identifying what is going on in my heart that’s allowing me to become so distracted by the things of the world. What am I really worshipping? I already feel so much more at peace in my own mind, and can’t wait to see how our Mighty God will work in my heart/life this month as I surrender to Him. 🙂

  50. Katlin Voigt on April 10, 2018 at 11:06 am

    For March I set my goals way too high. I knew I was going to be traveling a ton, but still set my goals as if I was home and could have a “normal” schedule. That wasn’t exactly the most successful plan ever. Oops!

    So far April, knowing that I would be away from my house 16 out of the 30 days, I made my goals much more “road friendly”. For example, scrapbooking our trip from Paris is probably not a good goal to have this month because I won’t be around much. Instead I’ve decided to cultivate self-care by reading books while on the plane instead of watching Netflix! I feel much more productive and love being able to check some of these books off my list and get them off my book shelf! 🙂

  51. Candace on April 11, 2018 at 9:02 am

    I’m working not to feel lots of guilt for not getting to my goal refresh and April tending list. But I refuse to let it drop altogether, I’ve learned that even a half-month of cultivating is WELL worth the effort! So getting those things done is one of my goals. 🙂

  52. Dina on April 11, 2018 at 9:34 am

    I love this post so much, just when I needed to be reminded to take a breath and focus on the most important things. I tried to do too much in March and had some guilt of not being able to do it all, yet I still tried to take on too much in April.

    I wrote down so many monthly and weekly goals, things like Spring Cleaning, Budgeting, making inspirational wallpapers for my phone, finishing writing my story, signing up for driving lessons etc., and then everything changed when we got an opportunity to move to a different city and get an apartment that we really love, so all my goals are out of the window – planning and executing moving to our new home is my only focus. I want our home to be full of love and that’s what I am focusing on right now.

  53. Carol Allison on April 11, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    On Feb. 27, 3 of my 7 kids and I were heading home after paying our respects to Billy Graham as his casket was here in Charlotte, NC, at the Billy Graham Library. As traffic on the interstate was slowing to a stop, a truck behind us never slowed down and hit us going 75mph. We praise God that our lives were spared but spent all of March recovering from injuries. My powersheets were damaged in the accident but not destroyed. So my goal for April, as we continue to heal and make progress, is to set very limited and simple goals so that I can get back to caring for my husband, kids, and home. The inspiration and encouragement you and your team give all of us followers on IG help us through good days and dark days, and I am very grateful.

  54. Amanda on April 11, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    I decided to invest in three local friendships this month. I didn’t clearly define the parameters, but I started with the very simple act of giving one friend a bag of candy we had been talking about loving. I’m not sure what other two friends I will choose or how exactly I’ll invest in those relationships, but I’m also reading, “Just Open the Door” this month, so I’m sure it will help me overcome some of the shyness I’ve had in my local relationships.

  55. Kelly Dodson on April 13, 2018 at 5:53 am

    Hey Lara! I see that y’all are implementing traction!!

    I am the co-Owner of a small (7 employee, plus two contracted draftsmen) engineering/consulting firm. I just got done reading traction and am so excited to get started. Did y’all do self-implementation or hire the implementer? Would love a blog post on this topic!

    • Lara on April 20, 2018 at 4:35 pm

      Hi, Kelly! We sort of had an implementer. I say “sort of” because I’m a part of a business leaders group and all of us, for the most part, use the Traction model. Will Ray, our business coach, has been helping us implement it from time to time. I do think having an implementer would be extremely beneficial!

  56. Nicole on April 18, 2018 at 12:29 am

    One of my big daily goals is “legos and butterfly kisses.” I don’t want to be so busy planning a life for my kids that I miss out on playing with them and loving on them.

  57. Amy on April 21, 2018 at 12:40 pm

    I’m cultivating my calendar, doing June-Aug if my 2017 family Shutterfly book, deleting 500 more pictures off my computer in an effort to prune, finish Tim & Kathy Keller’s marriage book, participate in Emily Ley’s ruthless declutter challenge, bring the kids to the library, and go to our homeschool mom’s meeting.

    Weekly: menu plan, go to homeschool Phy ed, call my mom, and intentional social media.

    Daily: Read through the Bible in a year, turn my phone off in evenings, step goals, prep for our homeschool days, and do my DR exercises.

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