October 1st is days away!
You may be tempted to wake up that morning and think:
How is it October already?!
The holidays are here.
Merry Christmas!
HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!
Whoa, Nelly.
There are still over 90 days left in this year. A lot can happen in 90 days. No matter how your year has gone so far, that’s a whole lot of life to live—and plenty of time to finish the year well. In the next 90 days, with small but mighty steps forward, you can cultivate what matters.
I’ll be right there with you doing the same, little by little, day by day—no perfect progress required.
September was a turning point for me and our family. I knew it was going to be a month of craziness between our house flooding repairs (still not done!), unexpectedly not having childcare for the month and having to somehow keep our business running, too, staging and selling a house in the middle of this, and my plans generally not going as planned. Guys. God moved in such big ways! What I thought was going to be a month of overwhelm (I had my moments!) was an unexpected blessing. I loved my time with the kiddos, the business didn’t fall apart, our marriage stayed strong in prayer, the house sold quickly, we signed on the dotted line for our new office that’s under construction as I type this, and we’re all still camped out sleeping in one room and grateful for it. More on my September PowerSheets goals and what I learned below.
September Monthly Goals:
— Ask God to prioritize my days. / I took every day this month hour-by-hour. I relied on Him more. Generous friends came to the rescue on many occasions. God always provides the next best steps.
— Do what’s most important in the big picture. / Same as above—yes!
— Finish the BOOK / Yes! I submitted the first draft of the manuscript, written in the parking lot while I waited on Grace during jump rope practice. Praise the Lord. So excited for this!
— Delight in the Lord. / There was a lot of crying out to Him and delighting in His power in my weakness.
— Enjoy the best month in the garden. / I picked the flowers we do have an put them in little vases all over the house. It has been sweet to savor these few blooms.
September Weekly Goals:
— Cultivated homeschool begins / PRAISE THE LORD for a truly wonderful start! Download the Cultivated Homeschool Planner here for free.
— Pray over the 2020 PowerSheets / Yes! Thanks to my mother-in-law coming to be with the kiddos for a few days (bless her!), I was able to go to our team summit in the mountains where we prayed over all the 2020 PowerSheets together.
September Daily Goals: / Progress on all of them below!
— Bible reading each morning
— Run!
— Re-creation
Don’t miss these from September:
—Come work with me every day in Chapel Hill! I’m hiring a full-time Admin and Ministry Assistant.
— You are so excited about the 2020 PowerSheets Cover Reveal and we are excited for you!
— Get on the waitlist for Cultivate Your Year Live (SOLD OUT)
—Did you see the list of interviews I think you’d love?
On to October! You know the phrase, “Don’t fix what ain’t broke?” September was such a great month of perspective in hard things and I’m keeping most of my goals going for October.
October is going to be a fun month! The 2020 PowerSheets Collection launches on October 16th and the podcast is finally back next week (I can’t wait to chat with you again—text CULTIVATE to 81787 to get all the podcast updates!).
October Monthly Goals:
—Ask God to prioritize my days
—Do what’s most important in the big picture
—Delight in the Lord
—Hire a full-time Admin and Ministry Assistant
—Put our home back together anew (next week all of the floors downstairs are being torn out and replaced from the flooding, so I’m using this as an opportunity to get rid of things and make our spaces more meaningful with less)
October Weekly Goals:
—Sabbath
—Be there (I’ve loved doing drop off and pick up and carpool and taking Grace to jump rope practice this month. Keeping that going for the long haul so I can be there more for them in those seemingly small moments.)
October Daily Goals:
—Bible reading each morning
—Run!
—Re-creation with the kids (lots of fall fun ahead in October!)
—Pray over our children
Your turn! Do you have goals for October? Comment below and 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!
P.S. Have you heard the news?! The 2020 One-Year PowerSheets are SOLD OUT for the year! The good news? You can still get the 2020 Six-Month Undated PowerSheets Intentional Goal Planner and get started at any time of the year!
keep reading
45 Comments
-
on September 27, 2019 at 6:09 pm
Thank you for sharing your monthly goals and progress. It keeps me motivated and helps me focus on what matters most.
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:48 am
Hi, Jody! It is my pleasure. I’m cheering you on!! 💛
-
-
on September 27, 2019 at 6:57 pm
Love this so much!! October always feels like a giant race gun has gone off – everyone begins to mad-dash toward the holidays with abandon. And I always look around with dismay, perplexed by why I/we all just resign ourselves to the mayhem! Thank you for the reminder that it simply does not have to be that way ❤️
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:48 am
Hi, Emily! You are right! Let’s take it little by little so we can enjoy where we’re at! 💛
-
-
on September 27, 2019 at 8:36 pm
Yay!!! Can’t wait for the return of the Podcast! 🎉Some of my October goals are :
-Get the family to Church
-Decide if I’m taking time off work to concentrate on my youngest son and his medical issues
-Keep “Phone Free Friday’s” going
-Do Pilates daily-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:35 am
ooooo…..tell me more about your “phone free Friday’s”. Sounds like a great idea
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:47 am
Hi, Angie! I’m cheering for you! 💛
-
-
on September 27, 2019 at 9:50 pm
This refresh was SO NEEDED and helpful! Some of my focuses for October: FALL cleaning and decluttering for bulk trash pick up, be fully present while directing a play my husband and I wrote together, and being there for my kids as the fall is full of sweet family traditions we LOVE and I don’t want to overschedule and miss those good things!
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:46 am
Hi, Amanda! I love this!
-
-
on September 27, 2019 at 10:03 pm
Inspired by your insta, we are planning a family hike to enjoy the changing leaves!
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:46 am
Hi, Heather! This is so exciting! I hope you have sweet time with your family!
-
-
on September 27, 2019 at 10:47 pm
We are entering a crazy-busy season for our family. I recently began a new job and am currently taking college classes AND working on a credential that is required for my job. My goals this month include becoming more comfortable at work, solidifying daily rhythms of life at home, being intentional about how I spend my time, and working on developing a daily spiritual practice. Small steps I am taking for each of these goals are taking notes on my PD courses to help me have more confidence as a para, switching to a daily planner to help me keep up with our busy schedule, working extra hard on homework and housework during the week so that I can have a Sabbath on Sunday, and starting to study with the She Reads Truth community. I’m both anxious and excited for all that this month holds!
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:45 am
Hi, Katie! Wow, you are amazing to take on so much! I’m cheering for you and pray you are able to find time for rest! 💛
-
-
on September 27, 2019 at 11:12 pm
I love the reminder that there are still 90 days left in the year! September was full of unexpected and hard “stuff”, but October is coming and I’m putting my goals down on paper now!
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:43 am
Hi, Amy! I’m cheering you on as we enter this new month!
-
-
on September 27, 2019 at 11:42 pm
One of my big goals for 2019 was to get back to writing after taking a pause due to fear and feeling overwhelmed .
My goal in October is to finish the manuscript for Coming Alive at Christmas devotional volume two to release in November 🙂
Bit by bit word by word until — finish
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:43 am
Hi, Jenn! Wow, I’m so excited for you! This is wonderful!
-
-
on September 28, 2019 at 12:50 pm
I love your intention to delight in the Lord, it was so encouraging as I finished my prep work earlier this week and wrote down a daily goal to delight in Him. I love my time with him but I want to live in joy filled delight over His love all day- not just in my quiet time. I feel challenged as you mentioned how delighting in Him doesn’t have to just be in the joyful parts of love but also in our weaknesses. I 100% plan to incorporate that into my month, so thank you for sharing your heart!
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:40 am
Hi, Cassie! Thank you for sharing with me. I hope you find joy in the Lord in all things! 💛
-
-
on September 28, 2019 at 12:51 pm
I’m encouraged when I read your goals. I realize that my goals just need to sound like me in the season I am in. Be still my soul and know that He is God. Wait quietly.
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:39 am
Hi, Pam! Love that! Yes, He knows best. 🙌🏻
-
-
on September 28, 2019 at 7:27 pm
My October is going to be full of savoring & slowness! I want to savor the newborn moments with my 3rd baby (currently overdue, c’mon baby!), savor sweet fall memories with our little family (I just love fall!), and embrace the slowness that being stretched in a new season brings.
-
on September 28, 2019 at 7:39 pm
I love that you didn’t fill in every line of your tending list this month. Home renovations are hard, and they often tempt me to try to do more, to make order out of the chaos, when really doing less is how to feel calmer. Thank you for the beautiful reminder that a few important things are what’s called for.
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:38 am
Hi, Kaethe! You are so kind to share that. We can’t do it all and do it well! 💛
-
-
on September 28, 2019 at 7:42 pm
Oh, I forgot to tell you my goals. Major one: see our daughter happily married this month and then take a couple days as a couple to recover from that. Minor one: replace my daily “wedding work” goal with “holiday prep” once the wedding is over.
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:39 am
Thanks so much for sharing with me! I hope you have the sweetest time preparing for your daughter’s special day! 💛
-
-
on September 28, 2019 at 8:58 pm
Focus on/ align priorities
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:37 am
Love it, Tamara!
-
-
on September 28, 2019 at 9:38 pm
My goals for October include starting to crochet a pink baby blanket for our first grandbaby, no-scroll evenings and switching from outside walks to indoor exercise with the changing season. So much gratitude! 💕
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:37 am
Hi, Angela! Wow, congrats on your sweet grandbaby! How exciting and sweet! 💛
-
-
on September 29, 2019 at 10:12 pm
Oh I love this, & your perspective Lara! Yesterday I finished the audio book the Magnolia Story (for the 3rd time) but it struck me at the end when Joanna talks about how the inbetween moments – when you’re waiting on a moment/season to start etc – is where we learn to live in joy & truly learn contentment. So I’m focusing on joy in the “between” this month. (The post grad, pre “family of your own” years are strange ones!)
It’s also a busy month of work travel/church commitments, so I’m REALLY leaning into a goal I’ve been working slowly at – time blocking my life & creating systems that really work for me. Most of all tho, I’’ excited to carve pumpkins & wander the fall farmers markets.-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:37 am
Hi, Katrina! Love this perspective. I’m cheering you on through this season of the in between!
-
-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:34 am
Goals for October
Be in the moment – my daughters are growing up so fast I enjoy soaking in every special moment with them!
Coffee with Jesus each morning – even weekends 🙂
Cardio – at least 3 days a week-
on September 30, 2019 at 11:35 am
Love these! Striving to be in the moment is such a great goal! 💛
-
-
on September 30, 2019 at 8:18 pm
Our calendar for October looks crazy but I am excited to see how God continues to use PS to reshape our family. For a monthly goal I’m making a master list of our family traditions.
-
on October 1, 2019 at 6:39 am
Lara- all I can say it thank you! After listening to you on the organizing summit and making that one small step , I decided to go back to college. When speaking with an advisor I had enough credits that as long as I took one exam and passed I will have my Associates Degree in December 🎉 Had I not listened and taken that one action step these past 3 weeks would not have happened ❤️ My Oct goal which is starting today is to begin the journey to finish my Bachelors’s degree.. I am contacting the school I want to attend to make an appointment and I will take it from there. I also signed up to run a 5k on 10/12./19 I’ve been running as much as I can and if I can run the whole thing I’ll finish up by walking but I will finish! Thank you so much for your insight on imperfect progress I so needed it!
-
on October 1, 2019 at 6:55 am
I hope to grow in patience and presence around my wonderfull kids.
-
on October 1, 2019 at 8:13 am
I love this, Lara! Thanks for sharing with us! I’d love to hear sometime how you fill in your progress bar for goals that are less tangible (ex. “Ask God to prioritize my days” or “Delight in the Lord”).
This month I’m hoping to grow in keeping up with my family far away – I’ve made “open my heart + life to my family” both a monthly and weekly goal, because I really want to get better in this!
-
on October 1, 2019 at 11:12 am
I’ve let my goals slide! I always seem to lose track this time of year. Thank you for the pick-me-up!
-
on October 1, 2019 at 10:59 pm
Love reading this update- cheering for you, Laura! One of my goals this month is to print & frame pictures from the last three Halloween’s to decorate with now, and the keep with our fall decor. It is connected to my yearly goal of cultivating a home of belonging- one part of which is printing/displaying family photos so my kids can see themselves over the years in our family & I can savor these sweet kiddos year after year. 🧡
-
on October 3, 2019 at 11:37 am
Love this, Rachel! So fun!
-
-
on October 2, 2019 at 10:21 am
This month I’m committed to going all in with marketing efforts for my business in preparation for the holiday season while also giving myself grace to deal with some heavy, unavoidable distractions.
-
on October 3, 2019 at 11:38 am
This is so great, Scarlett!
-
-
on October 4, 2019 at 2:12 pm
The big one for this month (besides enjoying all the fall goodness) is to ask for help! With dialysis and transplant in the months to come, I know I’ll need to work on this.
-
on October 15, 2019 at 5:23 pm
I’m working on starting a new home business, while leaving an old job that I both loved, and that was bad for me. So this month is about picking up the pieces at home, while planning a fresh start. <3