Goal Setting Series: 2020 Year in Review

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Welcome back for Part 2 of the 10th-Annual Goal Setting Series! 🎉 In Part 1, we looked back at the last 10 years together, and all we know for sure about intentional goal setting. Today, in Part 2, we’re looking back at this wild year and doing a treasure hunt together. Next week, in Part 3, we’ll look ahead! I’ll be sharing my 2021 PowerSheets goals and I can’t wait to hear yours, too!

Friends, is it just me, or do you feel like running through the streets shouting for joy!? We made it!

I often say, “There’s nothing magical about January 1st.” But not this year. ✨

I got you a trophy for making it through 2020! Well deserved.

This year-like-no-other is coming to a close, and I think we’re all going to celebrate more than ever! As we turn the page on 2020, there is something profoundly energizing about a new year ahead. It may not be perfect, or go just as planned (lesson of 2020), but it doesn’t have to. We’re here. We made it. We’ve grown. And we’re not going back! 🙂

These milestones of time give us an opportunity to reset—to let go of the old and make room for the new. I’m taking this one with gusto. 🎉

Before we leap forward, though, let’s do something important: look back. I know, no one wants to look back on the hard things from 2020. But, woven through the hard, there are some good things that may surprise you. Let’s do a little treasure hunting together, shall we? We’re going to do something different—and something that feels a bit rebellious after a year like this: intentionally notice the good. While 2020 was undoubtedly the hardest year many of us have faced, it wasn’t all dumpster-fire material. In fact, this year brought some unexpected blessings. This year took a lot of “life as we knew it” away from us, but it gave us one thing back in spades: perspective. We know more now what matters and what doesn’t—and we’re ready to live it together!

Now, I have to admit that, as I started writing my own list of Good Things from 2020 in my PowerSheets, I hesitated. There was so much hard mingled in, which means we all need a little extra time to process this year. I was especially grateful for our time together at Cultivate Your Year LIVE for just this reason. I needed a minute to get it all out of my head and let it go. I’m guessing you do, too.

Once I started writing, though, things came to mind that I had forgotten. This was a powerful exercise for me – more than any other year before. As my long-time co-worker, Emily, shared, “My hope in writing … is that it would help me to reframe the narrative of this hard year, focusing on the gifts and the good instead of the more obvious disappointments.”

In keeping with our 10-year-celebration theme, here are 10 good things from this wild year, in no particular order!

2020 was the year I/we:

10. Chose to live numbered days. I turned 40 last December, and the truth of life is that we don’t know how many days we get to live it. In January, I made a decision to let go of distractions and double-down on the things I’ve always wanted to do. Sometimes the answer is to wait. Sometimes the answer is to listen. But, in His timing, sometimes the answer is now. Among many decisions big and small, we took my mom’s bucket list trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show with Grace in March (days before the world shut down), I changed my work hours, and I spent more time in the Word in new ways.

9. Spent time in my physical Bible. One of my 2020 goals was to delight in the Lord. And one way I wanted to do that was to spend more time in my physical Bible, writing in the margins, writing the Word, and having more solitude with the Lord. This is my favorite thing from this year, as it helped me get through so much of the hard. I did several Write the Word journals (Worship, Hope, Renewal, and two of the new Blank journals) and finished reading the Bible with friends a few days ago. We read the Old Testament last year and the New this year.

I learned this year that time in the Word is never wasted. The scribbles in the margins of my Bible remind me of His faithfulness in hard times—and I hope they will remind our children one day, too.

(Want to set good goals and grow your faith? Start my free 5-day God + Goals Bible reading plan on YouVersion—over 100,000 people have joined us!)

8. Felt God with us at work. We moved into a new office (and moved back to remote work just days later), pivoted quite literally everything within a week’s time, and—through what was undoubtedly the hardest year—I watched my team grow, love generously, and help each other cultivate what matters. We juggled homeschool and childcare challenges and economic uncertainty together—starting with prayer every single morning. Every morning we’d gather to pray and put it in His hands. And every day, in small and surprising ways, He kept leading us. I relied on Him in my weakness through it all. I couldn’t be more grateful to work alongside these women.

More from work: I traded Instagram for LinkedIn, shot off a dozen confetti cannons in one day, we partnered with Proverbs 31, and I finally embraced loungewear pants (my favorite) paired with Zoom tops.

7. Came together as a family. I watched us come together as a family to pray and fight to notice the good in all the hard on the daily. Especially early in the pandemic, with lots of emotions and change happening, we watched our kids adapt and process hard things—and come out stronger on the other side. Ari processed his thoughts at the piano. He began writing music and produced two worship songs with a friend from church this year. We overcame fears.

For Sarah, it was a year of breakthroughs. She learned to walk confidently through things that scare her, to love the ocean, to ride a bike—and she told some pretty amazing stories! We grew a closer bond being home and all together with no after school activities, no travel for Ari at work, and no commitments on the weekends but to each other.

From our FaceTime photo session with Gina—a unique pandemic experience!

6. Cultivated the hearts of our children. We’ve been homeschooling since Grace was in kindergarten, and have loved our “homeschool school” that Grace went to a couple of days a week for History and Science. With that not happening this year and the younger two out of preschool, we decided to do school at home for everyone – with virtual classes and tutoring mixed in. It has been hard and good and I am so grateful for this time with our kiddos. (For those who are Charlotte Mason lovers like me, now you know who the “Charlotte” is on my 2020 gratitude list above!) We read great books with the kids each night, too—books have been our escape and something to look forward to. And Ari and I started a legacy journal to help the kids remember this unique time and how they grew.

5. Broke down barriers in our marriage. Being home a lot together forces you to work through things big and small. It has been a year of breakthroughs in our marriage—with lots of grace and guidance. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it. You know we have quite the story and I’m grateful God is never done growing us. We celebrated 14 years of marriage in March with french fries at home : )

4. Delighted in nature more than ever. From the garden to hiking, we safely got out there where we could. We hiked over 80 miles together as a family, became bird watchers, marveled at Nutty’s acrobatics at our bird feeders and made him a picnic table, grew a giant pumpkin and shishito peppers (a gardening dream come true for me), and fell in love with peregrine falcons as we finished the My Side of the Mountain trilogy. Step into our garden with us in my new book that released this year, too.

3. Trusted God with my health. It has not been the easiest health year. After a year like this, though, I know my health could be far worse. We’ve had many friends face dire circumstances in 2020. Wearing a heart monitor, though, was sobering. I had 29 blood tests in August—14 in one day. Why am I counting this experience as a good thing? Because I felt God’s love through it all. Testing continues, but I am doing well. Praise the Lord. And a sort-of-funny health update: I injured my hip vacuuming this year. True story. 🙃

2. Enjoyed home. We sat in lawn chairs on our front lawn almost every weekend; built a barn quilt climbing wall; did a bunch of DIY home repair projects and asked our neighbor, Jeff, to borrow every tool under the sun (thanks, Jeff!); learned how to deep clean all the things in our house (tried strip-washing – I’m a fan!); made several of my mom’s recipes; enjoyed socially-distant conversations with our neighbors while getting the mail, working in our yards, and having cul-de-sac bonfires and soccer matches; and, in general, focused on blooming where we are planted.

1. Asked for help. A few weeks into this pandemic, I hit a breaking point. I’m sure we all had them this year as we simply tried to adjust and help our families do the same. I tried to keep doing it all and help everyone else keep things together, too. I burned dinner more than a few times and struggled with anxiety early in the year. I promptly put myself in counseling. I learned to let go a lot this year, all praise to the Lord. It has been so fruitful!

2020 was the year we prayed a lot.
Relied on the Lord a lot.
And saw God at work a lot
.

BONUS: Knowing this was going to be a year like no other, I’ve been collecting video clips for a 2020 family movie since March. I thought I’d give you a peek, friends. This was made just for our kiddos to remember the good in all the hard and how strong they are. I plan to finish it on New Year’s Eve and we’re going to have a little family movie viewing. 20 minutes of video out of the 525,600 minutes in a year, though, didn’t capture the best moments that no one ever sees. We overcame fears, grew our bond, let our imaginations run wild, embraced 2020 hair, became each other’s best friends, and learned to enjoy the moment. I think the best laughter comes from knowing the other side. Beauty comes from ashes and deep joy from sadness. God makes all things new in His time. Enjoy : ) Pass is cultivate. Music by BenSound.com


2020 was the year life changed.

And I want to keep some of the good change into 2021 and beyond. The rest? I’ll be right there with you sprinting into 2021 and not looking back. 🎉

I hope this post encouraged you to do a little treasure hunting, to live numbered days, and perhaps to ask for help if needed. I’m grateful we’re all here together, looking to 2021 with faith and hope. I’m cheering you on, friends, as you dig into your PowerSheets and set goals for the new year. I can’t wait to do the same this week as I finish my own. I’ll be back next week to share!

A big thank you to everyone who entered! What a joy it was to hear your responses and get to chat with you in the comments! Congratulations to our winners below! If you’re a winner, please email Abbie@CultivateWhatMatters.com to collect your prize within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected!

One of the best ways to prepare well for 2021? With these amazing tools! For our 10-Year Milestone together, enter to win one of everything in the Cultivate shop (YES!!) – Rebecca Walters, a pair of AirPods – Allison Lieuwen, a scholarship to Financial Peace University – Sara Discoll, and an Echo Dot – Courtney Doi. Enjoy these yourself or have New Year’s gifts for everyone you know. 😊  Simply comment to enter and we’ll choose winners in early January. Bonus points if you share this post with friends!

See you next week and, till then, get out there! Get your hands dirty, smell the roses, and cultivate what matters : )

Your turn! What good things did you notice from the last 12 months—big or small? Who are you grateful for? (I’m grateful for YOU. Your comments on the last post are blowing me away. I’m SO thankful for all these years with you, friends!) Share below.

P.S. Here’s a special 10-year celebration discount just for you. 🎉 Get 25% off anything in the shop with code 10YEARS now. Code is valid through January 1. Happy shopping, friends!

68 Comments

  1. Chelsea on at

    I learned that I am eternally secure in God’s love, no matter what is going on around me. I learned to be gentle with myself. I learned that God has my best interests at heart. And I learned that it’s okay to beginner, as long as I begin, because God’s given me a lot to offer!

    • Lara on at

      Yes! Love it so much, Chelsea!

  2. Jessica Duininck on at

    I have learned I am not as strong as I’d like to be. I am a fighter and can make things happen. Learning how to truly focus on what matters. Oh and I dont like when things aren’t finished…makes me feel rushed and frustrated….so onto focusing to finish one task at a time!

    • Lara on at

      I’m cheering you on, Jessica! I think I repeated that to myself many times this year: one thing at a time : ) one day at a time. Little by little, it adds up!

  3. Jillian Schweitzer on at

    I learned how to protect myself and my family through boundaries. I can only do so much and I took back a lot of my time this year.

    • Lara on at

      AMEN, Jillian. I realized this year how much I love our weekends being totally open and free. We got a lot of time back this year.

  4. Jenna on at

    I realized that sometimes the best gift you can give a person is a phone call or note to say you are thinking of them. The words “I miss seeing you” can be the most precious balm to a heart that is lonely or hurting.

    • Lara on at

      Ahhh so true, Jenna!

  5. Amy Z on at

    As crazy as this year has been, 2020 has made me slow down and really appreciate what’s truly important. Our family is closer, my marriage is stronger, more grace giving with work team, and we stayed healthy. I’m ending 2020 with joy in my heart and hope in tomorrow. Now to keep looking ahead and firm up my goals for 2021.

  6. Lizzy on at

    What a year! My son turned two in October, and was healthy most of the year 🙌 (in 2019 he had over a dozen ear infections and two surgeries within 4 months). We also were able to get pregnant with our second child- a boy due in April! Another small great thing: I’ve made a habit of reading my Bible first thing in the morning. It’s only the verse of the day, but it’s more time in the Word than I was spending before!

  7. Kelly Morris on at

    It’s so awesome you take the time to enjoy your family. Family is a big goal for me in 2021. While relationships may be FINE, there is always ways to grow, so I will. Thanks for being you and finding ways to help others, even while you need to take care of yourself and family first.

    Here we come 2021!!!

    –Kelly Morris

  8. Shanell on at

    2020 has definitely been a year to remember. With everything that has happened I’ve learned that even when negativity is present there is still lots of love present as well. And my job as a military wife, a mother, and woman is to stay focused on that love and fill my home with it at all costs. I’m so ready to step into 2021 with courage and love in my heart. 💖 Come on 2021!!

    P.S. I said it before on IG but another congratulations on 10 beautiful years!! 🎉

  9. Erin on at

    Tha no you so much for sharing! I truly enjoy and am inspired by reading your words and what God has done!

  10. Elizabeth West Powers on at

    Lara, you are such a blessing in my life. Thank you for all you do to help us grow! This year has taught me that there’s beauty in the midst of a mess if you look for it.

    • Lara on at

      I’m so grateful you’ve been encouraged, Elizabeth! So glad you’re here!

  11. Chasity on at

    This was a delight to read. I love your transparency. I was blessed that 2020 was a prosperous year despite the challenges. It really has been a year of clarity. It made us all sit down and appreciate what is really important.

  12. MICHELLE G on at

    This year although hard, has made me so grateful for the things I have in life. I’m grateful for where I live and the joy my little family has experienced together this year. I feel like I’ll look back on 2020 with such tender memories among the crazy year. I’m ending this year just bursting with gratefulness. I’m also thankful for your team and what you guys are doing! Be the light!

    • Lara on at

      Oh, I can relate about the tender memories. Love this so much, Michelle!

  13. Allison Lieuwen on at

    This was a hard year – a miscarriage and both my parents getting diagnosed with cancer on top of a global pandemic. Thank you for the reminder to look for the good. There was so much of it! We got to see the faithfulness and love of God, the support of a wonderful community of believers, and the hope of eternity with the Lord became so much more precious to us. This world is not our home, and I am so grateful for that! We have so much hope in the Lord and not even death can change that! Thank you for what you are doing to be a light and hope!

    • Lara on at

      I’m so sorry you experienced all of this, Allison. What a journey you’ve been on this year. I wish I could hug you through the screen. I’m so grateful you have such a strong community around you. After my own miscarriage, I don’t know what I would have done without friends who kept asking me how I was doing. I really wanted to isolate myself, but they wouldn’t let me. So grateful you are here!

  14. Carrie on at

    I learned my husband loves ME and not just “his wife”, and that I need to speak up for myself instead of playing endless sanarios in my head.

  15. Jenny G on at

    This was definitely the year of letting go of perfect for me. As a healthcare worker and mother of young children, it was all I could do to keep my head up some days, but the Lord is faithful and continues to give me strength. I am excited to see 2021, but hope to continue to trust and let go as was a necessity in 2020. Thank you Lara, for all your encouragement!

  16. Christina on at

    So many good things this year, and the most beautiful part is that, any other year, I don’t know if they would have stood out.
    With my toddler, we took time to slow down, to look at the birds!, to pick raspberries, and to play in the dirt. This year feels rich when I think about the gift it was to see him grow and to choose to cultivate wonder for him in that, too. I realized that while the pandemic made things feel small for me (disconnected from family, unable to work, unable to travel to see friends etc.), there was still a world of wonder and goodness and delight when I shared it with my toddler.
    And seeing all that goodness is a lesson I want to apply each year, no matter how it unfolds.

  17. Lindsey on at

    This was a very hard year, but there was also good things that arose out of it. Thank you for sharing how your year has been and for your encouraging heart.

  18. Meghan on at

    We went into the year expecting to move to a larger house pretty quickly, but due to unexpected financial challenges, at the end of the year we are still in our 960 sq. ft. house as a work at home, homeschooling family of 6. It wasn’t what I would have chosen, but God has grown us so much through this year in this house. I never thought I would be this joyful and content, but I know that it’s His grace for this unexpected journey.

  19. Julie on at

    This year about broke me. I lost my husband to Covid in July. At 48 I am trying to figure out life and our business alone along with Trying to help my daughters through all this.
    I’ve realized I’m stronger than I ever thought I was. I have built a great tribe of people to rely on. I have learned that I can’t do it all and it’s ok to ask for help. I am determined to make our business work and our family to have a good life.

  20. Jody Osburn on at

    This year brought many challenges and changes- as it did for everyone. The biggest surprise? How absolutely essential being outside is for my mental health. Encouraged by your podcast, I created a large garden space which provided exercise, fresh air and escape. Thank you!

  21. Sarah on at

    This year has definitely brought a lot of growth for all 4 of us! My kids have become more resilient and brave. We grown ups have put aside a lot that we felt was important. I am learning,, through therapy, to feel my self worth and self love. We are all working on being good allies and citizens of our new town! 2020 has shed a very bright light on things of our country and selves that have lived in dimmness for far too long. I am eager, knowing how hard it will still be, for 2021 to bring continued growth.

  22. Jessica on at

    Lara, I love your updates. You are always so inspiring. I am on my 3rd year of PowerSheets, and this year my word is “Purpose.” I didn’t even know that until I went through the prep pages. But I can’t wait to finish this year strong, and start next year well. Thanks for everything!

  23. Erin C on at

    This year has been full of lots of small graces in the midst of the hard. I’ve noticed how even when we’re waiting for something big and feel like God isn’t maybe speaking their , He still speaks in sweet and small ways. I’ve seen tiny whispered ( some never spoken aloud) desires of my heart come to pass even in the midst of my Dad passing away, a global pandemic and a continued wait for children. It really is about perspective isn’t it? Sometime we have to fight to find gratitude but it’s always worth it.

  24. Brandi on at

    Lara,
    Love that you shared a list of vulnerability, grace, hope, and gratitude. Sigh… I can’t thank you and your Cultivate team enough! I’ve been a faithful Powersheeter (is that even a word?) for the past four years now and have never felt more productive and powerful in all of my life. Even when I had to pause on my progress when the pandemic got too heavy, I still made the effort to complete each month-end reflection. Thank you… for the detail your team puts into every page, every color, every tab… thank you for the nights where work maybe came first when it shouldn’t have… thank you for your dedication to empower connectivity through webinars, podcasts, and virtual conferences… thank you for saving me, teaching me, and lighting a fire through my darkness. GOD BLESS YOU!!!

  25. Sara B. on at

    I’m so with you! My husband and I often say how thankful we are for this year. There were struggles and hard times, but we’re closer than ever before, we’ve discovered where we want to be and are working to get there and we’ve been able to delight in things that we didn’t before. I hope we continue to be on the same page when the world goes back to “normal” because we’ve realized we didn’t really like a lot of that “normal”. Here’s to more growing and becoming in 2021!

  26. Holly on at

    We are big CM homeschool fans too!

  27. Heather on at

    Just discovering PowerSheets here late in 2020. Have mine for 2021, prep work done, and excited to see what the future will hold with this as a guide!

  28. Alexa on at

    I loved reading this encouraging post! Congrats on 10 years. This year, I was so grateful for my family and friends who hosted virtual game nights, movies and chats. They brought me so much joy and much needed distraction during this hard year. Looking forward to prioritizing quality time with them (both virtually and hopefully in-person next summer!) in 2021.

  29. Katya on at

    This year was incredible and challenging at the same time! I leaped and entered into a Counseling program to get a Master’s degree. I cried and doubted my decision because it is so hard for me as English is not my first language, but God over and over shows up to prove that He has called me to do this. I love to see how He shows up every time I need His help.

  30. Jessica Hand on at

    I’m thankful that this past year has taught me the art of putting Family First! Congrats on 10 years!!

  31. Ashley on at

    I’ve always been so grateful for homeschooling but this year especially! We started our little homestead, got chickens (and fell in love with them), and we’re planning on adding bees (hopefully!) next year! Cheers to 2021!

  32. Laura on at

    When I did my year review in my 2020 powersheets, I flipped back through each month and through my write the word journal. I was blown away by how many good things there actually were from 2020! I made some great progress on goals and saw the Lord’s provision in mutiple ways!

  33. Allison on at

    I’m new to your website and power sheets and I’m so excited to start 2021 off with some goals. I look back on 2020 and loved the slower pace, the extra time with my kids and wouldn’t you know it, God called me to go back to the classroom to teach after working online for 14 years! God’s plans are so much better and I can’t wait to use this tool to help capture the goals he wants for me 💝

  34. This will be my first year using the Powersheets, 2020 was intended but didn’t happen. 2020 has been hard. I’m grateful for new online friends, grateful the transition wasn’t as hard on my kids as it seemed to be on me. As we look to 2021 I know it will not be a flip of a switch and everything will be better. But I’m hoping to take my word of the year (I think anyway) from 2020 into 2021 and DREAM… (Dare to dream / Renew connection to self, others, and God / Embrace life where it is and move forward / Allow others to help, Ask for help / Meraki (pronounced may-rah-kee) greek meaning time to do something with soul, creativity, or love …. I really hope to use the Powersheets to Dream.

  35. Liz on at

    I learned that we all thrive outdoors! We did so much walking, playing in the river, gardening (not as much as hoped, but as much as we could), biking and playing in the yard. We also grew closer to our neighbors who saw us outside EVERYDAY! My oldest learned to read and is discovering how much he loves books. My youngest is learning to talk and how to speak up for what he needs. I’m learning how to be present even in challenging situations, how to lean on my friends, and how to give myself grace. My husband is learning how to lean into being home with us when he’s not working.

  36. Lisa S on at

    I learned that we need to ask for help if and when we need it. Learned to simplify and be flexible! Thanks for all these great resources, Lara and Cultivate team!

    • Lara on at

      YES! This is so good, it’s okay to grow slow, Lisa!

  37. Elizabeth Rose on at

    This year I learned that there are parts of my life where I am definitely not as strong as I thought, but that He is, has been, and always will be strong for me. I am learning to let go of my desire to be in control and watch what God can do in my weaknesses. I have learned (again) that God truly does not leave us alone and provides us with fellowship from the least likely places. I’m learning to not be so presumptuous and assume I know all about things because he has shown me I definitely do not, but he does and I’m learning to trust in that…..there are so many other things I’ve have learned and am learning through this year but I honestly don’t think there’s enough space in the world to contain it all. I am so blessed to see so much of Gods face and mercy and am excited to see more in 2021

    • Lara on at

      AMEN! Thanks for sharing all you’ve learned, Elizabeth!

  38. Kaethe Pittman on at

    I am grateful for my husband, our daughter, and our new grandbaby — the core of our social bubble during this difficult year.

  39. Monica Duenes on at

    I am so grateful for the life that God has given me. I’ve started to learn to receive with a better attitude the trials along with the blessings because I now know that growth comes from pruning…even if it hurts quite a bit. I am so very excited to be starting with my first ever PowerSheets this next year! Oh I how I hope to be able to START and CONTINUE!!! Thank you so much, Lara and team for all you’ve done to give us this amazing resource! 🙂

  40. Amanda Noel on at

    I have learned how to cultivate gratitude in the hardest times. My family and I increased our love of adventuring together just us when usually we would have paired up with friends or extended family (I’m looking forward to returning to those times too, but we will probably continue to get away just us as well.) I have learned which friends are there because of proximity and ease of shared activities and which friends are deep friendships who are there through it all!

  41. Mikayla Kwan on at

    I finished cultivate your year live yesterday and feel so renewed and light with some of the things I discovered. 2020 was hard but there is so many good things that came from slowing down. My 2020 word was margin and I’m grateful I was allowed so much margin in 2020.

    • Lara on at

      Hooray! So exciting, Mikayla!

  42. Jessie Richards on at

    2020 allowed to just sit back and enjoy the view. The view could be a the beach, your garden or simply watching your husband yell at the game on tv. It’s the little things that make the biggest impact.

  43. Pam McCune on at

    What a joy to watch your JOY. It is contagious ♡ This has been a year of having to dig harder for the treasure– but treasure there is!!

  44. Lakin Stanfield on at

    This year I learned to trust in God, day to day, instead of circumstances! Matthew 6:11 Matthew 6:34

  45. Kate on at

    I’m so grateful for the blessing and privilege of welcoming our 3rd baby into the world this year. A light of joy for our growing family! We were very blessed by the time we had together and the hard realities we confronted together. Coming out of 2020 we are tired but much closer and tight knit 🙂

  46. Brianna on at

    I am grateful for the clarity 2020 brought and I’m looking forward to the new thoughts and perspectives I’ll have in 2021. To be sure, 2020 has been hard and impacted almost every area of my family’s life (health, work, finances), but God has been so faithful and shown me what truly matters in life.

  47. Kimberly on at

    thank you for all you do and for this post. i enjoyed reading it very much and have a better understanding of what powersheets are. i have been using the write the word journals for all of covid and they have been LIFE CHANGING. i have told soo many people about them, given them as gifts, gave a testimony in my sunday school class and book club and talked about them.

    2020 was a year full of reasons for joy for me. God slowed things down and created new healthy and Godly rhythms in my life and in my family’s life. i created a space in my closet for my morning quiet times (part of my morning rhythm is using the cultivate confidence write the word – which my 6 year old daughter joins me for now!!) and in the afternoon i pause mid-day for a daily office and use the cultivate renewal write the word journal while the kids watch an episode of tv. we have started doing family time at night and playing board games, two of my kids learned how to ride big kid bikes, and i’m homeschooling those same two kids. i’m teaching and living out of being and not doing. there are still hiccup days, but i feel a difference in how i’m living and being. and i’m loving it. thank you for the opportunity to reflect and share!

  48. Apryl L Rhodes on at

    This is my first year using Powersheets. This past year has brought clarity about who I want to be. It has taught me that I am beyond strong and I deserve the life I want. 2020 has also taught me that it’s okay to do nothing and feel bad. It’s all a part of life. I can’t wait to see what I’ll achieve in 2021 with my Powersheets keeping me focused.

  49. Katy-Rose on at

    I had to smile when you described 2020 as wild -> That’s my word for 2021! I’m going to unearth my wild, untamed, true fiery self and let her run across the grass with bare feet… lockdowns depending!!!

  50. Dee McKinney on at

    First I totally loved the video. Thank you for sharing and for being courageous to allow all of us to enter into your world. 2020 taught me that no matter what is going on in the world, God has me in His hand. His strength becomes my strength, when mine is gone. His love becomes my love, when mine is gone. We could go through each one of the fruit of the Spirit and know that when we need Him the most He shows up and equips us to face the challenges ahead.

  51. Meg on at

    I learned I need to give myself grace. It has been a challenging year for a lot of reasons and sometimes you need to step back/ask for help.

  52. Abby Strickland on at

    I’m grateful for a girls’ club a few of my dear friends and I started this past summer! It was a delight to meet with them each week, share what’s on our hearts, and read a new book together.

  53. Justine on at

    Hi Lara!! I’ve been using Powersheets for years and am SO grateful for you! I started my 2021 Powersheets and got to the page about the good things that happened this year and I was honestly stumped. I was about to leave it blank but had time to process. The Lord reminded me of ALL the wonderful things that happened despite all the hard stuff. 2020 was actually a wonderful year and I am grateful to my Powersheets for reminding me of this ❤️

  54. Gloriana on at

    The last 12 months have shown me that God never changes and He is always good. I am so grateful for my SIL for being my kindred spirit and supporter, despite the distance.

  55. Rebecca on at

    I’m grateful for technology that allows me to keep in contact with friends and family. Had more video calls with international family since March than in any other year. Looking forward to seeing people again in person when it is safe to do so. This is my second year using PowerSheets. They helped me a lot in 2020. Looking forward to seeing what we all can achieve in 2021.

  56. Erin on at

    Thanks for your reflections, Lara! I’m listening to last year’s goal setting podcast so it was great to read an update on your goals from last year. I am doing Power Sheets for the first time (!) and I loved writing the “What worked in 2020” – I’m grateful for a long list to look back on during a challenging year. We grew closer together as a family. At the beginning of the pandemic we read Psalm 91 aloud for 91 days and I will forever remember it whenever I read that Psalm.

    • Lara on at

      Yippee! So glad you’re here, Erin! Love that idea!

  57. Margo on at

    I absolutely loved your video! What an amazing idea and a legacy for your children! God is so good…even when we forget to look for Him. Thank-you for encouraging us to always look for Him! M <.

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