The leaves are changing. The air is turning crisp. And my focus has turned to preparing well for the new year while finishing 2019 with an exclamation point (turning 40 on December 27th)!
I love this season and I also know it takes a little extra strategy to be intentional. November is a month we get to choose one of two paths: the path of crazy or the path of peace. One of the best ways to do that?
Welcome to NO-vember!
When we say no to one thing, we are saying yes to something better.
This is your month to say yes to what matters in the big picture.
This is your month to say NO—even when it’s hard—to the non-essentials. We only get this one life; let’s live it on purpose.
Here’s a quick look back at my October PowerSheets goals and what I learned this month. I can’t wait to hear about your goals, too!
October Monthly Goals:
—Ask God to prioritize my days / Yes, I really needed this focus and reminder on my Tending List. This is one of the many examples of how visibility creates accountability—and spurs us on to action. In the overwhelming moments, I stopped and asked Him what I should do next. I keep my PowerSheets open on my desk during the week and out on the kitchen counter on the weekends so I remember what matters. This helps me say YES intentionally instead of in a reactionary way.
—Do what’s most important in the big picture / I made big progress here. This was a month of looking at the big picture—of what will be important at the end of our days—and trying to make changes now accordingly. I did this through conversations with friends, prayer, and talking about what’s important in the big picture with my kids. I love showing them how to begin thinking this way!
—Delight in the Lord / I studied the word “delight” in the Bible and really needed this, too. My focal verse has been Psalm 37:4. Just breeze through some of the verses on delight in the Bible. So good!
—Hire a full-time Admin and Ministry Assistant / Done, praise the Lord! We had SO many wonderful applicants and I wish I could have hired you all! This lovely young lady starts in a couple of weeks and I’m very grateful.
—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) / YES!! Double yes! I worked so hard on this! I think I got almost 20K steps the day we moved out of the office house that we sold and simultaneously moved back into our house after the floor renovations were finally done. I was so tired and so grateful! One huge benefit of all of this happening was having to take all of our furniture and basically everything out of our house. We donated a lot and put things back in much better places!
October Weekly Goals:
—Sabbath. / Yes, we got back to lighting the Shabbat candles on Friday and the Havdalah candle on Saturday and it has been so sweet for our whole family. I love this practice we’ve cultivated this year!
—Be there / Yes! I’ve taking Grace to jump rope practice and using intentional forethought to be sure I’m there for the things that matter to them—even in the seemingly small moments.
October Daily Goals: / Progress on all of them below!
—Bible reading each morning / Yes, I’m reading through the Old Testament with a few friends this year and we are in Jeremiah. Not the easiest reading, but just when I think I can’t read any more of God’s anger, His GRACE and MERCY flood right in. Woosh! I’ve felt all the emotions in this reading and it has been so good for my soul. I’m already excited to dig into a slow read of the New Testament in 2020!
—Run! / Yes! This has been something I’ve worked on all year off and on. My knees have, praise the Lord, held out so far. Grateful for this!
—Re-creation with the kids / Yes! From hiking to jumping in leaves and the State Fair, we’ve made memories.
—Pray over our children. / Yes, before bed, I pray over them out loud.
Don’t miss these from October:
— The Podcast is back! I had such a fun time chatting about the history of PowerSheets and a little promise I made to myself that’s been shared millions of times on the internet.
— You are so excited about the 2020 PowerSheets Collection—it has blown us away! You had the very best ideas for new products and we made them happen for you!
— Did you see Ari’s rap? We had so much fun making this video for you to celebrate PowerSheets Launch week!
—Take a peek at my favorite new products from the 2020 Collection. It was hard to choose just 5 out of the 15—I’ll be using them all!
On to NO-vember! What are your goals for November? I’d love to hear below! I’m keeping it simple and focusing on saying NO to the things that don’t matter so I can say YES to the things that do.
November Monthly Goals:
—Cultivate my 2020 calendar (Here’s how you can do the same!)
—Pray over 2020 company and personal goals
—Make a meaningful gift list
—Celebrate Gracie turning 8!
—Write the 2020 Goal Setting Series
November Weekly Goals:
—Sabbath rest
November Daily Goals:
—Bible reading
—Run!
Your turn! Do you have goals for November? 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
34 Comments
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on November 1, 2019 at 1:59 pm
My biggest focus for the rest of this year is staying on track with our finances and “touching” them each day. We (my husband and I) are finishing up Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving by picking 1 child at a time and completing the shopping before moving on to the next child. Slow and steady so we can enjoy the season we are in.
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:39 pm
Love that idea, Julie! That makes it more fun, too!
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on November 1, 2019 at 2:33 pm
I’m intentionally planning a busier than usual November so I can set myself (and my family) up to have the time to enjoy the holiday visitors and activities in December. (And so I’ll have the time needed to set up my first set of PowerSheets with you starting on December 9th!)
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:40 pm
That is such a great thought, Beki! I hope you enjoy the busy and the calm. Cheering you on!
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on November 1, 2019 at 3:32 pm
This month I’m planning my 2020 goals, getting Christmas shopping done (or at least planned out!) and celebrating some big birthdays! Working daily on being grateful and being present for at least one moment a day.
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:40 pm
Love that, Sarah!
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on November 1, 2019 at 3:41 pm
I had thought I was all cool with my thanks & giving as my words for the month LOL.
But no I struggle with being grateful for what I have when I’m still looking at goals and things I want. So my top goal this month is to keep a gratitude journal and really enjoy my present. To see the perfect in my imperfect right now and just embrace it.-
on November 4, 2019 at 6:41 pm
So good, Jen! Cheering for you!
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on November 1, 2019 at 3:57 pm
I love this – thank you for sharing your progress with us!!
I’m also working on my Christmas list – hoping to finish prepping all the out-of-town gifts so they’ll be ready to send first. I’ll have to think on how use that “No” to make time to work on this!
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:41 pm
That takes a lot of coordinating, but you can do it!
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on November 1, 2019 at 10:46 pm
I ordered my first dated PowerSheets on Launch Day and they arrived today! I found PowerSheets in the spring and was happy to have the undated 6-month version (along with some PowerSheets “bling” so I could get started). I will be working on reviewing October and cultivating my November tending list tomorrow. My gift to myself for completing these tasks will be to open my new package!
One of my main goals for the month of November will be to really take time and space to reflect on this year (and other years past) and to consider what I really truly want to cultivate for myself in 2020. There’s so much power in being intentional. Thank you for your guidance and beautiful products.
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:42 pm
Christy, you are wonderful! Rooting for you as you finish 2019 well. 🙂
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on November 2, 2019 at 12:05 pm
I am so excited to have my 2020 power sheets in hand! They are so beautiful! But before the end of the year I am focusing on feeling good- physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually! For November I am focusing on eating foods that make me feel good, exercising regularly, and diving in to my write the word journal!!! So excited for NO-Vember 🙂
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:43 pm
Yes! Feeling good is important!
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on November 2, 2019 at 2:56 pm
Early Happy Birthday to you, Lara! I love how you are choosing select intentional goals and not overfilling your plate for this month. November will be different as I am cleaning up from major house plumbing repair/replacements (i.e., at this point lots of stuff out of place and much drywall to be sanded, primed and painted all over the house), and a two-week vacation in part to celebrate turning 60! Even though I feel I won’t be “ready” for the holidays, my goal is to thoroughly be present for this vacation with my husband and enjoy seeing sights of God’s creation we have never seen before. I want to also use this time of being away to focus on thanking God for my life, my “first-world” problems (such as the big repairs we’ve had going on at our house) and for being in good health and mobility as I enter a new decade. And honestly, that’s about it for November! Haha. Between prep for the vacation, the trip and then getting home in time (Lord willing!) to celebrate Thanksgiving Day (one way or another — not going to stress over that! We have done T’giving with turkey lunch meat sandwiches before, lol.), November is gonna be gone as soon as it’s started for me this year. Not sure I will even try to do any 2020 PowerSheets prep work until December! Have a great month!
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:44 pm
Thank you so much for the birthday wishes–so kind of you! It sounds like you have an exciting November ahead of you. I hope you enjoy every second of it!
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on November 3, 2019 at 4:51 am
Focusing on saying no to extra this month–no extra snacking, no extra stuff (paring down our stuff in the house and making room for margin and space), no extra activities so that I can stay committed to making what matters happen.
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:45 pm
That’s awesome, Courtney! You’ve got this!
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on November 3, 2019 at 5:37 am
I received my first set of powersheets here in Australia this week! Excited but also nervous about it! I’m reading the book, Hands Free Mama and focusing on being present with my kids this month! My phone died so that has also been helpful with the goal 🙂
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:45 pm
Hooray! I’m cheering for you as you dig in. Just take it one page at a time. 🙂 Have the best November!
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on November 3, 2019 at 8:34 pm
I love to cook but I am resolved to no longer spend all day in the kitchen on holidays. Going forward I am going to cook the meal ahead. The only thing I may do is bake the rolls the morning of the holiday and we will probably have it all buffet style.. That way I can visit with everyone.
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:46 pm
That’s such a great idea, Jackie!
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on November 4, 2019 at 3:29 pm
My goals for this month are varied! There are the usual holiday things. I am also trying this month to pray each day about current goals and ones I want to set for next year. I have some birthdays to celebrate well, and some family gospel study time I am trying to make more meaningful!
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on November 4, 2019 at 6:46 pm
Love that you’re praying over your goals, Gayle! That is amazing!
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on November 4, 2019 at 7:09 pm
A newbie here …. just bought the new 2020 Powersheets. I’ve been a planner all my life and I’m sooO… excited to get my plans and goals in one ‘pretty’ place. I LoOve the NOvember motto … so as my first initiative I will be saying NO to ‘busyness’ and ‘stress’ and,
YESss to FOCUS.
Focus on Jesus, the Saviour of my life, Redeemer of my soul,
Focus on the Light of the world,
Focus on Life and the things that bring life,
Focus on being a servant of the Cross of Christ,
Focus on the simple things like the smells of God’s creation all around us (pine & cedar, snow – did you know that snow has a smell?, earthy compost of fallen leaves), and last BUT definitely not least,
FOCUS on friends and family that God has blessed me with to share this Journey called Life!
Bless ALL of you Sojourners!!-
on November 14, 2019 at 4:35 pm
Welcome, Annette! Love this so much!
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on November 4, 2019 at 9:17 pm
Monthly Goals:
Finalize Will
Read 7 books
Hip Recovery PlanWeekly Goals:
Workout three times a week
Gratitude Journal with family three times
Homeschool four days a weekCarry Over From Last Month:
• Call PCHAS about Foster Care
• Make Fall Bucket List-
on November 14, 2019 at 4:36 pm
This sounds great, Sarah!
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on November 9, 2019 at 12:12 am
Love your podcast! And so inspired to keep doing the things that matter most. That’s really what 2019 has been. Small things. Things that matter. A few of my November goals are getting into a new walking routine (daylight saving and plain ole LIFE can be interrupters!) Also LIVING my life instead of scrolling. . . basically choosing activity in my life over passivity while life passes me by. 🙂
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on November 14, 2019 at 4:36 pm
These are great, Sierra! Love what you said about living instead of scrolling!
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on November 13, 2019 at 1:33 pm
Hi Lara, I finally said “no” to a church commitment (my third church commitment) that was very time-consuming and frustrating. Listening to your podcasts, I realized that I could not do all these things well and the one I was least excited about had to go. I oscillated for a while because it is one of those things that would make sense in the “big picture,” i.e. on my deathbed I’d probably would not say it was a complete waste of time and who knows, maybe God had called on me to take that on. The thing is, there are so many things to do for our church community and people keep asking if I’d do this and that. So my question is, how do you say “no” at the outset to commitments that seem important in the big picture but that you are not excited about and that spread you really thin. How do you decide what is most important if they all seem quite important. Can you please address it in one of your podcasts (or maybe you have already – I haven’t listened to all of them)?
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on November 14, 2019 at 4:38 pm
Hi, Irina! Love that you are listening to where the Lord is calling you! That’s a great question. I talk about it in my podcast episode 20: “How To Say No.” You can listen here:
https://laracasey.com/2019/06/19/cultivate-your-life-podcast-episode-020-how-to-say-no/
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on November 13, 2019 at 1:43 pm
Lara, I also want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the work you are doing to help others live a purposeful life! This is so precious – please, please, keep doing what you are doing! I purchased my first set of Powersheets and now I’m trying to work through them. It is not an easy process – you have to dig really deep into your soul, your hidden desires and insecurities. But it is so worth it! Thank you and God bless you!
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on November 14, 2019 at 4:39 pm
You are so kind! Thank you for that encouragement. I’m grateful for you!
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