Lara Casey's Blog, page 12

2020 GOAL SETTING, Part 3: The Intentional Goal Setting Checklist

Welcome to the 9th annual Intentional Goal Setting Series! Here’s Part 1 and Part 2 to get you started living your best year!

Want to listen to this post instead of reading it? Listen to today’s episode of the Cultivate Your Life podcast and subscribe on iTunes!

Let’s dig in!

Remember how you felt when you started this series just a few posts ago? Many of you expressed feeling equal parts nervous and excited!

What would you uncover in this process? Would it be hard? Would you be able to follow-through? Would you be adding to your plate instead of simplifying things?

But, you felt the fear and dove in anyway. You stepped outside of your comfort zone and that says a lot about you!

Look where you are NOW.

You are doing goal setting differently than you’ve done it before.
You are NOT choosing goals out of thin air or because of comparison or fear or trying to keep up.
You, my friend, are uncovering what matters.
That changes everything!

You’ve blown me away in this series and you’re getting ready to choose your best goals for 2020—goals you can’t wait to get started on. I’m so excited for you!

REFRESH YOUR MIND

First, let’s refresh our minds as we begin! Review everything you’ve written so far. Like we talked about in Part 2, look for the threads or themes in what you’ve uncovered as we’ve done this series together.

I can’t believe what I would have missed had I not reviewed everything again with fresh eyes. Here’s what I found…

— The biggest thing that keeps popping up—my clearest thread—is spending time with my physical Bible and growing a richer faith. 

— I also circled and highlighted many things that have to do with solitude, moving my body, and helping our children delight in good things. (See my word of the year popping up??)

WRITE GOAL IDEAS FOR 2020

Now that our minds are refreshed, let’s write out some goal ideas! Make a list of “goal ideas” for the year that help you live out what matters in the big picture. Your goal ideas don’t have to be perfectly written—just write what comes to mind first when you think about the big picture. Feel free to share some of your goal ideas in the comments, too!

Check your goal ideas to make sure they’re worth spending your time on. Let’s sort through the goal ideas and see if we can find any weeds. It’s easy to make goals that sound good or goals that look like other people’s. Let’s not do that

2020 GOAL SETTING, Part 2: How to Choose a Word of the Year

Hi, friends! Welcome back to Part 2 of the 2020 Goal Setting Series! If you’re new, I’m especially glad you’re here. Hop over to read Part 1 before digging into this post!

Want to listen to this post? You’ll love today’s new episode of the Cultivate Your Life Podcast—with bonus content!

Oooooh, this is getting good! As we talked about in Part 1, we’re doing this goal-setting thing differently.

You’re not choosing goals out of thin air, or because of comparison.
You’re not doing fleeting resolutions or quick fixes that don’t fix anything at all.
You are uncovering what matters—and I am so excited for you today!

This 4-part series is a taste of the PowerSheets® Prep Work. Your PowerSheets® have many more goal-uncovering insights and guided worksheets than I’ll include here. Your PowerSheets will guide you to take the goals you uncover and live them out in 2020—month by month and little by little. Setting great goals is one thing; living them out is another thing entirely. This series is a starting point to help you think differently. If you are ready to quit traditional goal setting, you are going to LOVE the PowerSheets. (15% off just for you today with code BESTYEAR2020!)

Let’s knock some barriers down today, shall we?

You know the feeling you get when your to-do list is overflowing?

You have so much to get done and there’s not enough time for the rest of life—the joy-filled living part. You can’t slow down, though, or let go of anything. Something might fall through the cracks if you do. You keep going, trying your best to get one more thing done and feeling like the only thing that’s done is you.

Have you felt that before?
I have, too!

Maybe you’re here searching for something that will make life easier because you feel like you’re MISSING YOUR LIFE. You think, “When will I start really living?”

Let me go ahead and share that conquering your to-do list once and for all won’t solve things.

So, what does solve this battle of Woman vs. To-Do List? It starts with what goes on that list in the first place. Maybe, just maybe, you could start doing less and making it mean more. It all starts with answering the one question that can change your life forever.

Before we get to that golden question, let me help you with something you may be feeling right now. Have you caught yourself feeling like your answers to Part 1 weren’t “enough?” Maybe you’re wondering if you did it “right?” Yes, my friend, you aren’t just doing this “right”—you’re rocking it! You are here for a reason and your answers to Part 1 were exactly what they were supposed to be. You are on your way to your best year!

Get your 2020 PowerSheets before we sell out for the year! Just for you: use code BESTYEAR2020 for 15% off your purchase.

I wrote the handwriting piece above (which has since been shared online tens of millions of times—so crazy) not about skydiving, traveling to a foreign country, or anything you might typically see on a bucket list. I wrote it late one night in my kitchen, after putting baby Grace to sleep, about wanting to finally read the Bible from start to finish. It felt like a daunting task, but I wanted to grow my faith. I was determined—this really mattered to me in the big picture!

When something matters to you in the big picture, how you do it doesn’t matter as much as why you do it. 

My why drove me forward, especially during the many times I fell behind or wanted to jump ship. (Have you ever felt that way?) Little by little, over the course of a year and a half, I did end up reading the Bible—and it changed everything. The little-by-little added up. (Listen to the whole story of these words here!)

Maybe you want to cultivate stronger friendships, grow a lasting legacy with your work, or make meaningful memories with your family. Maybe you want to pay down debt, be able to run outside with your grandkids when you’re 80, or finally do that thing that’s been on your list forever. Whatever it is, let’s talk about it!

Let’s plant the first seed right here, together!

ASK YOURSELF THE GOLDEN QUESTION

Ready for the one question you need to ask yourself to uncover your best goals? Here it is.

Where you want to be when you’re 80—or 90 or 100? What will be important to you then, and what won’t? The answer to this question is the secret to setting goals that matter—goals you can’t wait to get started on. This is the question at the heart of the PowerSheets Prep Work, and in your PowerSheets, you’ll get even more clear on your life vision through a series of additional exercises and questions!

Let’s see how this first question changes things, though. Have you heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals? S.M.A.R.T. is the “gold standard” in goal setting, and it stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals.

But, time and time again, despite their reputation of being foolproof, SMART goals fail. SMART goals are missing one key component (the secret sauce of our community’s success!): purpose.

When the goal you want to achieve matters to you in the big picture, you will follow through. No matter how many times you mess up along the way, you’ll get back up—because you care! How perfectly you get there doesn’t matter as much as why. And the why behind your goals is what keeps you from jumping ship at the first sign of imperfection.

If you don’t first uncover what matters, even your goals achieved will lack meaning. Doesn’t that make you stop and think for a minute? We get this one life and only the Lord knows how long or short it will be. I don’t know about you, but that gets me all sorts of motivated to use it well. I quite literally don’t have time to waste, because I don’t know how much of it there will be!

Are you feeling this, too? This urgency to double-down on what’s important in life? (I know how you feel and I am so excited for you! I wish we were in the same room right now! Imagine me giving you a huge high five—plus high fives from all the ladies I’m so grateful to work alongside each day. We’re with you each step of the way and we are praying for you throughout this series!

You are in the process of uncovering purpose-filled goals and it starts with the big picture—the vital step most people miss!

What will matter to you in the big picture and what won’t? I’ve asked this question of thousands of women and the answers tend to be centered on relationships and growing what lasts longer than us. What won’t matter to you? How many likes you had on an Instagram post, how much other people approved of you, or having a perfectly clean house or organized pantry, perhaps?

There’s nothing wrong with any of those things, by the way—if having an organized pantry helps you love your people in the big picture, organize your heart out! And social media can be a wonderful tool to help others when used well. It tends to be more of a distraction many times, though, right?

Your answers here matter. The good you do today has the potential to change generations—that’s why uncovering good goals and having a clear focus is so important.

The alternative to focusing on what matters in the big picture? Spending your time lost in distractions. Lost in Instagram. Lost in the chase for perfection, or significance, or approval, or whatever it is that has been holding you back from really living. You’ll find yourself restless, knowing that there’s more to this life. If that’s you right now, you are in the right place! I know that feeling well, and this is your chance to choose change as you answer this question:

To get uncomfortable.  
To think bigger than you and beyond your current circumstances.
To press into fear and give it the boot!

Write out your thoughts about where you want to be (or don’t want to be) when you’re 80—and remember, make a mess. No perfect answers or handwriting needed. Write what’s true for you.

Psst—about that to-do list: knowing where you want to be in the big picture helps you simplify your life—and your list—TODAY. If there are things on your list that aren’t pointing to what matters in the big picture, it’s possible they don’t need to be there! (Take that, to-do list!)

MAKE YOUR YES AND NO LIST

Now that you can see the big picture a little more clearly, what are you going to need to say YES to in order to live it out—and what are you saying NO to? Saying no to one thing means you have the opportunity (space, time, patience, focus, resources) to say yes to something better. You’ll answer this question every month of 2020 in your PowerSheets, because it’s a powerful way to refocus on what matters throughout the year, not just at the beginning.

Write your list of what you are saying YES to in 2020 and what you’re saying NO to. Look back through everything you’ve written in your PowerSheets so far, and making your lists will be simple!

Here’s a peek at what I’m saying yes and no to from my PowerSheets:

Download my free Intentional Year List printable below (instant download) to keep your list in clear view all year long. This is a great printable to put on your fridge, on your bulletin board, or wherever you’ll see it most!

You may find some of your 2020 goals coming to the surface in these lists, because they are a powerful summary of where you’re going and where you DON’T want to go in the year ahead. 

Doesn’t that feel so good to write those things out? 

Clarity on what matters—and what doesn’t—is energizing! I’m excited for you!

MARK WHAT’S IMPORTANT

In our PowerSheets and in this series, we’ve uncovered a lot together so far! Now, read over all you’ve written so far and circle, mark, or sticker things that stand out to you. Look for common threads or themes in what you’ve written. Add or cross out as needed. Add to your lists of what did and didn’t work (I added a ton to mine!). Add more to your YES and NO lists. Use those stickers to mark what matters. Uncovering good goals is like a treasure hunt—get messy and dig a little deeper. Get out a highlighter or a big bold pen and get messy here!

Listen in to the podcast for more on uncovering threads!

This step took me about 20 minutes: I went back and read every word I wrote in my PowerSheets prep and highlighted, circled, and stickered things that stood out—things that really mattered to me and things that kept coming up.

(Side note: lots of you have asked what pens and highlighters we love. I use these, these, and these. I also use our Goal Setting Sticker Book—my favorite!)

The threads point to places that are craving cultivation—forgotten patches of your life that are waiting to be transformed.

The threads are little golden strings that tie your goals together.

The threads are your goals in the making.

Let’s do some treasure hunting and find them!

Now is the time to get your 2020 PowerSheets Intentional Goal Planner! You’ll get 15% off with the code BESTYEAR2020!

Those themes that keep popping up? The things on your yes/no list that you can’t get out of your mind?

These little threads are illuminating your path forward. Notice them. Mark them. And take a shovel and dig into them.

This is cultivating.

Tilling your growing ground, digging in deep, and preparing for new growth.

CHOOSE A 2020 WORD OF THE YEAR 

When you look at all you’ve written so far, what word keeps popping up in your mind? What one word most resonates with you for the year ahead, summarizing what you want to focus on?

Here are some tips I use that may help you uncover your word:

First, I like to make a list of a few possible words that resonate with me, even if I think they aren’t exactly right.

My list for 2020 included:

QuietDiligentPrepareRecreation (or Re-creation)MarginForty (

2020 GOAL SETTING, Part 1: Let’s get started!

Hi, friends! Welcome to Part 1 of the 2020 Goal Setting Series! If you’re new, I’m especially glad you’re here.

Want to listen to this post instead of reading it? Listen to the brand new special episode of the Cultivate Your Life Podcast (includes bonus content and coaching for the series)!

You came here for a reason. What brought you here?

Maybe you’re feeling frustrated as you look back at 2019.

You didn’t make as much progress as you hoped on some of your goals—or you forgot about them completely.

Perhaps goal setting has failed you before and you feel defeated already thinking about the new year. You’re considering going “goal-less!”

Perhaps you stumbled on this post and it intrigued you because you want change in your life, but you’re afraid of how long it will take. You want change yesterday—you want a quick fix.

Or maybe this year has been great—you made progress on the right goals and you want to keep it going for 2020.

Whatever brought you here, you are in the right place!

Welcome to the ✨Ninth-Annual Intentional Goal Setting Series!✨ We’re 9 years strong, friends! (What are we going to do for our 10-year anniversary next year!? Let’s plan something extra fun together!) Many of you have been doing this series alongside me since year one and your goal updates each year blow me away!

Who is this 2020 Goal Setting Series for? The short answer: YOU!

November Progress + December PowerSheets Goals

Hey there, December. You snuck up on us! Did you feel the December sneak-up, too? I was feeling a little scattered yesterday until I did my December PowerSheets! I love getting all my thoughts and to-do’s out on paper and being guided to focus on what matters this month. It’s a big month and I’m ready.

Here’s a look back at my November PowerSheets goals and what I learned this month. I can’t wait to hear about your goals, too.

November Monthly Goals:
—Cultivate my 2020 calendar (Here’s how you can do the same!) / Progress here and more to come.
—Pray over 2020 company and personal goals / Yes! We set our 2020 company goals, which was an exciting and enriching process together. I finished my own 2020 PowerSheets prep, too, and am waiting to write my actual goals for another couple weeks. It was my favorite year using the PowerSheets process!
—Make a meaningful gift list / Done.
—Celebrate Gracie turning 8! / Unicorns and glitter abounded and Grace turned 8!

—Write the 2020 Goal Setting Series / Part 1 goes live this Wednesday, along with a special episode of the Cultivate Your Life podcast—get ready!

November Weekly Goals:
—Sabbath rest / Yes, and I particularly enjoyed these two podcast episodes that talk about Sabbath: Jennie Allen and the Bema Podcast (so good!).

November Daily Goals:
—Bible reading / Yes! I’m so close to finishing this #1 goal for 2019!
—Run! / Yes!

December is a big month! As you can imagine when you are the CEO of a goal setting company, it’s go time around here! I love this month of intentional forethought, reflection, and reorienting our hearts and souls on what matters.

Gracie wrote my encouraging words for the month, and I love them!

Cultivate Your Life Podcast Episode 026: Dear January Selves

You’re feeling it. The end of the year, with all of its bells and whistles, is coming at you like a freight train. Christmas music has been playing for months, and if you haven’t already purchased ALL of your gifts, you feel behind.

Do you want to take a break from the hustle and bustle? And refocus on what really matters?

Me, too — and today’s episode has some really good news for you!

LISTEN NOW!

In this episode:
— Does being “intentional” conjure up images of Pinterest, crafts, and hours and hours spent with loved ones? While those things aren’t bad, we start today by talking about how they aren’t a requirement for living with the big picture in mind.
— I tell you about another one of my orchids, its untimely demise, and the message my daughter delivered to me when I really needed it. Once again, I was reminded that His plans are always better than mine.
— Are you in the middle of that right now? Just wanting to get all the things done? Or are you feeling like a failure, having not done the things you had hoped to do this year? We talk about how maybe God wants to grow something different in you. He is there in the unexpected!
— I ask you to think about where you were on January 1, 2019 (and I tell you what I would tell my January 1st self, if I could go back and talk to her!). We also hear from some other listeners about what they would tell their January selves!
— Then, we looked ahead to our January 1, 2020 selves and wrote a little letter to that gal. What would it take for you to look back then and know you cultivated what matters now?
— I gave you a reminder that we get to choose and there’s still time. We can’t do it all and do it all well, but we can opt out of the crazy! As a reminder of our opportunities to choose and the importance of gratitude, we took a little break out in the garden.
— So, where do we start with turning our hearts around, and in the process, turning the rest of our years around? I start with prayer, and I finish the episode by praying for all of us.

Interested in some of the things I mentioned throughout this episode? Here you go!

— Listen in to episode 1 for the story of the infamous orchid — the one that first taught me the power of little by little progress!
— Curious about the flood in our house? Here’s the backstory!
— I shared Psalm 37:3-5.
— Get your 2020 PowerSheets goal planner today! Then, join us for PowerSheets Prep Week starting December 9th. Together, we’ll uncover what really matters and set goals to help live it out!

LOVE THE PODCAST? SHARE IT! Text, email, carrier pigeon—share this episode with friends however you like! This episode is really special, so I hope you’ll share it with someone you love! Feel free to grab one of these graphics to post about it, too!

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SUBSCRIBE NOW to the Cultivate Your Life podcast on iTunes so you won’t miss an episode. If you love the podcast, please leave a quick review on iTunes—it helps other women find this free encouragement! Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. I’ll be featuring some of your reviews in a future episode!

The post Cultivate Your Life Podcast Episode 026: Dear January Selves appeared first on Lara Casey.

October Progress + November PowerSheets Goals

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. You know those hurried days between Christmas and New Years when everyone scrambles to set goals? Instead of microwaving your goals, let’s slow cook them. Join me starting on December 9th for PowerSheets Prep Week! I’ll walk you step-by-step through the PowerSheets Prep Work and Goal Action Plan pages to help you prepare well for 2020. Get your PowerSheets ordered now so you get them in plenty of time, and mark your calendar. I can’t wait to dig in with you!

The post October Progress + November PowerSheets Goals appeared first on Lara Casey.

Top 5 Favorite 2020 Collection Products!

We knew you would be excited about the 2020 PowerSheets Collection. We didn’t know you would be this excited! It shouldn’t surprise us, though: all 15 of the new products were made by you and for you.

More than any collection we’ve created in years prior, the 2020 Collection was crafted with research and excellence from your stories and insight. From focus groups to surveys to reading your many stories of progress and transformation (you are so generous to share with us!)—you provided the very best ideas for new products and we made them happen for you!

Shop the 2020 Collection now and get your PowerSheets Goal Planner in a bundle before they sell out!

I thought it might be fun to share 5 favorite new products I’ll be using from the Collection. It was hard to choose just 5 out of the 15 because I’ll be using all of them—but here are a few highlights!

2020 PowerSheets! ($60 in Blooms, Pink Linen, Teal Linen, and Confetti) Of course, I had to include PowerSheets! Finally achieve your goals with the best-selling PowerSheets®️ One-Year Intentional Goal Planner. The most popular and results-backed goal planner, eight years running. I chose the Blooms cover this year!

Made for you—students, empty-nesters, corporate professionals, entrepreneurs, love-at-home moms! Thousands of women all over the world have found success with our simple, proven 3-step process.

Read more about the magic inside here! I’m most excited for the new section on simplifying your goals and your year.

The Accessory Pouch | ($18 in Blooms, Green, and Teal!) Your favorite accessory pouch is back and even better in 3 new designs and a larger size. You can see a few of my favorite ways to use them here, but I’m most excited about using them with my kids as busy bags at church! I’m using the Green Accessory Pouch alongside my PowerSheets.

My choices above alongside my 2020 prayer journal.

The Legacy Journal ($18 in Chambray, Pool, and Peach) | The extra-special journal you’ve been looking for! These high-quality linen journals can be used to capture milestones, write letters to a loved one, and more—I’ll be using the Chambray journal for recording memories throughout the year.

The Gift Wrap Book ($24) | No more wrinkled gift wrap rolls! This was a user request and I’m so excited we’re offering it in the Collection! It includes 4 beautiful designs, 12 fold-out sheets, and 12 perforated gold foil gift tags to match. I’ll be using this for Christmas gifts as well as gifts throughout the year for friends—the patterns are festive enough for the holidays, but work year-round, too!

The Goal Display Card Set ($10) | Out of sight, out of mind—not anymore! Display your goals on 12 gold foil cards where you can see them and make progress every day. I’ll be using a card to write out my 2020 goals each quarter (as I refresh them with my PowerSheets) and hanging them near my desk.

The Goal Setting Sticker Book ($15) + Faith Sticker Book ($14) | These sticker books are a best selling favorite that we’re thrilled to offer again this year (with updated stickers!). I use mine in my PowerSheets, with my kids, in my Write the Word journals, and even to spread some happiness on envelopes I send to the IRS

‘Twas the night before PowerSheets Launch…

… and all through the Cultivate office, the ladies were stirring getting ready for the day!

WATCH THIS VIDEO!

Cultivate Your Life Podcast Episode 025: The History Of PowerSheets

Have you ever gone through the motions in life? Feeling frustrated, like you want to do things differently, you want your life to change, and yet you keep doing the same things over and over again? I’ve been there.

Today, we’re going behind the scenes of the creation of the PowerSheets® goal planner, and we’re going to get you unstuck along the way.

LISTEN NOW!

In this episode:
— I tell you about a lightbulb moment—the spark that brought PowerSheets into the world—and what inspired the original Tending List. (I scratched out the first version on a piece of scrap paper!)
— I tell you how I decide, of all the things on my plate, what is actually worth spending time on, and what isn’t.
— We talk about the first sets of PowerSheets—loose-leaf sheets printed at a local printer and sold on Big Cartel. (Does that even exist anymore?!)
— I tell you what I do when I feel overwhelmed and under-qualified, and why sitting in that tension can be a huge blessing.
— Let’s talk about the evolution of PowerSheets over the years! We talk binders, soft covers, hard covers, black and white, and COLOR, and why we made each of those changes! Our office motto is make it better, and we try to live it out every day.
— I love sharing the story of PowerSheets, but what I really love is sharing what you’ve done with them. I tell you the story of 2016—it was a really hard year—and how my PowerSheets helped me through. Help other women to not give up in the middle of the mess were the words I wrote in my PowerSheets after many months of turmoil.
— I tell you about friends just like you who’ve made things happen with their PowerSheets, and what they all have in common: they didn’t give up at the first sign of imperfection. They believed in little-by-little progress. They kept what matters in front of them (their Tending Lists!). They committed to the long-haul. And, they made it FUN! That kind of success lasts, and those are the results you get with your PowerSheets!
— I walk you through every step in the process of getting PowerSheets from an idea into your hands.
— Finally, I talk about why I do this work… plus, how I described my job to a bunch of three-year-olds

Cultivate Your Life Podcast Episode 024: You know all those things?

Ever get the feeling life is passing you by?

You think, Where has the time gone? And the next thought that comes to your mind: Am I using this gift of a life well?

I’ve had that thought, too. And then one night, I wrote down a little promise to myself—a promise that’s since been shared millions of time on the internet. Maybe you’ve seen it: it’s a quote that says, “You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them.”

Today, we’re going to chat about the real story behind those words—and why they resonate so strongly with people, eight years later.

LISTEN NOW!

In this episode:
— I give you a little update on my plans that didn’t go as planned since our last podcast episode. It’s been an unexpected blessing, though, and has had me numbering my days more than ever.
— I tell you the story behind one of the most famous #laranotes of all time. Spoiler alert: I didn’t write it about skydiving or anything dramatic; I wrote it in my kitchen one night shortly after Grace was born.
— I give you one small step forward to take today to move forward on one of those things you’ve always wanted to do. There are still 90 days left in the year, and you can use them well!

Interested in some of the things I mentioned throughout this episode? Here you go!

— NEW 2020 PowerSheets launch soon! Choose your cover, see what’s inside, and get on the list to see the full product guide next week!
— Ready to make the most of the next 90 days? Start with these simple steps!
— Need a reminder of those things you’ve always wanted to do? Grab this gold foil art print.
— There’s a Goal Refresh in your PowerSheets every three months to harness the power of the 90-day window. Take a few minutes to fill yours out this week!
— Save the date: PowerSheets Prep Week is happening December 9th-13th! We’ll start our 2020 goals together in the next 90 days!

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SUBSCRIBE NOW to the Cultivate Your Life podcast on iTunes so you won’t miss an episode. If you love the podcast, please leave a quick review on iTunes—it helps other women find this free encouragement! Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. I’ll be featuring some of your reviews in a future episode!

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