Lara Casey's Blog, page 13

September Progress + October PowerSheets Goals

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.

Dahlias in the mountains!

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!).

Ready for October with my PowerSheets Tending List.

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

My sweet buddy helped me take these fun photos : )

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.  Mark your planner for the 2020 PowerSheets Collection Launch on October 16 at 10 am. I can’t wait to get these new products in your hands!

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

Interviews You Might Love!

I love making the Cultivate Your Life podcast for you (the podcast break has been so refreshing. I can’t wait to get back SOON with the new content we have planned for you!)—and I love having meaningful conversations elsewhere, too!

Here are some features and interviews I’ve been grateful to do that may encourage you!

Why Goal-Setting Should Just Happen on New Years with Fast Company
Cover Story on Chapel Hill Magazine
The Journey of Launching a Physical Product with Amy Porterfield
How to Set Goals as a Christian on Bible.com
Finding Your Purpose on the Business Boutique with Christie Wright
All About Goal Setting on the Goal Digger with Jenna Kutcher
Dreams, Goals, and Slowing Down on the Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey
Girl Boss Chat with Chrystal Evans Hurst
In A Season Of Waiting on Don’t Mom Alone
Devotionals with Proverbs 31 one + two
God Didn’t Design Us for Busy on Christianity Today Magazine
How to Set and Keep Goals That May Change on Girls Night
Working With a Team of Women with Sally Clarkson
How to Flourish as a Parent on At Home with Friends
Embrace the Season You’re In on The Living Room
How to Cultivate What Matters in Issue 14 of Belong Magazine
Balancing Business and Family with Ali Worthington
The journey of Southern Weddings on The EveryGirl
Living With Kids on Design Mom
Marriage and Taking Risks on The Lively Show
The Secret to Staying Motivated on Your Goals on HuffPost
Dear Nannies of the World on HuffPost

Choosing Purpose Over Perfect with Your Virtual Upline
How to Do All Those Things You’ve Always Wanted to Do on Don’t Keep Your Day Job
Maintaining Friendships, Boundaries on Social Media and Cultivating What Matters on The Balanced Life
FaithGateway
How to Set Goals that Motivate You to Take Action on She Did it Her Way
Cultivate What Matters with Denise Pass
Cultivating Your Team Culture on Little Black Desk Society
Planning An Intentional Life with Adam Mason
How To Kill Comparison And Enjoy Who You Are on Startup Camp with Dale Partridge

Want to interview me on your podcast or in other media?

I’d be delighted to chat with you! Simply fill out this form and Marissa will get right back to you!

The post Interviews You Might Love! appeared first on Lara Casey.

August Progress + September PowerSheets Goals

Feeling SO READY for the new month ahead?

My plans didn’t go as planned in August and I’m right there with you!

You’re ready for a new month of fresh routines.
A month of getting the best things done.
A month of crisp air and being re-energized.
A month of intentional decisions.
A month of soul rest.
A month of savoring.

“Savor” means to enjoy something completely. Fully. All-in. This month, let’s do that. Let’s savor the little things that add up to our lives!

We hiked in Tennessee and NC with the kids in August and it was awesome! More in my Instagram highlights!

A quick progress update on my August PowerSheets goals and what I learned is below. I hope this encourages you to celebrate even the tiny victories!

My August PowerSheets progress!

August Monthly Goals:
— Do the Fresh Faith Challenge. / Our house sort of fell apart in August (exploding water heater flooded the kids’ room and our living room so the kids are all sleeping with us right now) and I count these 6 days of Writing the Word as a big win! I did it under the covers with soft light so I wouldn’t wake everyone at night.

Hiring a Joyful Caregiver!

Emily looked at me this morning with a laugh and said, “We’re never doing a ‘When Your Plans Don’t Go as Planned‘ episode again!”

The last couple of weeks have indeed been filled with unusual and unexpected events here in our home and office. From exploding water heaters (plural—in our office and in our home) to a parent with major heart issues to a burst pipe in our front lawn (if your kids like playing in the mud, we have a 10 x 10 patch for them!) to our shower floor leaking (and using our extra kind next-door neighbors’ shower while ours was busted out—we love you, Jeff and Linda!) to the kids’ bedroom getting flooded and them camping with us for the next few weeks, to having to move our furniture out of the whole downstairs of the house from the water heater explosion incident… there’s more, but I think those are enough examples of unexpected incidents over the last two weeks!

July Progress + August PowerSheets Goals

“The trees tremble with delirious joy as the breeze greets them, one by one—now the oak, now the great sycamore, now the elm.” —From the poem “In August,” by Hamlin Garland

Hello, August!
A new season is around the corner.
A season for new rhythms.
A season to choose rest.
A season for aligning our lives with the big picture.
A season for getting back to what matters.

Maybe you’re feeling this right now, too: so much has changed since the start of the year and you need a little time to catch up with yourself. I’m right there with you. This month, we’re going to do just that together.

New seasons give us opportunities to do things differently. To live more simply and refocus on the things that last. To number our days and gain a heart of wisdom.

This month, we’re going to focus on getting back to what matters together!

We loved picking blueberries together in July!

How was your July? What goals did you inch forward on? I’d love to hear! A quick progress update from my July PowerSheets goals and what I learned is below. I hope this encourages you to celebrate even the tiny victories!

July Monthly Goals:

— #GoalSettingIsFUN! — Moving forward on the things that matter feels great and it can be a lot simpler than you think! / Progress and it was fun to spend time on what matters!
— Write the book with JOY! — Yes, I’m writing a book this month! After two years, it’s finally happening. Sometimes, you just have to wait and wait and wait some more for the Lord’s timing. I’m so grateful for the waiting that got me ready for this month! Any guesses what book this is??? ☺️/ You all had some great guesses on my last post! Yes, progress here and continuing into August.
— Summer fun with the kids. — We’re working through our summer bucket list from the Cultivate shop and it has been so simple and fun. Next on our list: picking blueberries today at a farm we love! / Such a sweet month with the kids. We picked peaches, played in the sprinklers, saw fireflies, and had fun with my mom who came to visit for a week.
— Be a generous host. My mom AND Gina are coming to visit this month for big chunks of time and I want to love them so well! (Gina is coming to photograph our 2020 PowerSheets Collection that launches in October! Yahoo!!!) / It was the best visit with my mom, complete with lots of gardening and pulling weeds together—which doubled as a great time to talk together. We really had the most lovely time. These are days I won’t forget.
— Finish The Out of Sync Child. We have a sweet kiddo with Sensory Processing Disorder and this book has been incredibly helpful so far. / I am almost done with this book. Highly recommend.
— Release the NEW Cultivated Homeschool Planner. SO MANY OF YOU have asked about this and emailed me wondering if there’s a new one coming. We are only days away from releasing the new one and it’s so good! Stay posted—it’s coming so soon! / YES!!! UPDATE: The NEW Homeschool Planner is HERE!!
— Make our fall homeschool plans. / I didn’t complete this one. Moving to August!
— Work heartily for Q4. I’m working ahead so I can do work with excellence and clear out my time around the holidays. / Yes, we had many conversations about how to do things differently this year and I think you are going to love it, too!

Little by little progress on my July PowerSheets goals!

July Weekly Goals:
— Sabbath: surrender and be renewed / There was one Saturday I had to take my mom to the mall and Target. In the dictionary, under Sabbath antonyms is “the mall.” Enough said!

Cultivate Your Life Podcast Episode 023: When Your Plans Don’t Go as Planned

Have you ever made good plans—and your plans didn’t go as planned?

I know how you feel! It’s so frustrating.

In this new episode of the Cultivate Your Life podcast, I’m sharing a story about something that didn’t go the way I thought it would this year (something that may surprise you!). I’m giving you the 3 simple steps to move past frustration and disappointment—in your everyday life and the big picture.

LISTEN NOW!

In this episode:
— You’ll learn why I’m taking a break from the podcast for a few weeks!
— Hear how I moved through a different season in my life of loss and miscarriage
— You’ll learn the 3 steps to enjoy where you are—in daily life and the big picture—despite things not having gone the way you thought
— Get a surprising update on my 2019 goal: The Year of Sabbath
— Be encouraged to REST
— Learn how to keep your eyes and ears and heart open right where you are. You might notice magical things in unexpected places!

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

— Grab a copy of my book, Cultivate
— Download the free NEW Cultivated Homeschool Planner

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!

WANT AN EMAIL WHEN A NEW EPISODE GOES LIVE? Enter your email address below, and I’ll send you a note when a new episode is up!

I’D LOVE TO MEET YOU! Come say hi on Instagram! I love sharing my life with you!

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 023: When Your Plans Don’t Go as Planned appeared first on Lara Casey.

Join me for the Fresh Faith Challenge in August!

Have any goals you’re feeling “blah” about?

Maybe you’re craving refreshment in your faith—fresh motivation in Bible reading, or prayer, or perhaps, like me, in trusting God over your worries!

On January 1, we did something together that changed us! We started the year with 31 days of writing the Word. Here’s what happened:

We opened our Bibles together. Yes!
We started a new consistent habit we love.
We had FUN together—making progress on what matters is fun.
Little by little, word by word, our faith grew.

I’m ready to do it again and I’m inviting you to join me!

Sign up now for the Fresh Faith Challenge!

Starting August 1, with one single verse, we’re going to refresh our faith together. How? A simple and impactful way: writing the Word.  

No devotionals. No study guide workbook homework. We’re going to get right into the Word. (This 1 simple habit has been a game-changer in my faith this year!)

Join me for 31 days of writing out scripture with the Fresh Faith Challenge, starting August 1st!

It’s simple:
1. Order your Write the Word Journal by Monday (July 22) to get it in time for the Challenge to begin—I’m going to be using the new Garden journal if you’d like to join me! (You’re also welcome to go the DIY route—grab some scrap paper and you choose your own verses alongside us!)
2. Register for the free challenge today, and I’ll send you encouraging emails and updates as we go—plus I’ll give you access to our private Facebook group (if you use Facebook)!
3. Get ready for a refreshing month ahead!

When you write the Word in your own messy handwriting, something happens to your brain. You start making decisions about what you’re writing (as opposed to typing it digitally or just reading it and forgetting it five seconds later). When you write scripture, it gets in your heart, no distractions—it’s just you, the Word, and your pen and paper.

The Fresh Faith Challenge: 31 Days of Writing the Word kicks off August 1st and I can’t wait to do this with you! Just enter your email below and you’ll be all set!

Tell me in the comments below if you’re joining in the fun! I’m excited to start this challenge with you!

The post Join me for the Fresh Faith Challenge in August! appeared first on Lara Casey.

Cultivate Your Life Podcast Episode 022: 1 Simple Way to Grow Your Faith

You’re more than halfway through 2019!

Have you set any goals you’re feeling “blah” about right now? Perhaps you’re wishing you’d been more consistent in your faith—maybe in Bible reading, prayer, or perhaps, like me, in trusting God over your worries.

Ready for a fresh start with your faith?

LISTEN NOW!

In this episode:

— I start with a few very special shout-outs from listeners. So glad to have y’all here!
— I tell you a little bit about my story of faith: how I felt so far away from people who talked about “reading the Bible in a year,” or even reading the Bible at all.
— I share some hope: that my turning point came from something very small and very doable, and thousands of other women have grown their faith because of it, too: writing the Word of God.
— I share some scripture that shows us that the Word is all we need: Psalm 119:105, Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and John 1:1.
— We chat about the stats around handwriting and comprehension. Good news! What you write out yourself, you retain and understand better, which leads to action!
— I give you a scripture to try out writing the word: Psalm 119:11: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Grab a piece of paper and a pen right now!

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

— New Write the Word journals launch TODAY! Choose one of our new special edition volumes—Fruit of the Spirit, Worship, or Garden—or one of our refreshed classics: Hope, Joy, Renewal, Contentment, and Faith.
— If you have kiddos, don’t miss our NEW companion Write the Word Kids volume: Fruit of the Spirit!
— Join me for 30 days of writing the Word this August with another round of our popular Fresh Faith Challenge. It’s so easy! Just grab your Write the Word journal of choice (I think I’m going to start Worship!) and join our newsletter list below for encouragement throughout the month. You can join the Cultivate Your Faith Facebook group, too, if you’d like!

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!

WANT AN EMAIL WHEN A NEW EPISODE GOES LIVE? Enter your email address below, and I’ll send you a note when a new episode is up!

I’D LOVE TO MEET YOU! Come say hi on Instagram! I love sharing my life with you! And if you loved the outro, don’t miss the “Ari Raps” highlight on my Instagram!

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 022: 1 Simple Way to Grow Your Faith appeared first on Lara Casey.

The NEW Cultivated Homeschool Planner

Hooray!!! So many of you have asked if I was going to do another homeschool planner (I’m so glad you loved the first one!) and I’m delighted to share that it’s HERE!

Enter your email below for your free download! It may take a few minutes to land in your inbox! 

June Progress + July PowerSheets Goals

We’re 3 days away from the half-way point of 2019!

Does that fact catch you a little, as it does me?
Maybe time feels like it’s flying and you aren’t where you want to be at this mid-point of the year.

You’re craving refreshment, but you feel like it’s too late.
You’re too overwhelmed to get motivated again! You just want to take a nap.

I know these feelings! Traditional goal setting would tell you to WORK HARDER, strive, wear yourself out, or try to convince you that it is too late.

Cue the CRAZY TRAIN BRAKES!

Making the most of the second half of 2019 doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. In fact, it’s quite simple! It starts with one small step. Then another. Then another. (And you can totally nap in between!)

This month, we’re going to focus on the power of little by little progress together—it really does add up. And taking small steps forward is FUN! Making progress on the things that matter to us feels really good!

Hehe. These words make me giggle!

We don’t need any more towels added to our laundry piles, do we, friends!?