Lara Casey's Blog, page 6

May Progress and June PowerSheets Goals

Tell you what I like the best —
‘Long about knee-deep in June,
‘Bout the time strawberries melts
On the vine, — some afternoon
– James Whitcomb Riley

May was a big month around here seeing God’s faithfulness in action: in seeds sprouting in the garden, closing school years, time with close friends and new friends—and reminders that little by little progress adds up in my goals!

Here’s what’s on my Tending List for June above—all action steps from my 2022 Goals. This is one of my favorite months in the garden (don’t get me started on the rolly-pollies eating my seedlings, though!). I have learned to take it as a compliment to have a myriad of pests in certain seasons: proof that we are growing good things, no? In other news, we’re headed on a couple trips this month and my focus is on swimming in the refreshment of His Word.

What goals are you tending to in June? I’d love to hear!

P.S. New things are growing at Cultivate this month! Guess what launches on June 7th at 10 am ET!?

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April Progress and May PowerSheets Goals

Yes, I will spend the livelong day
With Nature in this month of May;
And sit beneath the trees, and share
My bread with birds whose homes are there
– W. H. Davies, ‘In May’

Hello, May! The gateway to summer is here! My focus this month is on worship, and the garden is making that easy. At every turn in the garden and on neighborhood walks, it’s almost impossible not to say, “Wow, Lord!” From the honeybees returning (I danced around our driveway when I saw them yesterday!) to the peonies to the newly-green leaves on our maple trees, I’m in awe of His faithfulness. After winter always comes spring.

April was a fun month with RV travel and planting seeds in the garden. We enjoyed our trip to D.C. for Grace’s jump rope competition and got to see long-time family friends and my childhood home. It was a special trip. We also spent a weekend at a horse farm in April (my first time solo RV-ing with the kids, as Ari was out of town). As you can see, it was a delightful adventure with lots of new friends to greet us!

Here’s what’s on my Tending List for May—all action steps from my 2022 Goals. From summer homeschool planning to prayerfully preparing for various trips ahead, this month is a welcome turning point in our year. We’re finishing the school year and looking back on His faithfulness in all the ups and downs—and adventures. We’ve learned so much together this year! A few favorites: hymn study, art (specifically Monet!), math, Bible, nature, geography, piano, science, and the biggest favorite around here: history!

I’ve made consistent progress on my daily goals and I’ve added a new one for May: “pumping iron.” I’m increasing my weight training, but this one is a nod to pumping iron through my body via my diet. With some urging from my doctor, I’ve overhauled my diet to get my iron levels up after many years of tiredness. It’s ir-ON!

My priority this month is focusing on God’s daily grace: sharing it and fully receiving it with joy. The focus on His grace and worship comes from my need for God’s wisdom, and also for His love for people in my life who need His comfort. I’ll be practicing expressing gratitude out loud to Him, in song, in prayer, in my thoughts, in my words, and through how I use my time. I’m excited for this new month!

What goals are you tending to in May? I’d love to hear!

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March Progress and April PowerSheets Goals

Hello, spring!

We started our seeds indoors today, getting ready for transplanting in April. On the growing list this year: lots of new flower varieties, four types of watermelons, fresh peppers and tomatoes (along with tried-and-true favorites!), and some new garden structures made for climbing spinach and cucumbers. Like last year, the kids are in charge of planting, and they are pumped! Along with garden planning in March, we took our first RV trips to Jordan Lake and Morrow Mountain State Park and made all the mistakes (left the wheel chocks in and tried to drive away, for one). We laughed at ourselves a lot! Ari and I also celebrated 16 years of marriage, by God’s grace and goodness. We are extra thankful this year for the gift of life together and getting to wake up each day with our children.

I was grateful for my March goals and the progress I made. I set clear expectations and it helped me focus on what matters through challenges that came up. I’m most grateful for keeping up with my weights, with the needed exception of a week off after another cervical injection. In my 90-Day Goal Refresh in my PowerSheets, I noted progress in every area of life, especially gaining physical strength. What a helpful seasonal reflection to see small steps add up!

Here’s what’s on my Tending List for April—all action steps from my 2022 Goals. Lots of planning and digging into the dirt ahead! I’m taking the kids on an RV trip my myself one weekend to a horse farm. I’m a little nervous to run the rig myself, but excited for the challenge. We’re also headed to Cherry Hill RV Park for a jump rope competition in DC and narrowing down what we’ll do in the city where I grew up! A visit to my old house to see what’s still growing in the garden is definitely in order.

Which goal have you made the most progress on so far? What goals are you tending to in April? I’d love to hear!

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February Progress and March PowerSheets Goals

The birds are singing as I type this on a beautiful warm March day. Their song seems a bittersweet contrast to the heartache in the world, doesn’t it? And yet, they remind us to do small things with great love right here—to sow beauty into a world that is so broken.

Faith is believing in what we can’t yet see, planting good seeds in soil that feels bleak, and trusting that they will one day bloom against all odds. As we begin this season of Lent in such a dark time, may the seeds we plant pierce through the darkness with His great light.

February was a month of hard work, anticipation, and experiencing my limits change. We enjoyed celebrating milestone birthdays, watching the daffodils bloom, and having some Valentine’s fun. Homeschool has continued to be a highlight of my week. With the weather warming, we’ve been able to get out more between lessons. I’ve been faithful with my main focus this year: daily habits. My long-time co-worker, Emily, mentioned that she is an all-or-nothing-with-habits person, and I am the same. If I commit to doing something every day, in a way that’s fun and easy, I am more likely to stick with it than if I’d planned to do it just a few times a week. After many years on hiatus from lifting weights because of my neck injury, I decided to do what I can to build my strength in hopes that it will help my neck. I haven’t missed a day since last Thanksgiving. Living with chronic pain is enough of a motivator for me to do it every day. Little by little progress adds up and I’ve made 200% strength gains since starting! PT, I didn’t do as well with but I have a new plan to make this habit easy to do like I have with strength training. I’ve continued to love my Bible reading and journaling as well as praying through my 2022 Prayer List each day. I took each prayer (there are about 20) and made each one a recurring task on my to-do list app. Every day, a few of them pop up and I simple check it off when I’m done praying. Very simple and it keeps me praying consistently for these specific things.

Here’s what’s on my Tending List for the month ahead—all action steps from my 2022 Goals. We’re in the height of product development season right now, hence the swatches on my table! We have covers finalized for 2023 PowerSheets (all-new designs for next year – they are incredible!) and we’re a week away from turning in the inside pages, which have also gone through a beautiful evolution. Accessories and other new products are up next. It’s an exciting time of creativity and collaboration with the best team in the land. Later this month, we’ll visit my parents and take our first trip in… drumroll… our RV! Yes, we did it! This is a PowerSheets goal fulfilled. Our kiddos were in a car accident a couple of weeks ago and, while everyone was physically okay (except the totaled cars), it shook us all up quite a bit. It made Ari and I realize, once more, that we only get so many years with our kids, Lord willing. A few days after the accident, the RV we’ve been looking for came on the market and we took a leap of faith—much sooner than we planned. More to come on our adventures. Psalm 90:12 has rung through our hearts and heads many times over the last couple of weeks.

Overall, I’m keeping my goals simple and clear this month. March will be a month of preparing our seeds and soil to plant the garden in April, essentializing our home and lives, and enjoying and thanking the Lord for His blessings. Also, researching things like sewer hoses and wheel chocks for the RV. We welcome all tips for these first-timers!

What are you focusing on in March that you’re excited about? I’d love to hear!

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January Progress and February PowerSheets Goals

Like many of you experienced, I’m sure, January was a wonky month! With school closures, unexpected snow, and friends and family with COVID, we took it day by day. As we say here at Cultivate, and wholeheartedly believe, there’s nothing magical about January 1st to start a fresh year. February 1 can be your January 1! It most certainly is for the Isaacsons. Hello, new month! We’re grateful for you!

Here’s what’s on my Tending List for the month ahead—all action steps from my 2022 Goals. I’m continuing my focus on key habits, zeroing in my neck healing. This affects every other aspect of my life, so I’m working hard to do whatever I can to heal. Stepping away from my computer is a big part of this as well as doing physical therapy, getting intentional strength training in, and praying for the Lord to lead me each day. In other news, I had a blast in January digging into fresh new term of homeschool with the kids—including my own learning through lots of reading and a Charlotte Mason podcast I’ve been enjoying. I love learning alongside them. There was a lot of set up in January: our books of firsts for school, my PowerSheets wildcard pages, poetry writing books for school, my scripture and gratitude journal, and I ordered SEEDS! We are pumped about our garden planning this year. More to come on what we’ll be growing. Fun in February: our youngest turns 6 and my mom has a landmark birthday. We are planning a few surprises!

What’s on your Tending List for February that you are excited about? I’d love to hear!

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December Progress and January PowerSheets Goals

Happy new year, friends!

What a gift to start the new year with fresh goals and clear direction. I love these first days of January where possibility beckons us to shake things up in the name of what matters. A fresh set of PowerSheets with all the trimmings has me grateful for a fresh start.

Here’s what’s on my Tending List for the month ahead—all action steps from my 2022 Goals. I’m focused on starting steps and habits this month: studying my word of the year, zeroing in on my health, and trying new things like centering prayer (also called contemplative prayer). I’ll be keeping these posts brief this year to shift time away from my computer for the sake of my neck healing (one of my 2022 goals). Small things add up to the big things. I can’t wait to hear how you’re starting the year!

What’s on your Tending List for January that you are most excited about? I’d love to hear!

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Goal Setting Series: My 2022 PowerSheets Goals

Welcome to the final post in the 2022 Goal Setting Series! In Part 1, we looked back. In Part 2, we got clear on what matters. Today, in Part 3, we’re looking ahead! I’m sharing my 2022 PowerSheets goals and I can’t wait to hear yours, too!

As I completed my 2022 PowerSheets Prep and looked to the new year, I felt some things you might be feeling: anticipation, hesitation, hope—all mingled together.

I got messy with my PowerSheets prep, as I wrote through the challenges of the last year. Normally, I share a lot more photos in this series, but this year I wrote with abandon, knowing I’d just share a few. It felt so good. So very good. Page by page, as I laid down my thoughts and hopes, I felt the heaviness coming off my shoulders with each turn. Wooosh, it felt great! Then, I got right up to the point of writing my goals—with such clarity of heart and spirit, and I paused. What if these are the wrong goals? What if I don’t have enough energy for them after this year? What if I fail?

And then I laughed at myself, thinking of all the times we’ve talked about these very things together! I repeated these truths to myself (maybe you need them right now, too?):

There’s no such thing as perfect progress on a goal. All progress is imperfect. And it’s okay to be scared—sometimes being nervous means something is really important to you.

It’s okay to grow slow—in fact, it’s really good.

Striving for perfection halts real progress on the things that matter.

We can’t do it all and do it all well, but we can choose to cultivate what matters.

Small steps add up and good things grow little by little.

2020 was challenging. 2021 was challenging. 2022 may have its own challenges, too.
But, would I rather wander aimlessly and waste time second-guessing my direction? NO.
Would I be grateful I spent time on these goals at the end of 2022? YES!
Would I be sad I didn’t spend more time getting the words just right? NO.
Were the goals I was considering a GREAT start for the year? Double YES!

Imagine the end of 2022 and you’ll know: what matters is always worth taking a leap of faith. So, let’s believe in what we can’t yet see. Let’s take some steps forward (especially the ones that feel imperfect!) and, little by little, we’ll bloom where we’re planted.

One last reminder: we are always “in progress.” Your goals may be the same! As you write out your goals, remember that you don’t have to set them for the calendar year. You can choose them for just this season ahead, and pause to refresh your goals every few months. There is a Goal Refresh built into the PowerSheets for you every 90 days. There are good things ahead. I’m so ready!

With that, here’s how I’m starting fresh in 2022. This year, I chose a goal for each area of life and will focus mostly on three main areas: Health and Wellness, Family, and my Faith.

Goal #1: Faith: Grow a constant, thriving, consistent love for You above ALL things, Lord
Mini goals:
—Complete reading the Old Testament with friends – a two-year plan we began last January
—Begin centering prayer daily
—Write in my Bible at night (continuing this habit I started this year) and study my word of the year – revealed below!
Starting steps: Decide where and when I will do my centering prayer.
Encouraging words:
—Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. (Psalm 37:3)
—Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)
—Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Goal #2: Health and Wellness: Little by little, make Your choices each day, Lord. Seek Your wisdom and take action.
Mini goals:
Invest in these daily habits:
—Pray for my neck healing
—14k steps daily
—Weights daily
—Physical therapy daily
—Be outside
Starting steps: Set up my planning tools! I’ll use my PowerSheets and a daily planner to help me slow down, celebrate, and cultivate these daily practices. Stay tuned. Also, I’ll make my 2022 workout playlist.
Encouraging words:
—Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. (Jeremiah 17:14)
—Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Cor 6:19-20)

Goal #3: Family: Slow down; dig in
Mini goals:
—Slow down. These are the only years I get with them. Shift more of my schedule to our family.
—Feast together on what is good and true and lovely. Read great books with the kids. Listen to beautiful music and feast on great ideas together.
—Take homeschool to the next level for each child.
Starting steps: Shift my schedule and use writing and planning (and stickers, dare I say?!) to notice the good, cultivate it, and slow down. Clear hindrances – make it easy to feast whenever and wherever. Set my next homeschool planning day and make adjustments.
Encouraging words: Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Goal #4: Marriage: Be love together – for each other, for our children, for all around us
Mini goals:
—Read a book together
—Cheer him on (Ari started a new job in 2021)
—Pray for Ari consistently
—Be unified in our parenting and vision for our lives
Starting steps: Start the book. Plan a date.
Encouraging words: Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14)

Goal #5: Work: Be grounded, let go, the “Sabbatical year”
Mini goals:
—This goal is deeply connected to my health and wellness goal. Step away from my desk and make space in my schedule to heal and re-create. Be grounded in the Lord’s work and let go. I’ve spent the last several years expending much emotional energy to solve work challenges. The Lord has been so very good to us in the last year. This team, y’all! I can now dig into my best tasks at work and shift some of that solving energy to my health.
—Fully step into the Visionary/Founders role. As a sole business owner, a true sabbatical isn’t possible or needed. This is about having a sabbatical mindset and shifting more of my investment of time to my health as an experiment to see if healing and creative renewal will be found. My guess is they will. I want to understand how and where I can best invest (our team Word of the Year!) my efforts and open space for my mind to focus more on the goals above.
Starting steps: Adjust my schedule. Delegate and train others to lead. Make it clear what my 80/20 is. Cut even good things for just one year.
Encouraging words:
—But the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. (Exodus 23:11)
—It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:2)

Goal #6: Finance: Rest in You, Lord
Mini goals: 
This goal is about stewardship and simplicity – finding worth and peace at the Source: God Himself. My goal is to rest in the Lord and not seek contentment in things that are fleeting.
—Complete decluttering the house and avoid adding to our lives. We’ve been in the Kondo process for a few months and are taking it slowly on purpose – my neck can’t handle big projects right now.
—Create a personal cash flow / forecast doc.
Starting steps: Chose the next space to complete. Send an email about the forecast doc.
Encouraging words: 
—As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
—Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. (Psalm 116:7)

Goal #7: Friendship: Love people right here; be a lighthouse
Mini goals: 
—Focus on our neighbors, school friends, church family.
Starting steps: Let go of my phone more. Don’t overwhelm myself here. Little steps.
Encouraging words: 
—And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
—A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Goal #8: Recreation: Experience the joy of Your creation together, Lord. Re-creation.
Mini goals: 
—Go to wide-open places together. Be outside.
—Enjoy the garden and the birds right here.
—Consider an RV trip to national parks in the summer.
Starting steps: Make an RV “window shopping” date. Cultivate our 2022 calendar – at least through spring. Encouraging words: 
—Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy. (Psalm 96:11-12)
—Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:6)

And my 2022 Word of the Year? This was a clear choice after doing my PowerSheets!

Shalom

I want to be, seek and know the Lord’s peace. Today is my 42nd birthday – the perfect day to begin a deep study on shalom. May it open my eyes to more of who He is.

There you have it, friends! This is my fresh start. I’m so grateful and excited to do this year alongside you!

Dear 2022 Selves,

You know the year ahead won’t go exactly as planned (hello, lesson of the last two years!). It may not be perfect, but it sure will be meaningful. So much changed this year, but one thing remained the same: what matters. We’re saying yes to what matters and no to all the rest. You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? They all start with small steps. 2022 selves, we’ve got you, we love you, and we’re taking small steps with great love today for YOU.

Love,
Your December 2021 Selves

Your turn! What goals are you excited about? What’s your word of the year? In sharing, you’ll be entered to win your choice of intentional tools from the Cultivate shop (YES!!). Simply comment to enter (on all three posts in this series!) and we’ll choose winners in early January. I’m including many of our sold-out products in this giveaway as well, like Green and Natural Linen PowerSheets from my personal stash. Bonus entries if you share this post with friends – just let me know in the comments.

P.S. A special Goal Setting Series discount just for you. Say YES to what matters in 2022 and get 25% off anything in the shop with code SAYYES now! Code is valid through January 1. Happy shopping, friends!

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Goal Setting Series: My 2022 Vision Board

Welcome back for Part 2 of the 11th-Annual Goal Setting Series. In Part 1, we looked back at the last year together.

The interesting thing about writing about goal setting for so long, over so many years, is that you uncover what’s actually true: those truths that don’t change with the years, or circumstances, or times when the world gets turned upside-down. I went back and read this and this from two years ago, written shortly before the world changed in 2020, and I was struck by one thing that didn’t: what matters. This goal-setting process works year after year because we’re after what lasts, not what’s trendy or fleeting. It’s easy to get knocked off course or forget what matters, though, isn’t it? It’s easy to forget our goals and keep doing life the way we’ve always done it. But, you came here for a reason. You want something to change—you want to cultivate what matters.

It all starts here.
It starts with the big picture.
What will matter to you then? Live like it today.
You’ll make missteps along the way, and it will be okay.
It’s okay to grow slow.
Keep taking small steps—they will add up faster than you think!

Cultivating what matters in the big picture takes a leap of faith. Dreaming is an exercise in faith—believing in what we can’t yet see. It’s taking the risk to go after something and trust that the Lord is the one who directs our steps each day. Our circumstances and our world may change, but why we’re here doesn’t. I learned through 2020 especially that the things that truly matter are the things that don’t change with shifting sands.

Ready to dig into what matters most? Get your PowerSheets (where we put all we’ve learned over the last 11 years) and, rather than reinvent the wheel, I invite you to explore the series from two years ago and be wildly encouraged. Writing this series over a decade is much like editing one book for just as long. It has been a joy to see you make progress on the things that last all these years!

Making a vision board each year helps me see the big picture and live it out. I print mine out and have it framed right here on my desk as a reminder of where I’m going. My 2022 Vision Board makes me so happy (and gives you a few hints for my goals in the next post!). One image I’ve kept the last three years: the open Bible in the center. And, yes, I’m always tempted to make every image birds. I love them so much, we even decorated our feeders for Christmas this year. More to come in the next post when I share my 2022 goals!

What matters most to you in the big picture?
What’s on your vision board for 2022?

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!

Enter to win one of everything in the Cultivate shop. Simply comment to enter. Your comments on the last post are blowing me away. I’m SO thankful for all these years with you, friends! Bonus points if you share this post with friends!

P.S. A special Goal Setting Series discount just for you. Say YES to what matters in 2022 and get 25% off anything in the shop with code SAYYES now! Code is valid through January 1. Happy shopping, friends!

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Goal Setting Series: Celebrating 11 Years Together!

Welcome to Part 1!

Friends! This post officially marks 11 years of sharing our goals together and 10 years of uncovering what matters with our PowerSheets®!

Photo in our office above by Katie Rangel

This year, in keeping with the simplicity of last year’s series, I’ll be sharing my PowerSheets process and goals here in three simple posts. You’ll find a comprehensive 5-part goal coaching series in Goal School where I walk you step-by-step through setting your 2022 goals in fun videos (and there’s an audio-only option this year, too, if you’d rather listen!). Get your PowerSheets and enjoy free access to Goal School and the series. You all are loving it!

First, let’s look back!

I’m ending this year more grateful than most. Was it because amazing, great things happened? Interestingly enough, 2021 was one of my most challenging years—and, as a result, a year I learned to cultivate gratitude and see blessings-in-disguise. I’m ending this year with more peace and clarity than other years because of one truth that never wavers with my circumstances: God is faithful. Bright spots are much easier to notice and celebrate in the dark, right?

GOOD THINGS of 2021

Uncovering the good things of 2021 took a little digging. After 2020, I started this year tired. I think a lot of us felt that way. I’m so grateful for the PowerSheets process guiding me to make little-by-little progress throughout the year, instead of feeling the urge to make major moves in January. It always surprises me (no matter how many years I’ve done this!) how small steps add up. Think about this: if a ship’s captain goes a tenth of a degree to the east, what happens? A complete change of course. It’s the same with our lives. Small things are the big things!

I went back through my calendar, photos, and the good things and challenges I shared throughout the year in my monthly posts: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. I had forgotten many blessings until I took the time to intentionally look back and notice them.

I dug into my 2022 PowerSheets on a November trip to Bald Head Island.

This was the year we celebrated 15 years of marriage, went on two memorable trips with our church group, saw both sets of grandparents for the first time since the pandemic began, and enjoyed our fifth year of homeschool. Ari took a leap of faith into a new job and we marveled at God’s faithfulness on our team. I wrote in my Bible each night, read Psalms in bed, and woke up to read the Old Testament with friends each morning—a slower read through the OT in two years has been a delight.

Grace and I started something for just the two of us I hope continues for many years to come: we each have a journal that we write in together before I tuck her in. This was all Grace’s idea and I’m so proud of her for growing this daily habit. I even took her out for ice cream when she finished her first journal (we’re both on our second now!). She writes about her day and I cultivate gratitude, intentionally counting the blessings of the day. On some days, the blessings felt hard to see, but this daily practice always brought me back to my word for 2021: faithful. God is faithful in it all. Always. Even when I can’t see it or feel it, He is at work.

Through sleepless nights with health challenges and my neck injury this year, Ari and I grew closer as we wrestled with aging and discerning what to do. (More in the next posts when I share my goals for the new year.) This led to unpredictability with how I would feel each day and being more vulnerable than I’d like to be about that at work. I know so many of you experience chronic pain. Through it all, God continues to show me that He is faithful. That word was ever-present as I tried my best to mother and lead and teach each day. Our team has been a gift with all of this. I have felt so loved and supported in taking steps back at work where possible and watching each woman I work alongside own her role and lead with such grace and goodness.

More good things and things I loved:

– The garden! It was a banner year in the garden with thousands of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and beautiful blooms. It was healing for us all after 2020.
– Hawks and falcons—always. There was one in particular that soared above our house through the spring and summer, calling out and reminding me of the freedom I have in Christ. I would take walks on breaks just to see him!
– Homeschool. My favorite subjects to teach this year: the Bible, hymn study, poetry, geography, and habit study!
– The rhododendrons on Roan Mountain
– Our church family. We sat out under this big oak on our friend’s farm and worshipped the Lord each week.

– Our winter garden. We planted lots of broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower among the pansies and violas for the winter.
– Our Meyer lemon, pink lemon, and calamondin trees
– The bees! Y’all know how much I love the bees. I plant most things just for the honeybees and bumblebees; I love them so much.
– Raising Monarch butterflies with the kids this year
– Sitting on our front steps in the sun, watching the birds at our feeders: chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds, cardinals – and a flock of cedar waxwings visited us this year!
– Josh in his happy place: PJ’s in the garden

– Praying for friends
– Praying for my husband
– Praying for my children
– My husband and children praying for me
– This book – an all-time favorite
– Losing my phone – I felt guilty for several months about forgetting text messages throughout the challenges of the year and I finally had to let go. Turns out I’m not the only one. Most people appreciate this grace for themselves, too.
– Time spent at the Honeysuckle Tea House with friends
– A beautiful light our friends, Mark and Tamera, gifted us.
– Watching The Chosen many times over
– Our kind neighbors coming over just to chat
– God‘s Word
– Clarity. There’s nothing better than being clear on what matters.

What were some of the good things from your 2021? In sharing, you’ll be entered to win your choice of intentional tools from the Cultivate shop (YES!!). Simply comment to enter and we’ll choose winners in early January. I’m including many of our sold-out products in this giveaway as well, like Green and Natural Linen PowerSheets from my personal stash! Bonus entries if you share this post with friends – just let me know in the comments.

Your turn! Have you been doing this series with me for years? What were some of the good things from your year? I’d love to hear. See you back here for Part 2 next week!

P.S. A special Goal Setting Series discount just for you. Say YES to what matters in 2022 and get 25% off anything in the shop with code SAYYES now! Code is valid through January 1. Happy shopping, friends!

The post Goal Setting Series: Celebrating 11 Years Together! appeared first on Lara Casey.

November Progress and December PowerSheets Goals

Listen to me. It is time to sit still,
to tilt your face to the light
and catch the notes of music
which sweeten the tongue
like snowflakes as they fall and melt
this bare December morning.
– Linda Pastan

Time to be still. December is one of those months that feels set apart from all the others. It’s a time to settle after the long year and reflect, notice—and in the noticing, give thanks and look ahead with hope. December, I am glad to see you!

We spent a few days in November on a small North Carolina island where there are no cars, just the sounds of the ocean and kiddos exclaiming, “Mom, look what I found!” Ari chased them on the beach, I took long walks from one end of the island to the other, and we celebrated Grace’s first decade together. Josh was insistent that we see the sunrise and sunset together every day, so that’s what we did. The view from the window of our small cottage (originally inhabited by Captain Charles Swan, the lighthouse keeper), became my favorite place on earth. This special window begged me to open my Bible and uncover my focus for 2022 in my new PowerSheets. More to come in the annual Goal Setting Series (and next Monday for many of you who are joining for Cultivate Your Year Live!), but let me say this: it was by far my favorite year uncovering what matters in these pages. I love my 2022 goals!

In case you missed these:
— Say YES to what matters with the 2022 Powersheets Intentional Goal Planner. Buy your 2022 PowerSheets today!
— I was tickled pink to be included in this Wall Street Journal piece about one of my favorite subjects: caring for our customers.

Onto December! Here’s what’s on my Tending List for the month ahead—all action steps from my 2021 goals.

My goals for the month:

December Monthly Goals:
— Clear the decks and get set up for 2022 – clear out my work deck (Asana, EOY finance, prep for our 2022 initiatives), clear out the house (making my way through Kondo’ing), and get organized for the year ahead
— Cultivate our 2022 Calendar – my annual session to plan for what matters in our family before our schedule plans us
— Share my 2022 goals in the annual Goal Setting Series
— Learn about planning – this one is all about curiosity. One of my 2022 goals centers on slowing down. Something I’ve noticed about my friends in the planner community is that intentionally writing out their days and thoughts allows them to slow down, notice, and celebrate (among many other benefits!). I’m curious to learn and see what I can implement.
— Enjoy Advent. We’re using my favorite gift set we’ve ever created (it’s so beautiful and the conversation and scripture cards are incredible!) and this book by Cindy Rollins. It has been so fun and enriching!
— Lead and experience Cultivate Your Year LIVE next week
— Enjoy a NYE date with Ari – this is big for us. My parents got Ari and me tickets to the symphony for NYE (my favorite music – Ella and Louis!) and we decided to go black tie. I was telling Team Cultivate yesterday that I haven’t worn heels in a decade — I gave them all away when I had Grace. On top of that, I have never seen my husband in a tux. He wore his Navy chocker whites for our wedding and all of our Southern Weddings launch parties were suit- and seersucker-friendly. We have had just one date this year for our fifteen-year anniversary, so we are especially excited for a couple of hours of music and time together. My word of 2021 is faithful, and the Lord has indeed been that in our marriage. We’re considering this a praise date!

December Weekly Goals:
— Rich homeschool

December Daily Goals:
— Work it out
— Bible reading
— Advent reading
— 14k steps!

What are you cultivating this season? Share in the comments below!

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