This year, the creation of our new planner took an unexpected turn, leading to profound personal discoveries. What began as a simple copy-and-paste task for last year's goal page quickly evolved when I felt a gentle, yet probing, nudge from the Lord. It prompted a series of questions: How many goals did I actually complete? Why not more? And ultimately, how did that make me feel? These questions halted my progress and sent me on a journey to deeper self-reflection, the findings of which were truly significant.
In our last post, we unveiled the surprising personal discovery that the word "goal" made me feel heavy, often burdened with the fear of failure. Instead, I found the word "intentions" to be a more freeing and expansive concept, focusing on the ongoing progress rather than a rigid outcome. This shift in perspective, acknowledging that God ultimately guides our steps, brought immense freedom and grace. It's why we've chosen to use the word "intention" instead of “goal” in our New Nurtured Faith Planner—to foster a sense of continuous success as you faithfully follow God's guidance throughout the year.
As I continued to reflect on the topic of goal setting, the second thing I recognized was a recurring and undeniable pattern in my life. As a busy mom and wife, my year is not static, or linear. Instead, it naturally has its distinct ebbs and flows, with each season presenting a unique and often diverse landscape. The vibrant activities of summer, the structured routines of the school year, the contemplative quiet of winter – each period demands a different allocation of my time, energy, and focus.
Why is this an important self-discovery?
For too long, I subscribed to the belief that I lacked the discipline to achieve my goals. I would diligently work on them for a few months, only to see them unravel with the arrival of summer. My focus would understandably, and appropriately, shift to my daughter during her break. This often left me wrestling with guilt and a sense of failure for not following through on my goals as diligently as prior months.
It's a critical insight: when setting goals, it's essential to account for the natural seasons we all encounter. Rather than resisting these changes, I'm now choosing to adapt my expectations and strategies for each season. This approach allows me to joyfully prioritize the needs of my family and life. Goals don't have to be rigid or linear; our approach can be more adaptable than fixed. This is precisely where our core values become indispensable, providing guidance through life's diverse seasons.
Take a minute to think about your own natural flow to your year. Do you find certain seasons are busier than others? Is there a pattern in your life too?
So how did this discovery influence our New Nurtured Faith Planner?
This discovery is a complete game changer for our planners! Our exciting new Nurtured Faith Weekly Planner is redesigned with intentionality to help us focus on what truly matters. We’ve made significant changes to cultivate a planning process that prioritizes progress over perfection, and the process over the end result. Experience a profound sense of peace, confidence, purpose, and focus–even amidst life’s busiest seasons!
Imagine creating ample space for grace, knowing that life’s rhythm naturally shifts with the changing of seasons. The Nurtured Faith Weekly Planner empowers us to embrace these changes with intention and clarity. Our planners are divided into three key segments marked by a grouping of monthly colored tabs:
- January through April
- May through August
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September through December.
At the start of each four-month segment, we’ll find the “My Intentions” growth pages. These pages provide a dedicated space for us to prayerfully reflect and refocus on our aspirations for the upcoming months and to consider how we plan to pursue them. While our overarching intentions may (or may not) remain consistent throughout the year, the way we approach them can adapt to the changing pace of life! This system of planning four months at a time, can help us achieve our intentions in a more sustainable way.
There is still so much more good stuff to come, so stay tuned for our next blog post!
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