Happy New Year!?!?!

I made the mistake of buying a planner this year.

I don’t mean my normal, spur of the moment purchase from the attractive end-cap at Target.

I mean, a bonafide Cultivate What Matters 2021 Powersheets Goal Planner.

I think I was so relieved the world didn’t immediately end after the US Presidential Election that I decided if 2021 was actually going to happen, I was going to be ready for it.

I had heard about these big, beautiful, planners from various friends over the years. Plus, last year when I had a “power sheet” of my own, I was told that term might be trademarked. I had no idea. But apparently, yes. That’s a thing.

Anyway, I have friends to go away on retreats just to fill out their planners. There’s a high number of YouTube videos on these things. I thought I could spend a few hours and be good to go. I should have known better.

Fifty pages and over fifty bucks later, not to mention all the hours and yes, ALL the HOURS (I lost track of how many but definitely not the four I anticipated), and I’m still not feeling very powerful.

LOL.

Okay, so I don’t feel like the all-together person whom I assumed I would magically become by buying this kind of stuff (there’s the lie in all brand purchases). But actually, I do feel invested this year. Last year, I made the mistake of joining a private writing group I never even fully enjoyed because I didn’t make time for it. I don’t want to make that mistake over and over.

I have some goals, dang it.

I have a family to love. A podcast to work on. A book I’m writing.

And my biggest goal this year?

Well, it’s to learn how to surrender- to be disciplined in some areas that I haven’t yet fully surrendered to God.

I don’t know if you can tell by this blog post, but I sometimes have a rebellious spirit.

And I want things my way.

But there comes a time (or maybe an age) when you realize that doing things your own way is often a path that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13, Proverbs 14:12). I’m kind of over myself and my rebellious ways.

So, yes, actually I’m thankful for the “Cultivate What Matters” powersheets goal planner thingy that I bought. Because I’ve seen over and over again what God does when we give our burdens to Him. And I’m tired of making excuses. I just want to follow Jesus to the best of my ability and that’s going to mean making a few, ahem, dietary and lifestyle changes. But if I know my Savior, He’ll help me in my weakness.

P.S. One of my goals is to write more and edit less. Blog posts in 2021 will look a little less polished than those ones back in 2019. Life’s too short. This is accountability for me. And hopefully real struggle and encouragement for you to come back to, if it helps you at all- come back. Forgive me if I don’t make a big deal about these posts. Just know if they don’t come out once a week, I’ve fallen off the wagon and I’m probably holed up in a corner eating chocolate peanut butter M&Ms and hoping you don’t notice.

P.P.S. The photo at the top is my vision board for 2021. Maybe I’ll talk more about that next time. In the meantime, I’m reading a new book. It’s excellent. It’s helping me with my goals (and it’s a little more affordable than the massive planner).