My Vision for 2018

For the last two years I’ve been eyeing the Powersheets, a goal planner created by Lara Casey.  Last October I decided I would go ahead and buy it.  After telling my mom about the system, she decided to get them too.  She spread the news to Grandma Blomquist and Christine and they also got them so we could work through 2018 together.  Grandma Blomquist got a 6 month version and jumped in immediately in November.  The first week she was skeptical but by the end of the month she was singing its praises and accomplishing big goals.  Her success got me excited to start using mine.

After working through the first 35 pages to learn more about myself, my priorities, my dreams, reflect back on 2017, etc.,  I’ve created a vision for 2018. This is definitely my interpretation of what the Powersheets were getting at.  Some of the pieces are SMART goals, some are habits I want to cultivate, some are reminders of the target that I’m aiming for.  It isn’t my traditional way of goal setting (for 2017 I had 10 different areas of life that I had created specific goals for) but I LOVE it.  My days are more intentional and I have the right expectations for myself and family which is bringing us JOY.

2017 ending with Grandma’s death, which also took away her home.  My whole life her home has been a refuge for me.  It is where I go to feel loved, recharged, and rested.  It is a healing place.  I found her mission statement in her closet on our last visit there.  She fulfilled it – every single word.  It was no accident that I felt the way I did about her and her home.

I had the realization that it is my job now to create a home where we feel loved, safe, and nurtured.  No one else is going to do it for me anymore.  Creating my own refuge for me and my family has completely changed how I view my role here. It is an exciting change.  My refuge will look different than Grandma Blomquist’s in the details, but I hope eventually it will feel the same.

My word for the year is Nurture. 

It means:

• to feed and protect
• to support and encourage
• rearing, upbringing, training, education
• something that nourishes (supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth; to cherish, foster, keep alive; to strengthen, build up, promote)

I have four areas I’m focusing on this year.  I’m breaking down this big vision and just focusing on a few each month to make real progress toward becoming nurturing and creating a nurturing home.

Habits to Cultivate

• Smiling –> control my emotions –> control the atmosphere of our home (love, joy patience, faith)
• Choosing my thoughts –> control my emotions.  Looks like daily gratitude and saying it OUT LOUD when I need to be positive. Also study positive psychology to learn to think optimistically
• Kneeling prayer –> seek power and “marching orders” from God
  • Let God know I want to be of use. Seek his direction. Access his strength
  • Pray for missionary experiences, service opportunities, leaders, family members specifically
• Look other people in the eye.

Nurture Self

• Learn and Practice 4 new ways to do my hair (this one is going to be really hard for me!)
• Establish Skin and Make-up routine
• Update my wardrobe with things I love!
• Cross train and build strength to be able to run a 1/2 marathon
• Take time away just me.  Plan daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly.
• Hold steadfast to the iron rod daily (scripture study)
• Develop productive routines.
• Rest well

Nurture Family- BE ALL IN

• Life is to be enjoyed, not endured.  Find ways to enjoy life every day with children.  Fill their childhood with JOY (meaningful experiences that lead to true happiness, like service). LAUGH, BE SILLY, HAVE FUN, ENJOY
• Envision and create a simple, nourshing life with young children. Embrace this season.  Use You Are Your Child’s First Teacher, Simplicity Parenting, and Charlotte Mason Principles
  • Rhythm to our days, weeks, and seasons (Lifegiving Home for ideas)
  • Habit training (find out what’s not working and set aside time to teach)
  • Set homeschool framework with Educating the Wholehearted Child
• Lifegiving table – cultivate table time discipleship and build upon what we are already doing
  • Learn to set and style a beautiful and welcoming table
  • Establish good routines and recipes for simple, delicious, nourishing meals and side dishes for dinner; snacks and treats
  • Involve children in making dinner and leave enough time at the end of the day to do it at their pace
• Love and nurture Emily, Nathan, and Laura individually. Tell them what makes them special.
• Find ways to love and laugh with Andrew.  Invest more time. Let children see I value him.  Don’t let them interrupt him when we are talking to tell me something.
• Use evenings to bring our family closer through recreation –> music, games, reading
• Tell family history stories and get kids involved in the work

To Do

• Create a house of order –> a foundation for a nurturing home (use Flylady)
• Launch Podcast
• Go to the temple once a month
• Play in pit orchestra
• Record fiddle music
• Record our life: blog, family yearbooks, kids’ journals

After a year of zero blossoms, my orchid bloomed!  The kids and I have been watching the slow process unfold.  It seems like a great metaphor for this year.