Far too often we roll our eyes at the cliches and platitudes spoken on the topic of planning and scheduling. However, Katie and I have found that when we fail to plan, we plan to fail . . . and if we don't prioritize our life, someone else will . . .and if we are aiming at nothing, we hit it every, single, time. . .
Seriously though, often times the difference between a hectic, disconnected, and unproductive week verses a joyful, unified, and rewarding week is a thirty minute planning session on Sunday evening after the kiddos go down.
But this weekly planning session is only as productive as our quarterly goals are clear. And we can only come to clarity on our quarterly goals once we have a unified and inspired vision for the year. And how can we have a unified vision for the year unless we are both immersed in God's word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading? And how shall they hear without a preacher?! Wait, what? Yeah, that too I guess.
Anyways, even with the overused yet under applied adages, Katie and I love planning, scheduling, and goal setting.
One of the reasons we find it so important to write down our goals is because if we don't, we find that we fail to thank and praise God for when good things happen. Before we plan out the upcoming week we always take a few minutes to reflect on the previous week and acknowledge all of the wins and thank God for them. It's crazy how we have a propensity to move on from accomplishments without giving them a second thought or praising God for them.
Starting our planning from a place of gratitude gives us such a leg up on the week and brings clarity to what the most crucial tasks are the upcoming week. Looking back and seeing the wins is a must for any of our planning sessions. Not only does it give us a heart of gratitude, it brings confidence and optimism for the future.
"A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days." -Annie Dillard
In today's podcast we break down:
- "The Dots" - our Sunday night system for planning our week
- Planning for the year individually and as a couple
- The one thing we do before every planning session to get us in the right headspace
- Unmet Expectations
- Quarterly Goals
If you are looking to create more systems that simplify your home, check out Katie's Free Masterclass to learn her top three tips for creating a peacefully productive home!
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