at the start of each new month, i like to organize my planner with my prayer focus, my fitness/workout goals, appointments, activities, family time, date nights, volunteering/donating opportunities, travel, and other things to do. but, even with all my to-do lists, each new day starts with me SURRENDERING my plans to His. literally praying: God, take this day and all my plans and do with it what You want. i just want to be in His will because that’s where true contentment and peace is!
with all this on my heart, i felt led to share 3 things to do to make the most of this new month:
1 // organize and prioritize: instead of letting the calendar tell you what to do, look ahead at the calendar and make it work for you. organize all the ideas, projects, deadlines, appointments, and prioritize. if there is a period of time that is jam-packed with to-dos, figure out what you can delete. give yourself grace to take things off the calendar that don't contribute to your peace or your family's peace. say yes to things that bring you closer to God and closer to your family! set boundaries on your time.
2 // write it out: i'm a fan of my phone calendar because it syncs up to my family's calendars, and i have it set up to remind me of all upcoming activities. it's really helpful for making sure things don't fall through the cracks. however, i'm also a big fan of writing down my goals, plans, and ideas. something about putting pen to paper gives it more meaning...? i use a paper calendar planner (Hope Planner) - not for the recurring daily tasks (take kids to school, serve on Sundays at 9, etc.), but for the big picture and personal tasks (mail Christmas cards, organize donations, etc.). i especially love that this planner is undated and has space on each day for prayer, water and workout tracking, meal planning, and to do list. if you typically only use a digital calendar, and that isn't working for you, try writing it out this month. start with just writing out one week at a time to see how well you like it!
3 // surrender it all: if you've ever found yourself frustrated or stressed because there isn't enough time in the day to do all the things on your agenda, it might be time to surrender your plans to God's will. as a wise friend once told me on one particularly stressful day when everything went off the rails, "be still and know: God has something better in store for you today." it's true 100% of the time. write on the top of your paper calendar or add it to every day in your phone calendar: I SURRENDER ALL. and pray it every day. and watch what God can do with your days when you live open handed and open hearted!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths."
-Proverbs 3:5
# # #
