I have a unique approach to productivity; one I don’t think we see often in this culture.
I believe rest is essential to a productive life.
I have a unique approach to productivity; one I don’t think we see often in this culture.
I believe rest is essential to a productive life.
I am SO excited to share this glimpse of my goal planning process. For three years now I’ve used Lara Casey’s Powersheets, a goal planning workbook designed to help people of ALL personalities determine God’s priorities for their lives. Through a detailed preparation process, you determine your goals for the year, then break those goals down into monthly, weekly, and daily tasks.
Productivity by itself is not an end; it’s a means. As believers, we should strive for grace-based productivity in our work hours (whether in an actual workplace or in the home) so we can be completely present and at rest with the people who matter most. Everything I teach on productivity points to this end!
I’m often asked how I read so much. I’ve shared my tips for adding more reading to your life on the blog before (along with my book lists)! But I’m also asked how I retain what I’m reading – especially since I read four to five books at once. Today I’ll share all my favorite tips for reading more and retaining what you read so you can use it in daily life!
February in Michigan is one of those in-between months where people start complaining about the length of winter (let’s be real: that’s every month of winter in Michigan!). Since we can anticipate a solid nine more weeks of winter, possibly more, we have to get creative in February when it comes to activities and making the cold more liveable.
Many of my readers are currently living at home; some are still in high school, others are home temporarily while on summer break, and others have returned home periodically to search for career opportunities. While living with your parents is a huge blessing, it also poses a real productivity problem – especially if you’ve already lived on your own.
One of my most frequently asked questions is, “How do you have time for reading?” Between working from home, momming a toddler, and at the writing of this post growing a second little baby, reading has to be prioritized or it won’t happen! Reading is one of my passions, but for many years it had to go on the back burner. My teens and early twenties (up to age 25, really) were spent working full time while also taking college classes. I only had to time to read my assigned work, not the books I longed to read!
This week on Uniquely Woman, Lisa and I are discussing a topic brought up at the podcast meetup we hosted in December. How do you acclimate to a new life after you move? Moving changes your whole life and it can take a while to find your footing.
Also, we had some sound issues with this recording and while we edited out as much as we could, this episode has a lower sound quality than our typical podcast. Thanks for your understanding and for listening!
This week on Uniquely Woman, Lisa and I discuss how we chose our “words of the year” – because there’s nothing magical about January 1st. We also talk about how we arrived at our words and how we break down our goals into practical steps, and our motives behind those particular aims for 2017.
I write this on the cusp of my favorite day of the year: January first. The thought of closing one book and opening another – a blank page soon to be filled – thrills me with anticipation! I spent a few hours last week going through my Powersheets, deciding where to direct my energy in 2017. To be honest, I’m leaving 2016 with one word in my head: tired.
I’m tired. But there’s a twinge of satisfaction in that admission, because our word for 2017 was “push”. We challenged ourselves to push through difficulty, to push back against laziness, to push for a good marriage, and I can testify to those achievements. I know this next year holds more opportunity to push through hard things, but I’m ready for a change.