First of all congrats! (If you know me we well you could insert a confetti cannon here!) You took the leap and bought your 2020 powersheets, YAY! Whether you have been doing powersheets for years (I’m on year three) or you are just starting out- I am excited for you to dig into these pages and uncover what matters most to you! Also yes I am aware of how many exclamation points are in just this one paragraph, but that’s because you have made the best decision EVER!!
As I prepare to do my prep work on the 18th, I want to share with you how I do that from what supplies I order to my prayers. Powersheets have changed my life, my goals, and my perspective and after I share some links to what I have available on my blog we will get started:
- Goal Planning with a Chronic Illness
- 2019 Powersheets Prep-Work Guide for Spoonies
- September Tending List
- November Tending List
- Spring Refresh, Summer Refresh, and Fall Refresh
Okay let’s get down to it.
1. Write your thoughts down early
During the year, I keep a 2020 goal ideas page in the notes app on my phone. Every 90 days in your powersheets you have a refresh, I refer to this 2020 goal idea page even when I am doing refreshes in 2019 to make sure I am heading in the direction I feel God is leading me. I used to be afraid of thinking of the future, to be honest I still am in some ways. Yes I can be hesitant to hope because my life has not gone how I pictured it, but I also know that God gives and takes away. I ultimately want what He wants for me even if I can’t fully see what is in store or the purpose of what I am going through in the moment. Maybe you are looking at your powersheets and as excited as you are to dive into these gorgeous foil colored pages, you are afraid that if you let yourself dream of how God can use you that you are walking into a mouse trap of disappointment. Friend, I am right there with you, but as painful as surrendering my dreams into His hands has been, I have never been more content.
As you can see my notes page is not extensive. It isn’t detailed. I just write what I feel God might be leading me to and so I write it down so that I don’t forget it. As I continue through the year some of the goals become more detailed, but typically it doesn’t start that way.
In this notes page I also brainstorm my potential word of the year. I write down as the year goes on. Typically in early December I add the definitions and start narrowing it down, I also like to look up bible verses with that word in it- but I do NOT choose my word until after the prep work pages 5-34 are complete. The prep work is where I am able to solidify what my word will be.
2. Pray over the Pages
As soon as I receive my powersheets I try my best to take a minute before I open the box to pray over them. I will be honest, I get so excited to open my powersheets that I say a very quick prayer, but most of my prayers happen between the day my powersheets arrive to the day I start prep work. I don’t even know right now what my goals will be for 2020, even though I have a few ideas, and bathe my somewhat known/unknown 2020 goals in prayer. I do this by adding it physically onto my daily prayer list, whenever I have my 2020 powersheets out I just place my hands on them and say a quick prayer.
This has been my prayer that God just continues to place on my heart:
I don’t always pray this exact prayer but I pray something along those lines.
3. Read
Something that has really changed my life is how often I read. I have read many Christian nonfiction books that have changed my life and help me listen see and hear God more clearly. A couple of those life changing books are- Influence: Building a Platform that Elevates Jesus (Not Me) by by Kate Motaung and Shannon Popkin, Choose Joy: because Happiness isn’t enough by Kay Warren, It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst , and Cultivate by Lara Casey. These are probably four of my all time favorite books and I have read them all multiple times. The greatest read though is the Bible- and I know I sound like such a stereotypical pastor’s kid but hear me out. I have spend the past quarter reading through the gospels after being encouraged by my mentor to ditch the devotionals for a quarter and just read His word. As you are preparing to uncover what matters it is helpful to seek wisdom from your mentors and online mentors. All of those authors above are mentors to me even though I have never met them; your mentors don’t have to just be people you know, just people who challenge you to be the person God called you to be.
4. Sticky Note It Out
So just like I pray over my goals, I want to pray over these pages and simplify the notes I took over the course of the year. I use sticky notes in two ways, one to organize my thoughts and two to complete a rough draft. So first, I go page by page with sticky notes and place my ideas and thoughts on the proper pages. Secondly, I also just spend time on each page brainstorming and sticky-noting (I know that not a word but it should be!) I am someone who sends an email and a couple hours later wishes I could change/reword, add or takeaway something to the email. I do my best when I work on something and think on it, that’s why I approach my powersheets that way.
5 Get My Supplies Together
I use a mix of power sheet supplies and gather all my favorite pens. Here are the links!
That’s it! I know that probably seems like so much work but remember it is spread out from October to December. Yet I also believe that if I am going to really make what matters happen, I need to be praying over my 2020 goals because I want what He wants for me.
As you head into your prepwork and 2020 I encourage you to join me in this prayer:
Lord grow me.
Grow something that is bigger than me and lasts longer than me.
Grow me in new ways that challenge me to dig into Your word.
Grow a heart full of desire to worship You.
Grow me into the person you have called me to be.
Grow a life of intention and purpose.
Let every word I write, every thought I process, and every goal I uncover to honor You.
Bless 2020 Lord and all it will hold, the good and the bad, and give me Your overflowing, non-circumstantial joy!
Don’t have your 2020 powersheets yet? Check them out here! It’s NEVER too late- there is nothing magical about January first!
Cassie Nolin is a married spoonie who lives the chronic illness life with EDS + Co. (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and it’s comorbid conditions.) She challenges others to choose grace over guilt in goal setting, and is in ministry part time serving the online community through The Spoonie Study. She loves planting, hand lettering, and sharing the hope she has found in Jesus. Her blog, Living the Chronic Illness Life, is in the top 100 chronic illness blogs and her podcast, Chronically Cultivating, is produced by Speaking to the Heart Network. Cassie encourages women to live authentic and intentional lives through their diagnosis’ not in spite of them. You can learn more about her at www.livingthechronicillnesslife.com
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