Before we move onto this post, I would like to share a huge update.

My surgery got cancelled 5 days before I was supposed to finally happen. It has been devastating not being able to get the surgery rescheduled, the earliest potential timeline is summer 2023. This has drastically changed how we can keep up with the disease progression, we are looking into other surgical options at other hospitals without capacity issues, but this will take time as we need EDS-knowledgeable surgeons. I appreciate your prayers in this time as we focus on compassionate care until I can receive this surgery.

I was delighted to share the GOOD of what I can use this time for which is offering coaching through the 2023 Prep Work! If you scroll to the end of this post, you can see more about the Grace + Goals: 2023 Prep Work Inserts and Guided Wildcards. Better yet if you want to see them in action you can watch the newest Grace + Goals YouTube video here!

Remember there is no wrong way to use your powersheets, but I do encourage you to be YOU on these pages (whether you use all the stickers to repurpose the page, use the page as intended, or go with a simplified blank and white look – YOU DO YOU!)

My Tending List

Now onto December’s Tending List! This month my top priority is to celebrate anyways – despite surgery getting cancelled. (Don’t know what Powersheets are? Start Here!)

Monthly Goals:

• G+G Goals: I use the  90 Day Powersheets to track my platform goals in a more detailed fashion. This goal is a check-in I have built into my Yearly PS Tending List as a monthly action item to mark my progress on all of my Grace + Goals monthly action items.
• Advocate: for figuring out what is next for me surgically.
• 2023 Powersheets Prep Work: finishing up my yearly Powersheets with the 2023 Building Grace into your Goals: G+G Prep Work Packet and excited to dig into my 90 Day Powersheets (I use them for all of the G+G Goals – see how I use two sets of PS here!)
• The Annual Powersheet Prep Gals PS Prep Party! This is by far my FAVORITE and most beloved annual party to host for @thepspgals (here’s the blog from last year!)
• Joyfully Celebrate: Christmas and New Year’s!
• Take the Leap: This is part of a HUGE big dream goal of mine, and I am taking a huge step this quarter!

Weekly Goals:

• Throw Confetti Anyways: I am going to choose to celebrate in this season and throw confetti even on days when I cry because there is good in today – join in on this every Wednesday on my IG for Wednesday Wins 🎉
• Love Jared Well: We aim to spend intentional time together without our phones at least once a week.
• Power Hour: having a chronic illness is like having a full time job, and part of that job is coordinating everything between different medical teams and hospitals. So to help me stay more on top of this, I am planning to dedicate one hour a week where all I focus on is making phone calls and working on all of this.
• Plan the Week and Task Block: Jared and I weekly check in as a couple by time-blocking our week, and then my separate time that I set aside to plan out my week. Due to the fact that my health has drastically impacted my productivity so instead of time blocking I am going to try what I calling “task blocking.” I am going to look at the 6 most important pressing tasks and block of what day I hope to achieve those! I’ll update you next month about how this works out.
• Water + Trim Plants: I gotta take care of my plants! Also with an Aerogarden, you have to trim the roots so they don’t grow into your filter weekly. 
• Church: Jared and I want to be better on top of watching church, and so we decided me adding it to my tending list was a great way to keep us accountable. (In our weekly planning session, we also time block where Church is going to be held.)

Daily Goals: I use my daily goals more as a habit tracker than a strict goal and it gives me more freedom in seasons of uncertainty.

• Check G+G Powersheets: Making sure I am checking into my goals via my 90 day PS!
• Today’s Win: I religiously use the “Quarterly Celebrate Every Tiny Victory” Wildcard to log one victory a day! 
• Little By Little: Rather than using a monthly wildcard page to highlight how God is moving in my life, I am using the Little by Little Journal to write down one way that I saw God move that day. I’ve been doing this since the start of 2021 and love it!
• Prayer: want to get back into making prayer a priority in my morning routine because the only one who can truly change most situations completely is Jesus and so I need to start my day by fighting the battles in this life “on my knees.”
• Advent: I am using the Adore Him G+G Wildcard to savor this Advent season. I am also utilizing the Daily Grace Co. Prayers for Advent Devotional.
• Write the Word: I am current studying through Cultivate Contentment in my morning quiet time.

My Wildcards

In case you didn’t know, here on Living the Chronic Illness Life you now have access to the

🎉 Grace + Goals Resource Library 🎉

which helps you tailor your goal setting and powersheets to seasons of uncertainty. You can find all the info here!

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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 while goal setting, and is in ministry part time serving the online community through Grace + Goals and The Spoonie Study. She loves planting, confetti, 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 in 2019 she launched her podcast, Chronically Cultivating, where Cassie encourages women to live authentic and intentional lives through their diagnosis’ not in spite of them. She is on a mission to help other women learn how to trade guilt for God’s grace and control for confetti! You can learn more about her at www.livingthechronicillnesslife.com

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