Recap: August + September Tending Lists

I want to talk about what I do when a month doesn’t go as planned.

First of all, above you can see my August TL (that I never posted because “that photo wasn’t good enough to post”) and my September TL. The reason I share my past Tending List’s here is so that you can see my intentions for August and September. Unfortunately in August, I had an unexpected hospital admission and recovery that lasted wayyyy longer than I anticipated. This threw a wrench into all of my plans. Normally, I personally do not carry over unfinished goals, but, this past month, I had so many goals altered and I felt that carry them over into September was the best way to help me get back on track. I knew that I might not be able to get all of that done, but I knew my top priorities and I focused on being fully diligent, right where I was, in each task and goal. I got most of it done, and gave grace for the rest.

A quick reminder before I share my quarter four goals with you…

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!)

Before we get into my Tending Lists, I want to share a reminder as you open your Powersheets (Don’t know what Powersheets are? Start 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 and colors or go with a simplified blank and white look – YOU DO YOU!) Seeing other’s Powersheets should be something that inspires us not invalidate or discourage us!

– A fellow Powersheets user who doesn’t want you to fall into the comparison trap like she used to when seeing others Tending Lists

My Q4 Goals

I kept my 2023 goals the same since the start of the year, although I have made modifications, of course, as I’ve grown, learned, and adjusted over the past 275+ days. By the way, I am finishing my sixth set of Powersheets, and some years my goals change every quarter, others stay similar to this year. There’s no “superior way,” it’s about learning what strategy you find the most progress happens with!

My focus this quarter is to Diligently Finish Strong! (Diligent is my WOTY!)

My Tending List

Now onto October’s Tending List! This month, my Top Priority is to remember that: change is possible, I can choose what matters! My Encouraging Words are: These are the days you prayed for – use them diligently!

P.S. I am SO excited to start using the Snap In Dashboard in my Daily Season By Season planner!

One more thing before we get into my October Action Items…

So for over a year now, I have been using either the 90 Day Powersheets or the Fresh Start Daily (90 Day) Powersheets to separate my personal goals from my business goals. In effort to try out some of the new features in the 2024 Powersheets and 2024 SBS Planner options, I am trying out a couple new techniques/products so I can make an informed decision about which tools I want to use for Q1 of 2024. That said, I am currently – for October – using the: Daily SBS, made my own version of the 2024 PS Break Down Goals page to the left of each Tending List for my G+G Goals Monthly Action Items, and am using the Snap In Dashboard! I can’t wait to try out the Weekly SBS next month!

Below, I show the 2024 BID Spread and on the left you see the page I made, using the Green washi from the CLE Skinny Tending Tape, the Goal Setting Sticky Notes (specifically the Action Steps pad from that set), double sided tape so it wouldn’t peel off, and when needed I also used the Mini Goal Setting Sticky Notes.

Monthly Goals:

• Grace + Goals Goals: So again, in effort to try out some of the new products, I am not using the Fresh Start Powersheets for this quarter for everything Grace + Goals. Instead, I used my version of the new Break It Down page (shown above) for the monthly goals I would have had in a separate TL. I chose to wait to break these goals down until after it was photographed, but broke down: Q4 Accountability Collective Tasks, Launch Day Gift, Q4 Content Cal, 2024 PS Prep Work PDF, Finance Log, and 2024 PSPW Coaching Website Updates!
• Learn Content Cal Software: I am learning a new software that will hopefully help me streamline my content creation as I am learning to balance the growth of Grace + Goals Coaching Services and being present on social media serving my current community!
• Day to Dream: I set aside a day a month, used to quarterly, to map out and break down my goals. Setting aside an entire work day for this has given me great clarity!
• November Goal Prep: I will be prepping my Powersheets to get ready for a new month. I can’t wait to dig in and as always we PSP Gals get together at the end of the month to close out the current month and make our tending lists for the upcoming month! Easily the best part of my month!
• Refresh the Aerogarden: Now that we are heading into winter, I need to get the aerogarden set up for flowers to bloom inside until next Spring!
• Plant Tulips: Again, we are headed into winter so I need to get the tulip bulbs planted so they can bloom next spring!
• Apple Cookie Tradition: For the past 11 years every fall, Jared and I make Apple Oat Cookies that are to DIE FOR (we literally ship them to extended family members out of state that we don’t see because they are that good!)
• Savor the Eras Tour: if you’ve been here for any length of time you know that I am a HUGE Taylor Swift fan and my sister and I have been waiting to see this tour and get our chance to this week!
• Delight In Our Siblings: I want to cultivate deeper relationships with all of our siblings, so I am working to call/spend time with each sibling each month.

Weekly Goals:

• FDE Foundation Group: I am in a small group with Faith Driven Entrepreneurs and love meeting with this community weekly!
• Plan this Week Ahead: Jared and I weekly check in as a couple by time-blocking our week (on the custom whiteboard we made based off of the Intentional Weekly Notepad we both love!), 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 instead of time blocking, I am continuing to do what I call “task blocking.” I am look at the most important pressing tasks and block of what day I hope to achieve those!
• Water Plants: Gotta take care of all these plants!
• Love Jared Well: We aim to spend intentional time together without our phones at least once a week.
• Facetime J: I love setting aside time to virtually visit with my sister while we are living apart.
• 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.

• Prayer First: I don’t want to open social media before taking time to pray 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.”
• Plan the Day: Before I start my day, I make sure that I have a plan laid out or at least have a task list ready to go, so I can use my day diligently and intentionally.
• Quiet Time: I either want to be digging into God’s Word through reading the Bible Chronologically or in my current Write the Word Journal: Cultivate Wisdom
• Be Diligent: I am making sure I diligently make time to focus on deep work for 2 hours a day for at least 4 days a week!
• Count Wins: I religiously use the “Quarterly Celebrate Every Tiny Victory” Wildcard to log one victory a day! 
• Little by Little: Rather than using the the Little by Little Journal  to highlight how God is moving in my life, I am using my monthly calendar in my yearly PS to write down one way that I saw God’s faithfulness that day. I’ve been doing this since the start of 2021 and love it!
• Scrolling Limit: Checking off for every night I follow my downtime settings which is no social media/scrolling past 11:30 each night except Saturday night.

My MVP Product and 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!

---

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

This post contains affiliate links