First Quarter 2021 Recap

We’ve come to the end of the first quarter of 2021 so it’s time to do a recap. The best way to do that is to give you a glimpse into my Kitlife Planner. That’s the place where I keep track of everything. In fact, it even has a quarterly check-in spot.

The main parts of my Kitlife Daily are…

The Big 3 – This helps me prioritize. What three things must I get done today?
Self-Care – This is a daily practice. Self-care is so much more than a spa day. It’s little things done daily that fill my cup.
Gratitude – I write down three things each day that I’m grateful for. Some days they are big things but many days they’re the simple things.
Activity – Place to track regular exercise.
Meal Plan – Sometimes this serves as an area for me to note what I eat throughout the day, other times it’s what I plan for dinner.

There’s also plenty of space for notes or journaling. I often jot down my social media posting schedule here as well as notes from my Bible study or a quote I want to remember.

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I’ve been using a Kitlife Planner since 2018. It’s the best planner ever! In fact, I now have a discount code to share with you. Simply put “Marsha” in the coupon code location and get $5 off your purchase. (This is in addition to any sale price they might be offering!)

So, how did the first quarter of 2021 go? A little better than 2020, that’s for sure. What a difference a year makes?! One year ago, we had no idea what was coming in the weeks and months ahead. As I looked back on that first quarter, there was so much uncertainty. The year started out well but then it changed in what felt like the blink of an eye.

But I’m not going to focus on last year. Let’s take a look at January, February, March 2021.

The Highlights

Word of the year – Align. Every year, I pick a word and verse for the year. I had a few opportunities come my way at the end of 2020. These were in addition to things I was already doing in my business. I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. What I did know, and do know, is that I want Christ to always be first in my life, and I want Him to direct my decision-making. Choosing Align was, and is, my commitment to keeping the Lord number one in my life and seeking His guidance so that all things in my life align in a way that pleases Him. My verse is Psalm 119:59, and the Voice version states it best: I carefully charted out my paths to align my steps with your decrees.

Kicked off the year with the Weigh Your Words Challenge – This is the second year for it because it’s important for us to remember that our words matter…the words we speak to others and the words we speak to ourselves.

#Moderation365 certification – I spent the last quarter of 2020 learning this education and taking the exam. I officially became a #Moderation365 Nutrition Consultant in 2021. I already teach many of these tools and strategies as part of the food pillar of my Faith and Fitness Framework because I’ve practiced it myself for years. But this certification allows me to use more of the education and wording so I can best help you achieve your goal of healing your relationship with food.

Lent began in February – That meant more women were opening up 40 Days of Faith and Fitness. We did the devotional together in the membership community.

Ethan’s senior year – Cap and gown. Announcements. Senior pictures. It’s all happening. He’s also turning 18 soon. If you’ve gone through this season with your own child(ren), I imagine you know exactly what I’m going through.

Some self-care that I practiced

Evening walks with my husband
Grocery pick up
Visit to my chiropractor
Washing bed sheets
Christmas music in February
Visit to dentist
Afternoon nap
Letting myself cry
Laughing with faith and fitness membership ladies on a zoom call
Turn on the air conditioning in March
Getting my COVID vaccine

Found on my gratitude list

Health – never again will we take health for granted!
Colts win
Christmas lights still up in January
Family dinners
Visit with my mom
Kindle books
Officially #Moderation365 Nutrition Consultant
Snow days
Affordable and flattering joggers I found on Amazon
Sunshine
God’s grace
Text exchange with my stepson
Reese’s trees in February
Rain stopped in time for run
New Oiselle running shorts

Activity

Running – I’m running about 6 days a week, averaging 20 miles a week. I’m working on improving my pace by doing intervals weekly and timing my mile monthly.

Yoga – I do 10~25 minutes of yoga each morning. It feels so good to wake up my body that way.

Metabolic Conditioning workouts – I’ve changed up my strength training a little to do these workouts three times a week.

Broke my biking streak – I broke my bike streak in February. For more years than I even know, I’ve gotten out on my bike at least one time each month. Although I love riding my bike and Indiana weather allows me to easily do that 9-10 months a year, there are usually a couple of months that get a little too cold or snowy for outside riding. This year was February. We had a snowy month, but the last day or two it did warm up enough that I could have gone out on the bike. But I just wasn’t feeling it. The goal that had begun years ago lost its purpose. I finally let it go, didn’t ride in February, and felt extreme peace about it.

How I use Meal Plan section

I’m not an advocate of meal plans but I do support meal planning. What’s the difference?

Meal plans tell you what you must eat. Meal planning saves you time and helps you make the best choices for you and your family.

Sometimes I use this so I know what our dinners will be for the week. Other times I need to become a detective of my own eating habits so I simply log what I eat. No numbers like calories, amounts, or anything. I just jot down what I eat or plan to eat for the day. It helps me stay mindful when I might do otherwise.

Faith

Shame Breaker – This Love God Greatly Bible study explored areas of shame hidden in our lives and led to finding freedom in Christ.
Gospel of Mark – I enjoyed reading and studying the book of Mark. It finished right around Easter by exploring Jesus’s death and resurrection.
40 Days of Faith and Fitness – We went through this devotional together in the membership community for Lent.

What’s next?

Ethan’s golf season begins this month. He’ll turn 18 on the 16th. Graduation will happen in June. I feel like experiencing this next quarter with him without me having too many meltdowns is going to be a monumental task. Please pray for me 😉
We’ll kick off the Mile a Day Challenge on Memorial Day and it’ll go through July 4th. I’ve done this a few years now, and it’s very popular in my free Facebook group.
Doors to Membership will open soon. Email me (marsha@marshaapsley.com) if you want to get on the waitlist.
In the Beginning – Love God Greatly Bible study that will be going through the first 11 chapters of Genesis.
I’m working on my next devotional project. I’d love to have it in print by the end of the year. Stay tuned!