In 2018, I did a monthly recap post.  Last year, I did two recap posts: one at six months and one at year end.  This year I’m taking a quarterly approach. We’ll see how this works out.  

I started doing the recaps because I wanted to give you a glimpse into my planner –  my very favorite life-changing planner. This planner covers it all. 

A quick overview of the Kitlife Daily Planner

• The Big 3 – This helps me prioritize.  What three things MUST I get done today?
• Be Grateful – I note three things for which I’m grateful on that given day.
• Be Active – This is where I track my daily workouts.

New this year

• Self-care – I note one thing that I do that day to care for myself, anything from a nap to doing laundry or cleaning the house. 
• Eat Well – This can serve as a place to note meals planned for the day or something I observe about how I ate or a reaction I had to a certain food such as it left me feeling bloated or left me satisfied.  

In the extra space on each day, I make note of things the Lord shows me during my daily quiet time.  

This planner reduced my desk by three books.  Everything is now in one place, and I love it!

1st Quarter Highlights

Word of the Year – Entrusted – Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:20 to guard what’s been entrusted to him.  This year I felt the Lord calling me to take on that word and verse for the year and asking me to be a good steward of what He’s entrusted to me:  my family, my time, my talents, my treasures. That is my focus for this year.  

Weigh Your Words Challenge – This was a challenge to step away from the scales and instead weigh the words that we speak.  Why? You are more than a number. And, you matter.  

#500Miles2May Challenge – This challenge is ongoing.  Several people have paired up to log 500 miles by the end of May.  The challenge kicked off February 1 and continues on. The purpose of the challenge is to get moving and to realize the value of accountability.  We may not be able to reach a goal on our own, but we can together. 

Lent – 40 Days of Faith and Fitness.  Every year at Lent, we revisit 40 Days of Faith and Fitness.  I’ve been sharing excerpts from the book on social media. In the membership community, we’ve gone deeper by following the study guide that goes along with the book.  

Spring Planksgiving Challenge – Given the current state of the world, I felt like we needed a challenge that would help us shift our focus and one that we could do at home.  The 5 day challenge served as a reminder that we are strong and we are blessed.

Be Grateful

Some of the things that made my gratitude list during the first quarter:

• Football
• Naps
• Hallmark movies
• Time with family 
• Grocery pick up
• Clean laundry
• Coffee
• Longer runs
• Snowflakes
• Sunshine
• Texts from friends and family
• Continuing Education Credits
• Health

Be Active

I decided to limit my racing in 2020. (This was before everything started getting canceled or postponed due to Coronavirus!) I had become frustrated with my 5K times in 2019 so I decided to focus less on races and more on consistent running and staying injury free.  Then, I “accidentally” realized I was on a run streak towards the end of last year. I hadn’t taken any days off of running so I decided to shoot for 100 days in a row. 100 days became 150 on March 8. I’m still going. We’ll see how long it lasts.  

Along with running, I’m also doing some yoga, strength training, and a few bike rides here and there.  

Faith

• Love God Greatly online Bible studies – Draw Near and Risen.
• I went through Kim Avery’s book The Prayer Powered Entrepreneur. – One thing she said, “We re-present Him to the world.”  I liked how she took something we’re accustomed to hearing, how we represent Christ, and shed some new light on it. Each day, each interaction we have with another, is a way to present Christ once again.  
• God also reminded me that there is a reason He led me into counseling.  I’ve had opportunities to use my formal training with people regularly and want to continue to do so. 

Self-Care

Self-care over the first quarter has included things like yoga, time in the adoration chapel, a nap, skipping a bike ride, watching a Hallmark movie, and doing all the laundry. 

There’s no right or wrong for self-care.  Simply put, self-care is doing something that makes you better.  Sometimes that means I need a time out such as a nap, reading, or a Hallmark movie.  Other times self-care is getting some things done – grocery pick up, laundry, paying bills, or making and attending an appointment.  Self-care can be lifting weights, eating healthy foods, and drinking adequate amounts of water. It can also be a massage, a spa day, or a coffee date.  

I imagine you’re getting the point.  It’s important to acknowledge our needs and do something that makes us feel better, something that simply makes us better, every day. There’s no need for it to be a big deal.  In fact, you likely practice self-care more regularly than you realize. I like that my planner has a blank for it to help me assess my day and my time a little more closely to help me recognize the things I do, why I do them, and how they impact me and those around me.  Let’s not forget that self-care is important because it helps you and me care better for those around us.  

Eat Well

In January, I did a simple elimination diet.  I did this because I had an unexplained rash on my torso.  After visiting my dermatologist and being assured it wasn’t anything to be concerned about, I still wanted to try to determine if there was a connection with something I was eating.  Long story short, I didn’t come up with any great findings. But I did use this space in my planner to keep a few notes. Other times I used the space to plan dinners for the week. 

Then there’s that thing called “Coronavirus” that has changed our current world as we know it. This part of the first quarter of 2020 is to be continued.  But I do want to encourage you with this:

I had a secondary prompting for my year and that was Rise Up.  Ezra 10:4 was the verse for this. “Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it.” In fact, I remember telling a friend last fall that I was feeling this intention for 2020 but I wasn’t even sure what that meant.  I told her, “Rise up to what??” Well, look at where we are right now. We’re all being called to rise up to this difficult time and have courage to do what we need to do.

Rise up my friend!  Have courage. God is with us.  

Let's Get Started!

Add your name and email to receive faith-focused fitness inspiration and motivation to your inbox weekly!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. Please be sure to check your spam or promotions folder as well.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

First Name

Email Address

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

Sign me up! Powered by ConvertKit