Weekly Intentions

I am thankful for the sunshine again today. I didn't realize until Friday just how much I missed it. Thankful for the rain--yes, but needing my intake of vitamin D, especially during this time of year.

How did you make it through your intentions from last week? Were you able to move them from the page into action?

I was able to do a lot of the planning that I was hoping to do. The kids and I were able to talk and figure out some of what we'd like to do over the course of the year, in general, and make a short list of specific goals for the short-term. We also talked about some of the traveling we're hoping to do in Spring and Summer. We're all excited.

We completed some of the unfinished tasks that were left unfinished in the wake of our 'retreating' and 'mini-vacation' before and after the holidays. There are a few more things I'm hoping to get through this week--regular housekeeping type stuff.  We'll be winding down from our Winter Break and getting back to a more 'normal' routine by the end of this week.

Here are a few of my intentions for myself and my family:

• Reading--I've been able to do so much of it lately that I'm really enjoying this time for myself. Each of the children has been doing some too. We have a weekly date with the library, regardless of where we are (yes, we even visit libraries out of town). 
• Cleaning & Organizing--I've started a house keeping challenge and have been following along with the specific tasks as well as getting to a few other things that I personally want to get through now. My kitchen is almost complete. I've also been doing some general purging of unused items around the house and general de-cluttering. Just enough to see a difference; not too much to feel overwhelmed--a pretty good balance.
• Planning--specifically for our group learning time. I've found a few things that need to be copied and ordered so that as we continue our learning all those things will be in place and we can move from one thing to the next without a lot of distractions. We have a few new unit studies that we'll be finishing up/beginning and I like to be organized around all of this. (I'll share more on these in another post.)
• Getting my calendar together--there are people who I'd like to connect with over the next several weeks. I need to reach out to them and put some plans together so that I can get together with them sooner than later.
• Continue my break with social media, FB specifically--I never added this to my list but since mid December I've taken some time off and have found that I am so much better for it. I have been limiting my time 'plugged-in' over our Winter Break, mainly so that I could give myself fully to my personal time and my family. I've been limiting my time to email, blogging, and just being online. We read a lot about how technology affects our lives, etc. and I'm seeing that being more intentional about this is actually benefiting me in such positive ways. There is definitely a better way to engage with it and use it as a tool--instead of a replacement of or distraction/escape from life itself.  There are people that I can only connect with via FB so I'm not ready to be rid of it just yet. Suffice to say, this intentional break has helped me refocus a lot on what I truly want and need. I have liked this and will continue with the break for this next week definitely.
• Make two hats this week. I was thrilled to get three hats done (one more than my goal) while on retreat. As I've shared in another post (I think), I'm looking to shore up five streams of income and this is one of them. I'm thankful for a friend who shared this whole idea with me several years ago and have been giving thought about just what those things will be. I will share more as the year unfolds but there are a few exciting things already brewing!

What are the things on your intention list this week? What are you hoping to make happen? I'd love to hear from you and encourage you in them. You're invited to comment below.

I read a quote over this passed week from a friend. He said something to the effect that it's great to have intentions but if you never get around to doing them, they really don't matter. (He said it much better than that....I just can't find his exact words at this moment.) I have been thinking about that since reading it.  I want to encourage those of you who have been faithfully reading these posts and doing something similar for yourself that this is more than just making lists and sharing hopes and dreams. This is about making them happen. Sure we don't always get done what we'd like, things come up and get in the way or distract us from them. That's life. However, practicing setting intentions and then putting energy into them to make them come to life is the point of all of this. Allowing others to know what exactly they are adds the layer of accountability and this why we share. Not to show-off or compete or compare ourselves with another but to let someone else into our space and allow them the opportunity to encourage and support us.

I hope that you are finding your rhythm in all of this--that you're developing a habit of speaking/writing your intentions and moving to bring them to fruition. I know that this takes time and practice. Give yourself to it and I know you'll see positive results for yourself and your family.

I'll be here next week to check in with you. I'm hoping you'll join me again.

Be well.