It’s sometimes funny how you keep hearing the same theme played in life encounters over and over again. It’s like God is trying to get your attention through different outlets, confirming the lot of us.

I was recently watching an online Homeschool Summit. I try to watch a conference or summit once a year to gain some insight, find new curriculum, or seek encouragement from the seasoned moms, dads and curriculum writers out there.

One of my favorite speakers talked about rocks verses pebbles. Are we filling our jars with the small stuff first and then later try to cram in the big stuff, or are we placing in the rocks before pouring in the pebbles?

This thought process really made me think, especially when I came across the same concept in Claire Diaz-Ortiz’s book Design Your Day: Be More Productive, Set Better Goals and Live Life on Purpose. 

This little book not only helps you to define and refine your goals, it helps to strategize, keep your goals on the top of your mind, and shows you how to organize these goals. As we organize, Claire makes suggestions on how to limit our work to our best 20%, edit the amount of time spent on our work, how to streamline what we do, and to help us know how and when to stop working.

“A life well-organized is about making sure that the important stuff stays important, day in and day out,” Diaz-Ortiz page 11.

Although this book is designed more for those who have work to juggle life, home and children, the main points and organization of goal setting seems to be an effective way to keep goal oriented without being bogged down by unrealistic expectations.  A lot of the suggestions can be found in other publications across the internet and upon bookshelves, but Claire breaks it down into easy digestible bits that can help one who may be overwhelmed with a lot on their plates. This would be a great tool to have on hand before creating a New Year’s resolution.

Upon the New Year, a lot of people try to pick a focus word for the year. I had prayed about it and felt led to keep open to the Lord’s leading and not to be boxed in by one theme. You can read about that decision right here.  As I read through Claire’s book, she also suggests to pick a word for the year. Without much thought, I realized that I had a word picked for me a few months ago and I have been embracing it without being bogged down by it.

As I have walked through five months of 2018, I have been nudged to a level of faith that has taken me out of my comfort zone and to a place that drives me to be BRAVE.

I have been walking on what seems like a cloud lately, anticipating the next thing with an expectant heart. The next thing lies in wait and He will be faithful to whatever it may be. I just need to hold on and be brave, fearless in my faith, and ready to move when He tells me it’s time. 

I invite you to pray about this in your own life. Pray for a word, a verse, or to just be open like I have been, and allow the Lord to move and guide you. I don’t know about you, but 2018 has been a little bit of a whirlwind and I am excited to serve wherever and whenever He calls me.  Having encouragement through a speaker at a homeschool summit or by reading a small book about simple, tangible tools, I feel moved to commit to the Lord’s guidance all the more.

If you would like to seek out further reading, my favorite books on organization, or even how to face the frazzled life, are below. I hope that you find something to enjoy. Click on the book for more information.

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