Live for Him a Grace-Filled Look at Planning

Live for Him A Grace-Filled Look at Planning

By Leigh Ann Dutton IntentionalByGrace.com #liveforhim

Notes from the author:

No part of this document or the related links may be reproduced or redistributed in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author.

All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version unless otherwise note.

Table of Contents

Why I Want You to Live Intentionally 3 What You Need for Your Planning Session 6 Encouragement to Get {and Stay} on Your Knees 8 Conducting a Personal Evaluation 10 Developing a Personal Mission Statement 11 Setting Goals to Live for Him 18 Making a Monthly Plan 21 Take Time to Evaluate 22 Be sure to Always Remember Grace 24 Resources 26 About the Author 27 Special Thanks 28 Printables 29

Why {I Want You} to Live Intentionally

For some, living intentionally is synonymous with legalism - we change what God intended as a means of experiencing grace into a means of earning grace.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a

result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are

his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we

should walk in them. ~Ephesians 2:8-10

Instead, we live intentionally because we have experienced grace. There is nothing we have to earn. Living intentionally is a result of being made into a new creation. Instead of living for self, we begin to live for Him who created us.

When it comes to living intentionally, the Creation account in Genesis instructs us in how we should order our lives. Take a moment and read Genesis 1:1-2:3. I know this is a familiar passage, but I implore you to take a few extra minutes to read the text in its entirety.

I’ll wait.

Still waiting …

Okay, done?

Let’s dig in together.

3 The important point that I want us to draw from the Creation account is that God formed before He filled.

• He created light – determining day from night • He separated the waters and created Heaven and earth • He formed dry land and placed the waters on earth into their proper places

Once the foundation was laid, He began to fill the earth with vegetation.

• He filled the sky with the sun and the moon and the stars • He filled the waters with living creatures and released the birds into the air • He filled the land with all the livestock and creeping things

Once all of this had been formed and filled, He brought forth man and woman.

God perfectly prepared a place for us before bringing us into being.

He made sure there was a place to lay our heads, food to fill our bellies and water to quench our thirst. He even ensured there was beauty for us to enjoy.

Can you see God’s deliberate care, the intentional way in which He formed, laying the foundation, before He began to fill?

I believe laying a foundation for your life is an integral part of living intentionally.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ~ Ephesians 5:15-17

Through this eBook, I want to teach you how to make a plan for the days ahead because I desire for you to live a Christ-centered life in complete reliance upon the grace of God. I want to inspire you to live for Him because of the grace you have received. I want you to understand what the will of the Lord is for your life by guiding you through the process of asking Him!

• What principals do you stand on? • What dictates the decisions you make? • Do you approach life in the systematic way in which God gave example? • Have you made a plan?

5 What You Need for Your Planning Session

Bible. It’s a good idea to have your Bible nearby. Referring back to the Creation account is a good place to start. However, I’m certain the Lord will lead you through other passages as you search your heart and create new plans for His glory.

Journal. I like journaling my thoughts during my planning session. God always stirs my spirit in more ways than one when I sit down for a big planning session like this. A journal is a great way to capture everything the Lord is teaching me.

Pen & Pencil. I suggest grabbing both a pen and a pencil. When I’m journaling, I use my pen. For brainstorming, goal setting, and evaluating, I like to use a pencil. This allows me to erase and move things around as much as I want.

Planning Worksheets. I have provided several planning pages in the back of this eBook. I suggest printing them off before you get started. This eBook is designed to walk you through each exercise. Printing your worksheets now means you can work as you read.

Time. It’s a good idea to set aside a good chunk of time to complete this packet. How much time depends on how much you have and how involved you want to be in this process. I suggest no less than one hour, but in some cases, a half-day would be ideal. If you have children, then consider getting a babysitter or line up a Saturday morning when your spouse is home to get some time alone.

6 Quiet Location. Ideally you want to work uninterrupted. I like to get away to a coffee shop. But your quiet location can be your kitchen table, bedroom, home office, a closet, or anywhere you can be alone!

Expectant Heart. It’s tempting to think this is a pointless series of exercises, but I assure you it will be fruitful. The process of evaluating and planning your life is a rich experience. So come with an expectant heart, a heart that would love nothing more than to hear from God.

I am so excited for you! This journey to planning your life in order to live for Him will be a freeing experience. I know you desire to glorify God in all you do, and I’m sure it can get overwhelming at times figuring out where to start. Not to mention, it’s easy to feel guilty for taking time to walk through this exercise. However, I can assure you it is worth.

Therefore, we will walk hand-in-hand through this planning session. I will guide you through to the end. I hope you find this eBook a mighty encouragement to live for Him because of the grace you have received.

So let’s get started!

7 Encouragement to Get {and Stay} on Your Knees

I sat staring at my husband at the kitchen table. My heart was laid bare and the tears streamed down my face.

I was weary and tired.

Another wall. Another barrier.

We know we’re walking in the Lord’s will. We’ve not taken one step without consulting our Heavenly Father, but here we sit again battle worn and broken. Just when I think I can finally take my nose off the floor, I’m forced right back down again.

That’s when I heard a gentle, reprove.

Why do you keep rising from your knees in the first place?

Isn’t it so typical?

When things are hard, the kids are sick, we lose a job, or a family member dies, we fall on our face before the Lord and plead with Him to intercede and go to work both in us and in our circumstances. We bury ourselves in His Word and live and breathe worship from our souls as we seek out His will, direction, and call.

But the minute things let up, our children heal, we find a job, and time begins to heal all wounds, we rise from our knees and without even realizing it we move on. We move on from the Lord and our complete utter reliance upon Him.

8 I’ve got it from here, Lord. Thanks for your help.

Therefore, before we get started, I want to encourage you to pray about your heart’s desire to live intentionally.

When Jesus was in Gethsemane, He prayed to the Father to take this cup from Him. When He came back to find His disciples sleeping, He said these warning words:

Watch and pray that you may not enter into

temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but

the flesh is weak. ~Matthew 26:41

When it comes to living intentionally, we must begin in prayer. Because it is there, on our knees, where we will be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Left to ourselves, and our own devices, we are weak. But in the Spirit, we are filled with the very power that raised Jesus from the dead – the Spirit that was present with God when He created the entire universe (see Genesis 1:2)!

When things are good and when things are bad, we need Jesus. We need Jesus all the time, every day, for every second. There is not a moment we do not need His presence to fill us.

So take a moment right now to pray before you begin. Ask God to show up right now during your planning session. Pray and seek His will for your life. Tell Him you want to live for Him every hour of every day. Ask Him for His help.

9 Conducting a Personal Evaluation

We are told in Genesis 1 that at the end of each day, God saw and declared His creation good. God took time to evaluate His work to make sure it was complete and acceptable to Him.

Evaluation is an important step in living intentionally. Before we determine priorities and set goals, we need to conduct an honest assessment of where we stand right now.

I have provided you with questions on the Personal Evaluation Worksheets that you can prayerfully work through.

This exercise is not meant to condemn or discourage you. It is simply an exercise in evaluating yourself in order to move forward. This will be a baseline, or launching pad of sorts, for the remainder of your planning session.

Take time now to write out your answers. Go slow. Listen to the Lord. Look up scriptures. Meditate. Let the Lord move your spirit. I usually like to listen to worship music during this time. Your personal evaluation should be a time of prayer, confession, and worship.

10 Developing a Personal Mission Statement

When my husband and I first got married, we were encouraged to do a yearly planning retreat individually and as a couple each year. During our first “Dutton Summit,” as our planning sessions were dubbed, my husband informed me that I needed to create a mission statement for myself and for my life.

I looked at him like he had lost his marbles. Mission statements were boring assignments I did only to complete my Business Management degree, not something I would ever willingly do just because he said it was a good idea.

Boy, does God have a funny sense of humor? I’ve since learned He makes a really good humble pie, too. Have you had it? No? Well, you’re missing out.

What is a Mission Statement? A mission statement is an official statement of the aims and objectives of a business or other organization. Your “business” is your home; your “other organization” is your family. Your statement is a sentence (or two or three) of your overall purpose for your life.

Why Do I Need A Mission Statement? Your mission statement is your non-negotiable. It is what you stand by 100% and what you want your life to stand for.

Let’s think about it. When you begin your day, you probably make a list of what you need to do. Or when you go to the grocery store, most of us would never go without first making a list.

Why is it any different for our lives? Why do we not first sit down and determine what we want and what God wants, so that as we go

11 through life we live for Him instead of just simply spinning wheels to nowhere living for ourselves?

How Do I Write A Mission Statement?

1. List Your Roles The first step is to identify the roles you fill day-in and day-out.

For example, my roles are (in no particular order):

• Daughter of God • Wife to Mark • Mother to my babies • Homemaker • Writer • Friend • Mentor • Daughter • Sister • Aunt

You could also include:

• MOPS coordinator • Small group leader • PTA President • Employee • Volunteer • Jewelry maker • Grandmother

Don’t worry about putting your priorities in order yet. Just think through your day-to-day roles and list them out.

12 2. Prioritize Your Roles Next take your list of roles and prioritize them. Don’t order them according to which is most rewarding or even needed most from you. Consider God’s priorities for your life and order your list accordingly.

3. Determine Your Core Roles Using your prioritized list, circle the roles that are the most important. The roles you have circled are your core roles – your absolutes.

For example mine are:

• Daughter of God • Wife to Mark • Mother to My Babies • Homemaker • Writer

4. Pray Over Your Core Roles Pray over your core roles. Ask God what He wants you to do with your life in light of these priorities.

5. Dream Now dream a little bit. Using the worksheet provided, list your core roles in the provided blanks. Don’t feel like you have to fill up all the blanks – they are only meant to guide you.

Then, for each core role, consider the following questions:

• What are you passionate about in this role? • What do you want to accomplish in this one area?

13 • How do you want to be remembered in this role? • What words do you hope will describe you?

Don’t be afraid to dream big, huge, enormous dreams!

6. Create an Action Statement for Each Core Role Using the dreams, goals, and descriptive words you listed for each core role, create a working action statement for each role. Be concise. For example, here is my daughter of God action statement:

To intentionally pursue Jesus, by daily emptying myself of me and kneeling before my maker in humble pursuit of His purposes for my life, relationships, and home.

7. Create a Mission Statement Now it’s time to pull it all together into a mission statement. Don’t worry about perfection! Your mission statement should remind you of your God-given purpose, encourage you to persevere when the going gets tough, and inspire you to succeed.

Here is My Mission Statement My mission is to live intentionally in order to make it impossible to not think about God in every facet of my life.

To accomplish this mission, I am committed:

To intentionally pursue Jesus, by daily emptying myself of me and kneeling before my maker in humble pursuit of His purposes for my life, relationships, and home.

To intentionally love my husband by affirming his leadership,

14 passionately pursuing him and meeting his needs, and partnering with him to fulfill God’s call on his life.

To intentionally nurture, love, and cherish my children, embracing them as my first ministry, my disciples, to train them up in the ways of the Lord so that they will be effective tools for the Gospel.

To intentionally manage my home, making it a tangible reflection of God’s beauty and grace for my family and all those the Lord brings our way.

To intentionally cultivate an atmosphere of love, learning, and passion in our home by being an encourager, example of humility, and quick to forgive.

To inspire others to joyfully commit to living life intentionally by grace for the glory of God through my writing, hospitality, and my life. May every action make the Gospel attractive.

As you can see, I created a single sentence mission statement that captures the whole of my God-given purpose. I could have stopped there. However, I wanted to describe how I planned to accomplish my mission statement in each core role. Therefore, I added the action statements I created for each core role as an extra measure of encouragement for myself.

What to Do with Your Mission Statement Now that you have developed a mission statement, post it anywhere you can refer to it often.

My mission statement fills the first page of my homemaking binder, reminding me to be intentional with how I walk out my days – to live for Him.

15 Because of my mission statement, I am no longer left to wonder if what I’m doing is drawing me closer to my goal (my God-given calling) or pushing me further away. It is the foundation by which all of my other plans and routines are established.

Other ideas for displaying your mission statement:

• Hang it on the refrigerator • Frame it as a wall decoration • Post it on your bathroom mirror • Put it in your prayer journal or Bible • Put it with your master calendar • Use it as a background on your phone or computer

In the end, your mission statement will be your go-to resource when making decisions. Sometimes, or maybe even often, you are going to be presented with some pretty amazing opportunities. Before saying yes, ask yourself if it’s in line with your mission and priorities.

How I Have Applied My Mission Statement In 2012, we moved 1,500 miles across the country. An opportunity to join a MOPS group presented itself. I tried to make it work, but the more I tried to keep saying yes, the more I felt the nudging of the Lord to take a look at my mission statement.

There is nothing inherently wrong with MOPS. It’s an amazing ministry! It was a GOOD thing. However, it was not the BEST thing for me or for my son.

My mission statement told me that I was committed to pursuing God’s purpose for my relationships, embracing my child as my first ministry, and writing about intentional living for God’s glory. By saying yes to MOPS, I was taking relationship building into my own hands; I was

16 placing my little boy in childcare when I was already overstretched to spend quality one-on-one time with him; and my job as a writer was suffering tremendously. I had to say no and walk away.

Later I was asked to speak at one of the meetings. It was awkward for me to say, “Speaking fulfills my mission statement. Sitting in your chair does not.” But it was the truth – the truth God laid out before me, the path He laid out before the foundation of the world.

So today, pray and seek God’s mission for your life. Write it down. Make it visible. Apply it. Your mission statement will guide how you set your goals for the coming year, which we will talk about next.

17 Setting Goals to Live for Him

Now that you have determined your mission statement, setting goals is the next logical step in seeking to live for Him.

Goals provide direction and purpose for your days. Goals give you something to work toward. When your days are overrun with the mundane tasks that don’t seem to make a difference, having a goal to work toward can really help motivate you!

Goals take your big ideas and break them into bite-size pieces you can manage. Goals make sure you are working on the best things and not just the good things. Goals ensure you live for Him!

How do you set goals for your life?

First, you need to print the Setting Goals Worksheets. Then, use the following instructions, which are very similar to what you walked through to create your mission statement, to set goals that will help you live for Him.

1. Pray

The Lord has supplied you with direction through your mission statement; now it’s time to ask Him for guidance. What steps do you need to take in order to fulfill your mission statement? Pray and ask God to lead you in setting goals for His glory.

2. Dream

On the Lifetime Goals Worksheet, write down what comes to mind. Think about your long-term goals. What do you want to accomplish in your lifetime? Don’t get bogged down in the details. This is a bucket

18 list of goals, of life ambitions. Don’t set your goals according to what you think you can accomplish. Consider the vision and purpose the Lord has given you, as well as the power of God; don’t be afraid to set goals that end with “only God can do this.”

3. Create

Now it’s time to get practical, come down to the ground level, and actually create goals you can work toward.

Your mission statement and lifetime goals inspire you (so keep them in front of you), but it’s your short-term goals that put legs to your vision. Dreams don’t get you to where you want to go. Goals do. What do you need to do to get you closer to fulfilling your God-given mission statement, as well as your lifetime goals?

Let’s break your goals down into the following long-term and short- term increments:

• Five-year goals {long-term} • One-year goals {short-term}

You will need a way to capture both your five-year and one-year goals. I have provided two different types of worksheets for capturing your short-term goals; one worksheet is general while the other is more specific to your core roles. Therefore, choose the worksheet that best fits your needs and begin brainstorming!

Setting Five-Year Goals

Using the Five-Year Goals Worksheet, list what you want to accomplish in the next five years. Feel free to pull from your lifetime goals.

19 Some examples of five-year goals:

• Publish a book • Get out of debt • Plant a church

Your five-year goals don’t have to be specific. It’s okay to list broad goals.

Setting One-Year Goals

Now, it’s time to get really serious (and really specific). What do you realistically want to accomplish in the next twelve months?

I like to set one to three goals in each area of my life. This is when I refer back to my core roles. I review my action statements, as well as my overall mission statement, then set specific, measurable goals for each role.

Some examples of specific, measurable one-year goals:

• Read through the Bible in a year • Read 12 books • Exercise three times a week • Plan one date night a month with my spouse • Memorize Romans 1 with the children • Create a family mission statement • Organize one room of the house each month

Again, don’t be afraid to dream a little bit. Be realistic when setting one-year goals, but don’t be afraid to go for something you’ve always dreamed of!

20 Making a Monthly Plan

Once you have your one-year goals written down, it is time to map out a plan for how you’re going to accomplish each of your goals. Goals are great, but they don’t matter if you do nothing about them.

Breaking your goals down into monthly bite-size pieces will help you achieve your goals because your goals become doable! Your plan helps you know what you need to do each month (and in turn each week) in order to meet your goals for the year.

So print off your Monthly Planning Worksheet. Then, write down the specific steps you will take each month to get where you hope to be a year from now based on the one-year goals you set earlier.

For example, if you want to read twelve books this year, then you know you need to read at least one book a month to accomplish this goal. You could take it a step further and make a list of the books you want to read!

Or if one of your goals is to complete a triathlon, then you need to determine when the next triathlon in your area takes place. If the next scheduled triathlon is in July, then write in your monthly goal for July – complete triathlon.

The goal is to make an overall plan. Your monthly goals worksheet doesn’t have to be perfect. Just focus on capturing the big stuff.

21 Take Time to Evaluate I’ve said it once already, but it bears repeating. Goals do not matter if you do nothing about them. Therefore, you need to set aside time to evaluate your progress and to make sure you continue to do something about your goals.

• Are you staying true to your mission statement? • Are your priorities in order? • What goals have you fallen behind on? • Can you say, “It is good?”

Yearly Evaluation

We’ve already walked through a Personal Yearly Evaluation together. I recommend doing this exercise each year at least once. Put it on your calendar and then purpose to complete the evaluation again in one year.

In addition, you will want to revisit your mission statement at least once a year to ensure nothing has changed. From time-to-time, you might need to make tweaks here and there to your mission statement.

Finally, each year take time to update your goals worksheets. Set new goals for the coming year and create new monthly bite-size pieces to work toward.

Monthly Evaluation

Set aside time at the end of each month to do what I like to call monthly planning. I recommend putting “Monthly Planning” on your calendar. This helps ensure it actually happens!

During your monthly planning session, you want to review your

22 mission statement and one-year goals. Reviewing these two things monthly keeps them fresh in your mind.

In addition, you should take time to review your monthly bite-size goals to see if you made progress or completed any tasks. Then, look ahead at the month to come. Adjust any goals necessary and pray for God to help you live for Him.

Weekly Evaluation

Each week it’s a good idea to evaluate your core priorities and review your goals. I have provided a Weekly Planning Checklist to help guide you through your weekly planning.

In addition, I like to use the Weekly Evaluation Worksheet provided in the back of the book to evaluate my week and make plans for the coming week in the areas that matter most to me.

23 Be Sure to Always Remember Grace

Now that you have formed the foundation of your life through planning, you can begin to fill your days with the best things. You can now effectively live for Him because you have sought His will for your life. You are confident in the direction He has called you.

But you must remember grace – free, unmerited favor. You must remember to hold your plans with an open hand.

When I took my little boy to the beach, I watched him pick up the sand and look at it piled in his hands, palms wide open. To his left, his cousin scooped sand into his little boy hands and then squeezed his hands together. The sand poured out through the inevitable hole that formed from squeezing too tightly.

The analogy here is that, no matter what you plan or how much you would like to succeed, you must hold your goals loosely, never squeezing, never forcing. Not only are there goals and tasks you won’t be able to accomplish no matter how disciplined you are, there are also goals and plans you must be willing to lay down if He calls you to another place, along another path.

How loosely are you holding your goals?

• How loosely are you holding your ideals for your life? • Are you living for you or for Him?

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that our goal is to live for Him. We get wrapped up in living for ourselves. But there is grace and we must remember who we are in Christ.

My husband wrote the following poem, based on scripture, to remind himself about he who is in Christ. I share it here because it is just as

24 applicable to you and me. So in closing, remember who you are in Christ. He’s the only one who is perfect and He is the only one who gets His to-do list done everyday.

I Am … I am known, formed, and knitted. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

I am justified, loved while still a sinner.

My old self is crucified. I am no longer a slave to sin.

I am not condemned, not a slave, but adopted. Nothing can separate me from Christ Jesus.

I am blessed with spiritual blessings. I am chosen and blameless, worthy of an inheritance and predestined to His purpose.

I am sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. I am made alive in Christ and saved by grace.

I am raised up and seated with Him in heavenly places.

I am in Christ Jesus.

I am His workmanship, created in Him for good works.

I am a fellow citizen with the saints, a member of the household of God.

25 Resources The following are my favorite resources for time management and intentional living. I have included my affiliate links. You certainly do not have to purchase anything using my links, but if you do, you support Intentional By Grace. Thank you!

My Favorite eBooks:

Tell Your Time by Amy Andrews Getting it Together: Your Guide to Setting Up a Home Management System that Works by Kayse Pratt

My Favorite Traditional Books:

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney Getting Things Done by David Allen Margin by Richard A. Swenson Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider

26 About the Author

Leigh Ann is passionate about inspiring others to live life intentionally by grace for the glory of God. In all she does, she seeks to make it impossible to not think about God. She is the wife to the man of her prayers, Mark, and mama to two loveable little boys, Samuel and Timothy.

You can find her ministering to the women at Intentional By Grace and Intentional Homeschool. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and Google+.

Check out her other books:

27 Special Thanks

This book truly seemed like a piece of cake when the idea was swarming around in my head. However, I quickly realized that there was always just one more scripture to add, one more piece of encouragement, one more … one more … one more. As I reflect back over the last few months of writing, I am in awe of the sacrifices my husband, Mark, made in order to help me bring this book to market. With joy, he babysat our children, cooked meals, switched the laundry, answered my numerous tech questions, and even stayed up really late several nights to help me finish last minute ideas. I am so grateful for a husband that I simply do not deserve. Thank you, Mark, for being my number one cheerleader in all things.

I would not have a title for this book without my dearest blogging friends. You know who you are. You ladies are a gift to me.

Thanks to my mother-in-love for taking time to proofread and offer suggestions along the way. I am so grateful the Lord saw fit to bring you and your son into my life. I’m eternally grateful!

Thanks to Will Odom for the last minute design help. He converted my cover design to 3D. I am so very thankful!

To my amazing readers, thank you for reading and encouraging me to continue doing what I love. Your comments and emails are a great source of delight for me! I look forward to continuing this journey with you.

Printables

29 Personal Evaluation Worksheet

Life

In what ways did I grow in serving and loving God this year? What steps can I take to continue to grow in this area?

In what ways did I fail, or stumble in sin, this past year? What steps can I take to change and grow in this area?

What is one thing I can do in the coming year to increase my enjoyment of God?

In what one area do I need to allow myself grace? Why?

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com Personal Evaluation Worksheet

Marriage

How much did I pray for my marriage this year? How can I grow in praying for my spouse?

Does my spouse consistently have my attention when it’s needed?

What is one thing I can do to increase my enjoyment of my spouse?

What is one thing I can do to increase my spouse’s enjoyment of me?

What is one thing I can do this year to improve my marriage?

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com Personal Evaluation Worksheet

Parenting

What is one thing I can do this year to improve the quality of our family life?

What is one thing I can do this year to increase my enjoyment of my children?

What is one thing I can do this year to increase their enjoyment of me?

What is one thing I can do this year to instruct my children in the Lord?

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com Personal Evaluation Worksheet

Time Management

What is my biggest time waster? What can I do to improve?

Am I carrying a burden that is not mine to carry? What is one step I can take to let it go?

Is there anything I am doing presently that needs to be postponed until another season?

What is one area I can simplify to create more peace in my home?

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com Personal Evaluation Worksheet

Health

What is one way I can seek to take better care of myself this year?

What is one way I can improve my health in the coming year?

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com Personal Evaluation Worksheet

Relationships

What is one way I can serve others in the coming year?

How can I grow in fellowship with others in the coming year?

What is one way I can show hospitality this year?

Did I faithfully pray for others this year? How can I grow in praying for others in the coming year?

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com Personal Evaluation Worksheet

Finances

How am I doing with the stewardship of our finances?

What is one way I can be more generous to others with my finances?

What is one thing I can do to decrease overspending in the coming year?

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com Personal Evaluation Worksheet

Big Picture

What is the most crazy, audacious thing I can ask of God this year?

What is one word or theme I can focus on in the coming year?

What is the single most effective thing I can do in the coming year that will have a lasting, eternal effect?

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com Creating a Mission Statement

List your roles … Prioritize your roles …

Consider God’s priorities for Identify the roles you fill each your life and prioritize your day and list them below. previous list.

1.______1.______

2.______2.______

3.______3.______

4.______4.______

5.______5.______

6.______6.______

7.______7.______

8.______8.______

9.______9.______

10.______10.______

Using your prioritized list, circle the roles that are most important. The roles you have circled are your core roles.

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com

Creating a Mission Statement

Dream… Create…

Core Role #1:______Core Role #1:______Dream, Goal, or Descriptive Words: Action Statement:

Core Role #2:______Core Role #2:______Dream, Goal, or Descriptive Words: Action Statement:

Core Role #3:______Core Role #3:______Dream, Goal, or Descriptive Words: Action Statement:

Core Role #4:______Core Role #4:______Dream, Goal, or Descriptive Words: Action Statement:

Core Role #5:______Core Role #5:______Dream, Goal, or Descriptive Words: Action Statement:

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com

Creating a Mission Statement

Working Mission Statement…

______

Remember: Develop a mission statement that will remind you of your God- given purpose, encourage you to persevere when the going gets tough, and inspire you to succeed.

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com

Lifetime Goals {Bucket List}

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

6. ______

7. ______

8. ______

9. ______

10. ______

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com

Five-Year Goals {long-term}

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

One-Year Goals {short-term}

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com

Five-Year Goals {long-term}

Role #1: Role #2:

Role #3: Role #4:

Role #5: Role #6:

One-Year Goals {short-term}

Role #1: Role #2:

Role #3: Role #4:

Role #5: Role #6:

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com

Monthly Goals

January February March

April May June

July August September

October November December

Monthly Planning Checklist Review your mission statement Review your one-year goals Review the previous month’s bite-size goals Set upcoming monthly goals Pray

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com

Weekly Evaluation

Did you accomplish any goals this week? Why or why not?

What practical steps can I take this week to …

1. Strengthen my relationship with the Lord.

2. Bless my spouse.

3. Love my children.

4. Serve others, express thankfulness and/or encouragement to one person this week.

5. Simplify my life.

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com

Weekly Planning Checklist

Weekly Planning Checklist Review previous week Complete Weekly Evaluation Worksheet Review goals Review mission statement Review calendar Create master to-do list for the week Establish menu plan for the week Review budget

Notes

Live for Him IntentionalByGrace.com