But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 6:9

When I came across this passage, I knew that I wanted to set my heart on these words for the month of October. Grace is a concept that I’ve always been aware of but never really knew how to set it in motion.

Does it always work?

Is grace just something that God gives to me?

Can I give grace to others? How?

Earlier this year, I read Emily Ley’s book “Grace Not Perfection” and it really helped me understand the idea of grace as something that I could (and needed to) extend to myself. I’ve talked about my life as a recovering perfectionist before. I looked to perfection to control everything. And, as life brought challenging circumstances and painful emotions my way, I tried to lean even more into perfectionism as the solution.

You know what happened?

I felt these deep feelings of shame, embarrassment and disappointment because I just could not keep it all together.

Only within the past six months have I started to release those feelings. I’ve learned how to truly give grace. First to myself and then to others. My journey to freedom started the day that I decided to extend grace to myself. 

I realized that because I couldn’t do that for me, I couldn’t do it for others. Not only was a judging others harshly for disappointing or hurting me, but I was doing the same thing to myself.

There was a passage in Emily’s book that has never left my memory or my heart.

Choose gratitude and grace every morning. Grace and gratitude go hand in hand.

I come into my 34^th birthday in an extremely grateful place. This place could only be made possible by God’s grace. To say that I am looking forward to this next year of life would be an understatement. I am expectant. I am excited. I am enough.

I know that it’s my birthday but here is my wish for you.

Make room for grace.

It is truly the gift that keeps on giving… No birthdays needed.

How is it already August?! Knowing that this is the last month of summer makes me sad because I can’t believe how fast it flew by. More importantly, I feel like there are so many things that I didn’t do yet this summer.

Last month, I didn’t get around to going through my Powersheets like in previous months but I did set a couple of high level goals for myself that I did accomplish. They included:

• Getting to the gym at work ten times – This is a new record for me AND it means that my next month’s fee will be 50% off.
• Picking out new living room furniture – FINALLY! We found a sectional and chairs that we love.
• Having a successful Galvanize Chicago event – I never did an official recap on the blog, but I posted quite a few pics on Instagram from the weekend. Nearly 1,000 women packed McCormick Place for a weekend about leading and advocating for change in policy and within our communities. It was AWESOME.

With Valerie Jarrett and Commissioner Kari Steele (right) at Galvanize Reception

While I am proud of those accomplishments, I know that I could have checked off a couple more things. This month, my focus is maximizing my output without the burnout. This concept doesn’t just include work-related tasks but also relational ones as well. I’m challenging myself to have meaningful conversations, put my efforts behind things that truly matter, and throw my heart into my home and marriage.

Here is my tending list for the month.

Monthly

• No sugar – I’m not doing a complete Whole 30 this month, but I do want to drastically reduce my sugar intake.
• Social media-free weekends (2x) 
• Date night with Chris – We didn’t have one in July but hoping that we can get one on the books soon.
• Organize a diaper drive – More on this soon!
• Update living room with new furniture
• Ten visits (or more) to the gym at work – As mentioned above, this goal has dual benefits – physical AND financial.
• Plan Cupcakes and Chicago for Red Pump

Weekly

• Post 2-3 times – I am in a creative season so I want to bring some of that energy to my blogging.
• Meal plan – This is another goal that has multiple benefits. I’ve done this successfully for the past two weeks and don’t plan on losing momentum.
• $25 eating out budget during the workweek – While I plan to make my own meals during the week, I also know that things happen. This is my CYA fund, in case I forget my lunch or decide to grab Starbucks in the morning.
• Call a friend 
• Write in my gratitude journal
• Have our family meeting

Daily

• Drink 80 oz of water
• Spend 15 minutes with a devotional and talking to God
• Walk at least 7,500 steps
• Complete my daily cleaning task – I’ve created a small list of tasks that I can do for 30 minutes in the morning and in the evening to help me manage the housework at home. This goal is about keeping my sanity while also creating a beautiful space for my family.

To keep me on track, I am planning to do #TendingListTuesday, which is something that I heard about in the Powersheets Facebook group. By checking my list every Tuesday, I am making sure that I am staying focused on my goals and making adjustments as needed.

What are your main goals for this month? Whatever they are, I am praying that you have the mindset and stamina to take them on full steam. Let’s do this!