Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Your children aren’t the only ones learning, and if you believe that more is caught than taught, then you really need to be leading by example.

I love learning… in my own style, at my own pace. I’m also a bit of a visionary, and I have a lot of ideas, goals, and things I want to pursue. Also, I tend to be unorganized and can be a bit ADD in my approach to things. Several years ago, I realized that doing a lot at once wasn’t producing the best outcome. My brain felt torn and divided, like I was growing in too many directions and couldn’t keep up. If I could find a way to focus strongly on one area, perhaps I’d be able to dig deeper and retain more. Maybe it was seeing the benefit of unit studies in our schooling that caused me to want to apply this same style of learning and producing to my own life.

So, over time, I created this worksheet for myself. I hope it blesses you as well.

First: I set my own time frame—usually three months, with the option to extend it if needed—and write down a focus or theme that I want to be intentional about during that season. My goal is always to be growing toward God, transforming my flesh toward holy living. So there should be a verse that connects to my “why” for that topic—something I can quickly reflect on if I need a course correction. Filling out these opening parts really gives me the chance to commit. Is this what I want to dedicate my time to?

The next part of this form is twofold because it reflects who we are as humans. We are always either learning or creating, taking in or giving out.

Learning: I want to be intentional here, so I ask myself, what do I want speaking into my life over this set amount of time? Usually, I list specific books, podcasts, sermons, and Scriptures I want feeding me. These might be things that take significant time to dive into, or they might be resources I can flip open when I have a few spare minutes in the day. Knowing what they are and being prepared helps me avoid scrolling my phone or watching the first thing that pops up on YouTube because I already know what I want to invest my time in.

Create: This really depends on your focus. It might align directly with your theme, or it might involve continuing habits you’ve already built. If you have a fitness goal, you might add a new challenge. A motherhood goal might include trying one new recipe each week or setting a dedicated amount of time daily to play a game with your kids. A faithfulness goal might mean consistency in a routine you usually avoid. Encouragement might look like making time to write a note to someone each day. This isn’t your to-do list, but it should connect to producing fruit from what you’ve been soaking in.

Notes: Of course, it’s always helpful to have a place to keep extra ideas—maybe a quote you read or a thought about a focus you’d like to dive deeper into in the future. You could write your takeaway or summary at the end of your time frame. Scribble it down so you can come back to it later.

Rejoice and Release: Don’t skip the last two boxes. These are essential to your well-being. First, write one thing you will rejoice in every day. Yes, there are many things you could choose, but pick one and write it down. I will often try to make this a praise that I say first thing in the morning when I wake up. Then choose the one thing that is weighing you down. You know what it is. You’ve prayed about it, stayed up thinking about it, and held onto it with a clenched fist, wanting to control the outcome—even though you know you can’t. Write it down. And every time you think about it, remind yourself that you gave it to God and that He is in control. This isn’t your entire prayer list. A prayer list is a wonderful thing to have, but this is the thing that will get in the way of your growth if you don’t release it.

Now, you can do whatever you’d like with this paper. Like I said, I’m pretty unorganized, so sometimes I don’t look at it again until I create the next one. Other times, I reference it regularly and check off the things I’m doing. Over the last year, I started doing this with a group of friends, and we’ve become a small accountability group that checks in every three months to help each other stay focused. Many times, just the act of thinking and writing helps us gain clarity and be able to move forward intentionally.

Use this however it serves you. And if you’d like to let me know how it’s going, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to email me at familystylerevival@gmail.com anytime.