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Katie T’s Cottage Home Fun Fact #33

For my 33rd  fun fact, I want to share that I love sushi! 

It’s a new love as of 2 years ago, and my only regret is not trying it sooner! Luckily, I can make up for lost time!!

Know Your Why for Living with Intention

The first tip on living with intention is to know your why. Without it, the other tips later on in this article will be less meaningful.

Knowing your why is the fuel behind your purpose in your homemaking role.

Why do you get up in the morning and do what you do? Why do you continue to do what you do? Why are you choosing to do what you do?

Knowing your purpose will influence the decisions about what you should and shouldn’t take on.

For example, my “why” is because I want to cultivate a life that I love. I love what I do. I love that I can share and inspire other young women with knowledge and tips on facing certain issues.

And, I love waking up knowing that I am abundantly blessed with another beautiful day hand-crafted by God himself. 

If you’re struggling to think of your why, then perhaps it’s time to make a change.

Spend more time with the good people in your life. Make more room for alone time with God. Try picking up that hobby you’ve been wanting to do for a long time. 

It doesn’t always have to be expensive. For example, if you want to take dance classes but, can’t afford them, then search for different dance routines on YouTube and dance in your living room! You may feel a little silly at first (speaking from personal experience), but it’ll be worth it!

Living with Intention: Learn How to Self-Reflect

Knowing how to self-reflect is a huge step in living with intention. The two go hand-in-hand, and you can’t have one without the other. 

Self-reflection requires you to self-monitor your behaviors and emotions. Learning your behaviors and emotions is essential in knowing how to live intentionally.

When monitoring your behavior, think about the things you like about yourself. Think about the things that you know you can improve upon. 

For example, if you self-reflect and recognize that you have poor posture, actively think about how you are standing and correct your posture when you’re slouching. If you can get in the habit of doing so, you will be more intentional.

Emotions, on the other hand, are much more complex. It’s not as simple as fixing that particular situation. This self-monitoring is essential in those moments where we feel our emotions are strongest. 

Are they good emotions we want to continue, like happiness and joy? Or, are they negative emotions like stress and sadness?

So many times, we feel a strong negative emotion, and instead of doing the uncomfortable or inconvenient self-reflection to determine why we have that emotion, we push it down to the depths of our being to go unresolved. 

The problem with ignoring these emotions is that they will eventually pile up until we snap, which completely contradicts what it means to live with intention.

Instead, take a second and ask yourself why you feel the way you do. Take a deeper dive into your emotion at that moment and try to untie the meaning behind it. Once you can give that emotion meaning, it will set the course for how you move forward in similar situations. 

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Learn How to Prioritize

Knowing how to prioritize is the second to last tip in this article on living with intention. 

I won’t go into detail on how to prioritize because I have a full guide on learning how to prioritize as a Christian homemaker, but I will explain why knowing it is essential in intentional living.

Many of us struggle to step away from autopilot and take a stand for how we want to spend our time.

The problem is that society has set itself up to reward people pleasers and those who can do the next best thing. 

People pleasing is a common problem in today’s world. By feeding into this ideology, we give the other individual’s opinion authority over our wants and desires.

As a result, this leaves someone doing things they don’t want to do, all in the name of what others will think. 

However, if we have our priorities in order and know our “why” as discussed earlier, this will help us say no to the things that don’t bring value to our lives.

Plus, it will free up our time to do those things that give us homemakers purpose and value. We are not simply going through the motions because of other people’s beliefs but rather being intentional in how we want to spend our time. 

Living with Intention: The Art of Being Mindful

Being mindful is the last stepping stone to living with intention. 

While the two are very similar, being mindful is smaller scale compared to living with intention, which encompasses the big picture.

Being mindful is buying the ingredients for the recipe you intend to make for dinner, compared to being intentional in how you cook the dinner. 

Being mindful means you can foresee possible negative or positive outcomes before they may or may not happen.

You observe your surroundings and think about the actions you are initiating in and the potential implications it may have. 

Some mindfulness is learned, while, on the contrary, some learned behaviors may obstruct mindfulness. 

For example, you may have grown up in a house that added felt furniture pads to the bottom of the furniture legs to prevent scratching. When you move out and get your furniture, you know to be mindful and use the felt pads because it was learned.

On the flip side, you may grow up doing something and continue doing that thing because it’s what you were used to. For example, I grew up in a household that peeled the carrots. One day, as I was peeling carrots, it occurred to me that it was completely unnecessary. As long as I washed the carrots well, there wasn’t a need to do the extra step. 

Learned mindfulness is its step towards intentional living. However, mastering what I call, situational mindfulness will help you make leaps and bounds towards being more intentional with how you live your life.

When you are in a situation where you have to exercise that part of the brain, you are taking the time to be aware of your surroundings and the potential pros and cons of responding in a certain manner. 

Living with Intention: Inspiring Young Woman in their Homemaking Role

Learning the art and skill of living with intention will help you slow down and be more aware of your surroundings and situations in life. I hope this post has helped you and, I look forward to hearing what you have to say in the comments below!!

The post Living with Intention: Inspiring Young Woman in their Homemaking Role first appeared on Katie T's Home.

These principles will guide you toward aligning your dreams with God’s will, setting clear and specific goals, and much more. This article will dive into the fundamentals you need to know before creating your vision board. It will equip you with the tools and insights to craft a life-changing vision. So, are you ready to find your potential, celebrate milestones, and let your faith move mountains in the new year? If so, let’s get started!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.

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Katie T’s Farmhouse Home Fun Fact #2

Before I jump into the 10 fundamentals every Christian woman needs to know before starting their 2024 vision board, I want to mention a fun fact about myself! This is a new section I’m including on my blog posts so my readers can get to know me on a personal level! This is the second one I’ve done so far, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below!

So, for my second fun fact, I want to share that my husband and I are foodies!

I am the primary “chef” in the kitchen, but on occasion, he will get inspired and create a masterpiece! 

Recently, I bought a flour mill after researching the benefits of freshly milled flour vs. conventional flour at the store. It’s been a week since I’ve gotten the mill, and I already made focaccia bread and 2 loaves of sliced bread! So far, I’m very happy with the purchase and hope to make more flour-based food products at home for a healthier diet. 

Understanding the Purpose of a Vision Board

Before crafting your vision board for 2024, it’s crucial to understand the purpose behind it. 

A vision board is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a board with images of goals. So let’s say you want to eat healthier this year. A good visual for that goal would be a picture of fruits and vegetables. You would add that picture to the board along with other goals for the year. 

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I’ve also seen people list out their different goals in list format. I believe the visual pictures give more incentive, but that’s just my opinion, and you need to do whatever method works best for you!

The point of creating a vision board is to help give the vision to achieve a goal. The visual image inspires you to achieve wondrous things. Hence the name vision board. 

Aligning Your Dreams with God’s Will

Aligning our dreams with God’s will is not about simply wishing for things to happen or selfishly pursuing our desires. It is about surrendering our plans to God, seeking His guidance, and aligning our hearts with His purposes. When we align our dreams with God’s will, we invite Him to be an active participant in our journey, trusting that He knows what is best for us.

The biggest thing here is trust. Trust in God’s will. Because at the end of the day, God knows what’s best for us. 

So, for example, one of the goals I have for the 2024 vision board I’m creating is to build a house (or at least set the plan in motion). It’s been a dream for a long time and I am SO ready for it to happen. 

God is a loving father and wants to bless his children. Just let that sink in. He WANTS to bless us abundantly.

And sometimes that means that these blessings may not be delivered in the way we visualize. So, this could mean building my dream home may have to wait another year, or may not even happen at all. 

It’s scary to be in these moments and to think that something that’s been on our hearts for a long time may never happen. And that’s where trust in God comes into play. 

Goals that help us become a better version of ourselves are a little different (for example praying more, cutting back on drinking, exercising, etc.), but goals that are subject to interests and personal desires may not be what God has in store for us. 

We need to recognize that even though we may dream and desire it, it might not be for us. And that’s okay.

The beautiful thing is, sometimes we get a glimpse of how things unfolded differently. And more often than not, when I have those “in hindsight” moments, I’m usually pretty happy with how things ended up. 

So, in those moments of being completely out of control over a situation, trust that God knows what he’s doing and will deliver something far greater, even if it doesn’t make sense at the time. 

And to be clear, I’m not saying you can’t bring those dreams and desires to God. He wants us to bring everything to him. He wants to hear it. Simply recognizing that his no to those dreams is in our best interest. 

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Setting Clear and Specific Goals

Setting clear and specific goals is paramount in giving our 2024 vision board a solid foundation for success. Without clear and specific goals, our vision may lack focus and direction. It is essential to define our objectives in a way that is tangible and measurable, allowing us to track our progress and make adjustments along the way.

Vague goals leave room for interpretation and can lead to confusion and frustration. Instead, we should strive to articulate our desires clearly and precisely, leaving no room for ambiguity. Take physical health for example. A vague goal would be to go to the gym more. But if if you never go to the gym and went twice in 2024, you technically met the goal, but probably not in the intended way. 

So, this is where being specific with your goals and making a commitment (let’s say going to the gym once or twice a week) will have a far better impact. 

Additionally, our goals should be actionable and attainable. It is crucial to set goals that we have the ability and resources to achieve. While it is important to dream big, setting unrealistic goals can lead to disappointment and discouragement. By setting attainable goals, we can maintain a sense of motivation and progress as we work towards them.

So in my own life, building a house is pretty unrealistic unless certain life circumstances change. The biggest obstacle is finances. We live in an area where the housing market is incredibly unaffordable with high mortgage rates. I keep seeing predictions that the mortgage rates will drop in 2024, so would this change things? Depending on how low the mortgage rate would drop, quite possibly.

So to set a realistic goal, instead of having my goal be “I’m going to build a house in 2024” it’s going to be “I’m going to prepare to build a house when the moment comes”.

This looks like saving money, creating house plans, knowing my style so I can keep an eye out for materials that may go on sale, and researching and coming up with a plan and list of what a custom home build entails. These goals will help streamline the process when the time comes.

To tie in specific and attainable goals with the faith life, ask yourself if it will bring you closer to God. 

Because at the end of the day, we are on this earth to spread the word and good news. Do your goals help you achieve that? 

Even if it’s a matter of finding a job that allows you to make more money. How will you use this opportunity to benefit and glorify Him?

Incorporating Prayer and Gratitude

Prayer is the bridge between us and God. It is where we engage in a heartfelt conversation, expressing our desires, seeking His guidance, and surrendering our plans to His purpose. Through prayer, we acknowledge our dependence on God and invite His wisdom and guidance to shape our vision and guide our steps.

Gratitude, on the other hand, is the attitude that allows us to appreciate and acknowledge the blessings God has already bestowed upon us. It is a powerful force that shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have and opens our hearts to receive even more of God’s goodness. When we cultivate an attitude of gratitude, we create a fertile ground for miracles to unfold and for mountains to be moved.

This may sound counterintuitive, but even gratitude for the things going wrong can be beneficial. This is a natural phenomenon because it changes our perspective on the situation. 

Embracing the Power of Visualization

Visualization is a powerful tool that allows us to put our minds to it’s fullest potential using imagination. By vividly picturing our goals and desires in our minds, we can activate creativity and propel our goals toward fruition. 

When we visualize our goals, we go beyond simply imagining what we want to achieve. We fully immerse ourselves in the experience, engaging all our senses to bring that desired outcome to life. We envision every detail, from what it looks like to what it feels like, tastes like, sounds like, and even smells like. This level of detail and immersion helps to solidify our goals in our minds and align our thoughts, beliefs, and actions with them.

As Christian women, we can incorporate our faith into our visualization practice. We can seek guidance and ask for God’s help in visualizing our goals and dreams. By surrendering our desires to God and aligning our visions with His will, we can find purpose and clarity. We can trust that He will guide us on the right path and provide the resources, opportunities, and support we need to bring our visions to light.

Taking Action and Stepping into Faith

Taking action is essential because it is the momentum that propels us forward toward our goals. We can spend hours crafting a beautiful 2024 vision board, but if we do not take action, they remain simply dreams on paper. 

It is important to remember that God does not expect us to sit idly by and wait for everything to fall into our laps. He desires us to actively participate in His plans for us. This requires us to step out of our comfort zones, face our fears and doubts, and take bold steps toward the vision that God has laid on our hearts.

Stepping into faith is equally necessary on this journey. As Christian women, we are called to trust in God’s promises and have faith in His ability to guide us. It may be daunting to step into the unknown or face challenges along the way, but when we place our faith in God, we can move forward with confidence. 

Faith enables us to overcome obstacles and persevere when the path seems uncertain. It pushes us to rely on God’s strength rather than our own, reminding us that we are not alone in this journey.

It’s these moments of action and pursuit of our dreams that enable us to become virtuous. Achieving any dream will not be easy. If it was, it wouldn’t be a dream.

Reviewing and Revising Your Vision Board

Reviewing and revising our vision board is an essential step in our journey of faith and transformation as Christian women. Just as we make adjustments in our physical surroundings to reflect our growth and progress, so too must we update our vision boards to align with the ever-evolving path God has set before us.

By regularly reviewing and revising our vision boards, we ensure that they remain a true reflection of our desires, goals, and most importantly, God’s will for our lives.

As we start this process, it’s important to approach it with an open mind and a heart ready to embrace change. Our vision boards are not set in stone; they are dynamic tools that can adapt as we gain clarity and new insights. 

During this review process, it’s helpful to ask ourselves probing questions. Are there any goals or desires that no longer resonate with our current season of life? Possibly new aspirations that have emerged on our journey that we want to incorporate into our vision? Are there any areas where we may need to adjust our focus or set new milestones?

As we answer these questions, we must be open to the possibility that our vision board may look different than what we initially imagined.

This is not a sign of failure or inadequacy but rather a testament to our growth and our willingness to adapt as God leads us.

Our 2024 vision board should reflect our ever-evolving faith journey, serving as a compass that guides us toward the mountains God has set before us.

Now, discernment in this step is key. Every situation is different, but let’s say you just graduated college and are looking for a job. After searching and applying for multiple positions, you’re still out of luck. Does this mean you need to go back to school? Get a job in a different field? Keep searching for the one you hoped to find? 

This is where you’ll need to pray for discernment on the next steps. Until that discernment comes, stay the course and trust that God has a plan for you. 

Once you have reviewed and discerned areas for revision, it’s time to take action. This may involve adding new images, quotes, or affirmations that align with your updated goals and desires.

It may also involve removing or adjusting certain elements that no longer serve a purpose. This process of revising our vision boards allows us to refine our focus, maintain momentum, and stay aligned with God’s will.

Creating a Supportive Community and Relationships

In this fast-paced and often isolating world, having a supportive community can make all the difference. When we surround ourselves with fellow Christian women who understand and embrace our beliefs, we find strength in unity and encouragement in times of doubt or struggle.

A supportive community becomes a safe space where we can openly share our dreams, fears, and challenges, knowing that we will be met with support, understanding, and prayer.

In addition, creating supportive relationships with others is another great way to stay the course and achieve the desired goals in life. For example, my husband and I hold each other accountable to exercise. 

To create a supportive community and relationships, we start by seeking out like-minded individuals who share our beliefs and values. 

This can be done through joining a local church or Christian organization or attending Bible studies or community events. Or even connecting with the people who are already in our lives and fostering those relationships. By actively seeking out and nurturing these connections, we invite a sense of belonging, accountability, and encouragement into our lives.

Staying Focused and Motivated

As a Christian woman, one way that I stay focused is to prioritize Him. 

Life is hard as it is. I find the moments in life that I fail to recognize His presence are the moments that seem x10 harder. But, when I actively pursue God, it’s easier to stay focused on the path ahead with the motivation to do so.

I have another post about how I invite God into my morning routine in just 3 simple steps. These three steps go into more detail than what I can do here with just one section of an already long post!

Celebrating Milestones and God’s Faithfulness

Every Christian woman knows that the path of faith is not always smooth or straightforward. There are difficult moments, times when doubt creeps in, and obstacles that make us question our abilities. That’s why it becomes crucial to pause, reflect, and celebrate the milestones along the way.

When we acknowledge and celebrate the milestones in our journey, we do more than just pat ourselves on the back; we acknowledge God’s faithfulness throughout the process. 

Every step forward, every mountain moved, and every triumph over adversity is a testament to His guidance and grace in our lives. We recognize that our achievements, big or small, are not the results of our efforts but a gift from God.

2024 Vision Board: 10 Fundamentals Every Christian Woman NEEDS to Know Before They Can Move Mountains

As Christian women, it is essential to understand the purpose of a 2024 vision board and align our dreams with God’s will. As we celebrate milestones and witness God’s faithfulness, we can bring our dreams to life in 2024. Remember to trust in God’s plan and embrace the journey and mountains ahead.

The post 2024 Vision Board: 10 Fundamentals Every Christian Woman NEEDS to Know Before They Can Move Mountains first appeared on Katie T's Home.