Well, we made it through a full month of self-isolation. April ended up actually being quite awesome and productive for me, even if it was a bit odd. With the momentum from April, I sat down over the weekend and created my May 2020 Tending List in my PowerSheets.
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First of all, if you’re unfamiliar with the goal-setting workbook PowerSheets, go back to read my 2020 PowerSheets and 2020 Goals post.
APRIL 2020 PROGRESS
April was a great month for me, personally. I have been doing a lot of soul-searching and praying and journaling – for several months, actually – because I’ve felt a bit like I was lost at sea.
I ran my online business for so long, and then to spend all of 2019 not running an online business was weird. And I have felt in my gut that there was something I should be doing, but I was so uncertain about my direction.
I think I found it last month, and I’m running full steam ahead!
//MONTHLY PROGRESS:
- Laundry Room Makeover: We (or should I say, my husband) made excellent progress on this. He has been building cabinets, which he’s never done before, and we’re wrapping this project up this week!
- Paving Stones: Bumping this to May because the laundry room took precedence on house projects.
- Paint Front Door: I did this, and it’s so pretty! Our door was red, and beat up. I painted it a pretty cobalt blue, and we added a kick plate and new door knob and deadbolt.
- Read 6 Books or More: I read NINE books in April. Crazy. I’m on track to meet my 2020 goal of reading 75 books!
- Sign One Person to Young Living: Early April was when I dove headfirst into my Young Living business, and I had hoped to sign one new enrollee, but it didn’t happen. No big deal, really. I was learning and setting up my business and made great progress on that front!
From a business standpoint, April was about planting seeds, and learning for my own benefit. I’m excited to grow even more in the coming months!
//WEEKLY PROGRESS:
- Sabbath: I practiced an intentional Sabbath two out of four Fridays in April.
- Tithe: I forget to tithe when I don’t go to church, y’all! Ugh. Twice this month, I remembered to tithe.
- 1 KThompson Marketing Blog Post/week: I got 1 out of 4 on this one.
- 1 Weekly Bible Teaching: I got 3 out of 4 on this one. I share Bible insights on Instagram as often as the Lord leads.
- 1 STSG blog post: I hit this one every single week.
About the Sabbath: Before COVID-19, I was regularly practicing a weekly Sabbath on Fridays. Now that I’m home all the time, I feel like my Sabbath is spread out throughout the week. I’m resting more, studying my Bible more, etc. during the week, and it’s really quite nice.
I’m taking KThompson Marketing off the table for now. I thought I could jump right back into the old online biz, but it turns out, my heart just isn’t in it.
//DAILY PROGRESS:
- Walk/Exercise: Laughable, at best – 2 days in April.
- Quiet Time: Almost every single day, I spent time studying the Bible and talking to God.
- Clean/Chore: Again, nearly every single day, I cleaned one area of my home, or did one household chore.
Other than exercising, I did well with my daily tending items. I spend a ton of time outside doing other things, but haven’t been walking or doing dedicated exercise.
APRIL MONTH IN REVIEW
I don’t always share my month-in-review page because a lot of this is personal, but I wanted to share it this month for a couple of reasons:
1 – In the midst of what is a very uncertain and unusual time in our world’s history, I am seeing so many blessings.
I didn’t see my own daughter for 7 full weeks, but I got to know my neighbors, begin a new business, work on house projects, and learn more about myself.
2 – In the time I’ve had with the Lord, He has revealed some things to me that have been holding me back, both in business and in life.
I’ve learned that I am very negative toward myself. I tell myself that my ideas are dumb, or that no one will care what I share or say, that I’ll fail… And the truth is, that’s just the enemy talking.
I journaled recently and wrote down all the negative things I think of myself, and then wrote scriptures that show what God says about me. It was eye-opening and good for my heart.
I’ve also realized that I have been paralyzed by fear. So many times in my past, I’ve tried things that failed, and I’ve let those failures hinder me from trying again.
I’ve also been afraid of what people will think if I share more about Young Living and essential oils. As I type this, I feel that fear try to creep in.
But I know that if I share from a posture of serving and loving well, I have nothing to fear. I genuinely want to help families live a healthier lifestyle, and find non-toxic alternatives to their daily products.
MAY 2020 TENDING LIST
So April was pivotal for me. I feel armed and ready to move forward in my life and in my business, and continue growing and learning.
Each month in the PowerSheets, you start with a “Prepare Well” page, which gives space to write out important to-do’s, things you’re excited for, things on your mind, and things you hope for.
I’m working on my Young Living business a lot, and hopeful that I’m able to continue to focus on that, and use my gifts to serve others and love others well.
//MONTHLY ACTION ITEMS:
- Enroll 4 new Young Living members: I’ll be teaching online classes and reaching out to friends
- Finish laundry room: This will be done this week!
- Read 8 books or more: Self-explanatory
- Talk to Jay about work schedule: Pre-Coronavirus, I worked at church 3 days/week but most of my tasks are online, so I will be dropping to 1 day/week.
- Prepare to launch Oily Library June 1st: Using my skills in blogging and online business, I’m creating digital resources for other Young Living distributors.
- Send EO samples to potential enrollees: The best way to learn about oils is to use them!
- Create welcome package: For my new YL enrollees who join my team.
//WEEKLY ACTION ITEMS:
- Host 1 virtual EO class: Beginning next week (the week of May 11th), I’ll be hosting at least 1 virtual essential oils class each week.
- Sabbath: I want to get back into my rhythm of a dedicated and intentional weekly Sabbath.
- Tithe: I’ve set reminders on my phone to tithe weekly.
- 2 STSG blog posts: My content calendar is ready and I’m scheduling blog posts and videos as we speak!
- Meal plan & grocery shop: We’ve been eating at home almost daily for the last 2 months, and that has been a great way to get into this habit and maintain it, even after COVID-19 is over.
//DAILY ACTION ITEMS:
- Bible study: This is something I need each day, so I’ll start my mornings with quiet time in the Word.
- Clean/chore: I want to continue cleaning one area of my house, or doing one chore, each day to maintain a clean home.
You’ll notice there is no daily action item to exercise. Honestly, the lack of checkmarks last month makes me sad, but doesn’t motivate me to exercise. Instead, I plan to take full advantage of the warm weather and the fact that we live on the lake, and just do things outside everyday.
I’m anxious to see what the month of May has in store for me and my goals, but I feel really good about how they’re growing.
