the Blog

Recently, I (McCauley) have been doing the hard work of shifting my rhythms. Seasons are changing, and I've felt scattered because of how much time I was allowing for overlap between focused time with my kids and time that needed to be set aside for business tasks. 

I know that the best way for me to get business work done later in the day is to make sure I connect with my kids in the morning. Whether it's working together through school, doing a craft, or going outside, I know I have to tend to my children first to help them feel grounded. This also helps them know what they need to do for the rest of the day.

So when I started tweaking my week rhythms, I knew it was important to not allow overlap between my focused time with my kids, and business work.

Have you had your eye on our planner, but the price tag has you hesitating? If you operate on a budget (something we all do here at Evergreen!), then this is for you!

If you've been around for a while, you know that our Planner System is a financial investment. There are a few reasons why our products are priced the way they are:

However, as women who operate on our own household budgets, we know that not every season affords the opportunity to invest in high-quality tools, such as our Full System. It has remained very important to us to give everyone a chance to try the planning system without breaking the bank!

You did it. You took the plunge, and you're looking at your brand new Evergreen Planner System. Congratulations, and welcome! We are so glad you're here.

But now the real work of setting up your Planner begins. And maybe you feel overwhelmed (that's normal), or intimidated (that's normal too). Blank pages are most peoples' worst nightmare, and we get it.

With this post, we've taken the guess work out of it for you, with a simple guide to get you started.

Abby Lease is a Founding Member of the Evergreen Collective and a Task-Crushing Visionary from Wisconsin. Currently a stay-at-home mom of 3 lovely children, and previously a history and Latin teacher at a Classical middle and high school, Abby desires to encourage her sisters in Christ as we seek to serve God and others faithfully in the way we spend our time.

One of our favorite contributions Abby has already made to the Collective is pointing out the etymology of "Vinca"—the flowering evergreen that is also the namesake of Abby's cohort. (Did I mention she's a Latin teacher? 😉)

Here's what Abby shared about the meaning of Vinca:

"Fun fact, as I’ll be part of the June [2023] Vinca cohort: 'vinca' comes from the word vincire 'to bind,' referring to the Vinca vine’s winding quality, but the word “vinca” is also the form of the imperative vincere 'to win, overcome.' The word is the same in Italian- so vinca can literally mean 'Win!' Some needed encouragement."

👀✨ Abby has some exciting ideas for the Collective, so stay tuned!! 😍 We can’t wait to participate in all the goodness she has coming.

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Video Timestamps

0:02 - Announcing Abby Lease as the Collective's new community manager for this season of the community's growth!

1:13 - Abby shares a little about herself and her family.

3:59 - How Abby found the Evergreen Planner

6:36 - Abby's favorite part about being a teacher.

15:08 - Abby's favorite part of the challenge path, and why.

25:21 - Abby describes the perfect morning. ☕☀️

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P.S. Remind us not to let Shelby sit in a swivel chair for future videos. 😂🎠

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Click here to get your first month free in the Collective, and to get instant access to a host of free planner printables, tutorials, and encouragement for stewarding your time as a Christian woman.

You did it. You took the plunge, and you're looking at your brand new Annual planner! Congratulations, and welcome! We are so glad you're here.

But now the real work of setting up your Planner begins. And maybe you feel overwhelmed (that's normal), or intimidated (that's normal too). Blank pages are most peoples' worst nightmare, and we get it.

With this post, we've taken the guess work out of it for you, with a simple guide to get you started.

Tired of goal setting systems that pump you up, introduce massive tension between your goal and your daily responsibilities, and then leave you feeling like a failure?

We were too. So we created a system that is mercifully realistic, embraces everyday responsibilities as valid, and helps us become more deeply rooted in our broader life callings. We believe that the best goals are the ones that fuel a great way of life, and that a great way of life will fuel great goals. If you want more than a mountain top experience—if you're ready to actually translate your goals into action—then The ROOTED Goals workbook was created for you. 

But we didn't stop at creating the workbook! Below is a recap of the podcast season we recorded to do a deeper dive into each step of the ROOTED Goals system. Listen to the season as a standalone, or as a companion to the workbook—no matter how you approach it, the ROOTED podcast season is sure to renew your goal-setting drive!

In this episode, we talk about the sixth and final letter in the ROOTED acronym: Developed by Providence. The ROOTED Goal-Setting System reminds you that the Kingdom of God does not rise and fall by your efforts—but that you do have the responsibility to do your part, exercise your influence, and steward your resources.

Having a Christian growth-mindset allows you to set goals with an "amen" posture towards God's unknown plans for the future, knowing that when you give your goals back to God, you can trust Him to develop them in the best of ways.

Join us as we talk about how this Christian growth-mindset has played out in our real lives and goals over the last quarter (including our goal of recording this podcast)! We chat about goals that have had to change, how we stay motivated in the messy middle of goal development, and how our planner enables us to pivot effectively into new or changing goals as we follow the Lord’s leading.

In this episode, we talk about the fifth letter in the ROOTED acronym: Etched Into Your Memory. For a goal to be sustained in the long-run, it has to stay top of mind. Enabling your brain to think about your goal often and easily will ensure you can make progress on your goal even in the most chaotic of seasons.

Join us as we talk about the exact process we take to make sure our goals aren’t forgotten in the busyness of everyday life and responsibilities! We talk about how we use our planners to support our goals and to train our working memories to take action whenever possible, enabling us to make steady progress until a goal is accomplished. 

In this episode, we talk about the fourth letter in the ROOTED acronym: Tailored to Your Lifestyle. If you want to craft compelling goals that are grounded in your unique calling, then you’ll have to give yourself permission to develop creative solutions that make sense for your particular circumstances. Sometimes this means tailoring your goal to match your lifestyle, and other times this means tailoring your lifestyle to match your goal.

Join us as we chat about how taking time to tailor your goal and your lifestyle will prevent unnecessary tension between the two, and enable you to actually follow through even on the most challenging goals you set! 

In this episode, we talk about the third letter in the ROOTED acronym: Outlined for Clarity. Clarity is key when it comes to giving your brain an objective that it can actually process, prioritize, and tackle in the day-to-day.

When you break down a goal into tangible action-steps, you are equipped to move past your vague theories about what it will take to make your goal happen. You’re able to see the gaps in your knowledge about the process, which compels you to research until you have concrete and actionable understanding.

Listen in as we talk about exactly how to take a vague goal and break it down into actionable and compelling steps!

In this episode, we talk about the second letter in the ROOTED acronym: Organically Growing Out of Your Context. You need goals that take your real life context seriously and embrace it. You need goals that connect with where you are right now, and that respect that you’re here for a reason. Recognizing the season you’re in and identifying the contours of your priorities can empower you to identify the next right step—the one that can realistically begin to build the lasting change you want to see.

Join us as we talk about why this is one of the most critical steps in setting ROOTED goals, a step that most other goal-setting systems completely ignore. We talk all about what this looks like in our lives and how embracing our context has empowered us to craft and execute meaningful goals year after year!

In this episode, we talk about the first letter in the ROOTED acronym: Rooted in Your Core Calling. Grasping the unique calling of God for your individual life is a life-long process! But leaning into your core calling is an essential part of creating goals that fully resonate over the long-haul, compel you to follow-through, and produce a lot of satisfying fruit along the way. 

Join us as we talk through discovering how your core calling is playing out in your life today, and how that should impact how you set goals! We also talk a lot about how this part of the ROOTED Goal Setting System is not meant to weigh you down, but give you freedom to lean into your God-given strengths, passions and responsibilities!