Rhythms
Rhythms have been on my mind a lot over the last year, especially moving from my intention of rest to my intention of open. I’ve thought a lot about my own rhythms – what mine are and why I have them – as well as how those compare to the things that are naturally occurring around me. It seems that this is made evident to me the most in the fall, as the leaves begin to change colors and lose their leaves. It sometimes seems hard to be aware of the changing of leaves budding in the spring, to being full and lush in the summer, to changing colors and falling in autumn, to the bare trees of the winter – and again and again each year without fail.
Rhythms are a regular reminder of times to speed up and slow down, work and rest, and inhale and exhale. I love rhythms over routines because they’re softer. They’re less like rules and more like encouragements. Rhythms are a way of saying that something is important without saying it’s a non-negotiable. It’s a way to show up for the projects, emergencies, and most urgent while still getting the day to day tasks done. Part of my daily rhythm right now is to make sure that I track my food and exercise daily but if something or someone needs me, that’s where I’m going to show up first. I will give up my exercise streak on my Apple Watch so that I could hold my best friend’s new baby and enjoy some extra sleep on a weekend away. Rhythms mean that I hit the exercise and calorie goal most days but that I’ll always get to prioritize my people over anything else.
I was excited to see that the Magnolia Journal’s fall theme was rhythms. After reading so many good things, I decided I wanted to memorialize their piece called An Essay on Rhythms:
Nature dances to a rhythm: In the way the sun rises and sets. In the birds’ song at sunrise and in the crickets’ chirp at sunset. In the way each season moves us along throughout the year…the annual cadence of a rainy April, giving way to a hot July, giving way to a crisp October, giving way to a cold January, and the thousands of little orchestras that follow the tempo of that grand symphony. The flowers move to the rhythm of the seasons: sprouting and budding and blooming and dying.
Humanity dances to a rhythm: in the holidays we celebrate the order in which they come. Costumes and candy give way to turkey and football, which give way to carols and gifts wrapped under the tree. We find rhythm in our daily commute, in the voice of the DJ’s morning report, in the stoplights and exits, in the pleasantries exchanged with the coffee shop barista. Rhythm comes with bodies that must be fed three times a day (give or take), with daily prayer and weekly meetings and monthly girls’ nights and yearly Super Bowl games. We create bedtime rhythms: We bathe our kids, brush their teeth, read them a story, tuck them in, and sing a song.
There is peace in rhythm. There is security and predictability. Not a stagnant sort of predictability, just enough to make us feel like everything is going to be okay, just enough to give us something to look forward to. Because while there’s a lot of rhythm, there’s also a lot of chaos. There are unexpected bills to pay, relationships to maintain, natural disasters, an ongoing to do list that will never be completely finished, flat tires, bad moods, burnt dinners.
But then there’s the sun, rising again. And then there’s our lungs, exhaling again. And then there’s Thanksgiving, right around the corner. We’ll take our afternoon coffee break. We’ll say a prayer. We’ll look up and see ducks flying south for the winter. We’ll cross the next thing off our to do list. We’ll get a new winter coat. We’ll plan a summer trip. We’ll go for an evening walk.
And we’ll tap our feet. We’ll sway back and forth. We’ll clap our hands. We’ll lean into the rhythms of our lives because they give us a sense of place in our story, clueing us in to where we’ve been and where we might expect to go next, offering us familiarity in the midst of a chaotic world – like our lungs filling with air and then emptying themselves and filling up again, like the ocean tides and the morning cups of tea and the annual harvest festivals: We embrace the rhythm of the season, and we find peace in the way it moves us.
An Eassy on Rhythm // The Magnolia Journal, Fall 2020
November Goals
In all honesty, this month was full of all the things – from amazing to anxiety-filled. I felt like the habits I’ve been building this year started to fall apart and I wasn’t able to stay on track with all of my goals as much as I had been since the beginning of the year. It was bound to happen, months get busy and obviously there is so much outside of our control, especially in 2020. I’m trying to go into November remembering that I can only control what’s in my grasp and I have to trust that it will be enough. When I set goals at the beginning of 2020, here’s what I decided on:
Goal 1: Prioritize my health – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, environmental, and social.
Goal 2: Allow open to be an invitation to live intentionally.
In October, here is how those two goals played out:
October Monthly Goals
- Paint Built Ins – Moving this to November
Clean out basement and shop vac– Not fun, but it’s done.Work on Real Estate Exam Course– Not as far as I’d like to be, but we’re still moving forward.Participate in Ali Edwards’ Art of Noticing– done!- Read 4 Books – I only finished two in October, but I got some more in the works.
October Weekly Goals
Two Orange Theory Classes Per Week– maybe my favorite goal of the month. Check!Weigh In– yep!Budget– stayed on track and reviewed weekly.Tending Tuesday– done!Weekly Sabbath– finished strong on this one.
October Daily Goals
Exercise– Rocked this one.Read the Word– Not too shabby!- Hit H2O goal – I did about have the days this month.
- Vitamins – I could have done better on this one!
October Highlights
- Our friends, Jeff and Taylor, had their sweet baby boy.
- I was on the FinalVibe Podcast.
- I started going to Orange Theory workouts!
- Kevin went on a 100 mile bike ride that ended a little differently than we expected. (Also, he has a Vlog.)
- We go to get pumpkins, I take two days off work, and we visit the lake of the ozarks. Kevin also vlogged this weekend.
- We spend an entire weekend in Hamilton and I get to enjoy lots of baby snuggles.
- We had our first snow of the season on October 26. Normally I wouldn’t consider this a highlight, but here we are.
October Favorites
Food: Perfect Bars
Book: The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker
Purchase: Jeans from American Eagle
Song: The Lakes by Taylor Swift
I managed to journal every day in October, which is a pretty awesome feat but also is a good indicator of me listening to what I need. I’m hoping to jump back on the bandwagon in November and knock out some more goals before the year comes to an end. Here’s what we’re looking at for November:
November Monthly Goals
- Paint Built in Book Shelves – I’ve been wanting to to some touch ups and paint the entire section of built ins in our basement. We are using oil based paint, so I’m hoping for a good weather day for me to have the windows open.
- Read 4 Books – It may not be reasonable to keep up the momentum from last month, but we’ll see how we do.
- Replace Blinds – Our blinds are all wonky sizes, so we’re needing to get custom blinds made – I’m hoping for a good Black Friday deal.
- Complete my Real Estate Courses
- Show Small and Local for Christmas – I’m really hoping to support small and local businesses in both what I buy and what I ask for this year.
- Vote on November 3rd!
November Weekly Goals
Most of these are the same as they’ve been, but I’m seeing progress in all areas, so I’m going to keep chugging. I’m adding the FinalVibe content calendar for each week, because that’s something that I’ve really been enjoying and that has been helpful to FinalVibe progress.
- Two Orange Theory Fitness Classes
- Weigh In
- Budget
- Tending Tuesday
- Weekly Sabbath
November Daily Goals
- Exercise
- Read the Word / Prayer
- Take Vitamins
- Journal
What are your goals for November?
The Art of Noticing
A few weeks ago, Ali Edwards posted about noticing and the importance of a practice like this during a year like 2020. She gave the prompts of comfort, delight, rest, nourishment, and play and then encouraged us to take photos of each and share them on social media with the hashtag #aeartofnoticing. I loved seeing the perspective of others and participating in this challenge myself, especially since one of these is my word for next year.
Here are the photos and words I shared during this week:
COMFORT
Comfort is dogs for blankets.
Comfort is homemade bread and pot roast and crockpot soup and mac & cheese and meatloaf.
Comfort is being wrapped up in a long hug.
Comfort is sun streaming across my face.
Comfort is a big fluffy comforter and the perfect napping pillows.
Comfort is watering my plants.
Comfort is warm clothes fresh out of the dryer.
Comfort is tradition, and rhythms, and seasons.
DELIGHT
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit that changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou
REST
(This is just a reminder to myself that rest doesn’t have to be big. Sometimes it’s taking a pause in the midst of the most full day.)
NOURISHMENT
So here we are, looking up. Enjoying the fresh air and nourishing my mind with the beauty around me.
PLAY
101 in 1001 – An Update
I started on February 20, 2019 so the challenge will end on November 17, 2021. As of today, I’ve already crossed 24 items off the list. I’ll be honest, COVID hasn’t done anything good for traveling or in person events, but we’ll see if we can cross some of those off by the end of next year.
Create a list of 101 things I want to accomplish in 2.75 years(February 20,2019)- Unplug completely for 24 Hours
- Get a massage
- Plant a flower garden
Consolidate email addresses(Spring 2020)Watch the Blues win the Stanley Cup(June 2019 – WE WON!)- Release floating lanterns
- Camp for the first time
Eat food from a food truck(August 20, 2020 – 12 Baskets)- Meditate with Headspace for 30 days in a row
See a shooting star(July 2019 – Hamilton)Take a personal day from work- Make a list of restaurants in Columbia and rate them
- Make a list of date ideas
- Go to a Christmas Tree farm
Go to a sunflower field(August 24, 2020 – Sunflower Fields)- Go to Roots and Blues
- Go to a Blues game
- See a comedian live
- Go to a concert
- Get professional photos taken
Serve at church regularly(Fall 2019 – Leading a Small Group)- Find out my blood type
- Go to 10 new coffee shops (0/10)
Participate in a Trivia Night(June 2019 – Fuzzy’s)- Get a tattoo
- Finish my cross stitch quilt
- Go to a craft retreat or event
- Scrapbook an event for someone else
Host a craft night(February 2019 – Prayer Binders)- Organize my baby photos into albums
- Shoot 30 days of videos
- Learn calligraphy or brush lettering
- Year photo books/Project Life
- Take an online course
- Take a photography course
- Journal every day for a month
Take a watercolor class(May 2019 with Boheme School of Artistry)- Watch and photograph a sunrise
- Watch and photograph a sunset
- Complete 1000 gifts
Create a one year editorial calendar for the blog(July 2019)- New blog photos of myself
- Take someone’s photos
- Write 8 faith-related blog posts (0/8)
- Photography blog series
Publish a YouTube or IG Video(June 2020 – Half Marathon)- Double my blog views
- Have a guest post written on my blog
- Post a house tour on the blog
- Share a capsule wardrobe
- Go on 20 photoshoots (1/20) – Sunflower Fields
- Watch 5 of Kevin’s favorite movies (0/5)
- Re-read the Harry Potter series
- Read all the books on my shelf
- Host a book club
Read 50 new books(50/50 – The Five Intentions // Atomic Habits // The Path Between Us // The More of Less // Everybody Always // Girl, Stop Apologizing // A Love Letter Life // Lean In // The Coddling of the American Mind // Afraid of All The Things // Just Open the Door // The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry // In His Image // Grateful American // Reading People // 168 Hours // It’s Not Supposed to be This Way // Where the Crawdads Sing // The Enneagram Type 8 // The Alchemist // All Along You Were Blooming // An Edited Life // Looking for Lovely // Uninvited // Lethal White // A Court of Thorns and Roses // When Less Becomes More // Liturgy of the Ordinary // Ready Player One // Digital Minimalism // A Court of Mist and Fury // A Court of Wings and Ruin // A Court of Frost and Starlight // Growing up Amish // Prayer // Goodbye, Things // The Path Made Clear // Decluttering at the Speed of Life // Garden City // So You Want to Talk About Race // The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes // This is Where You Belong // Dare to Lead // The Selection // The Elite // The One // The Heir // The Queen // Leave Your Legacy // Chasing Vines)- Watch 5 TV Show Series (0/5)
- Watch Gone with the Wind
- Watch all 7 Harry Potter movies
- Go to a movie by myself
- Go on a vacation with family
- Go on a girl’s trip
- Visit a national park
- Travel with another couple
Stay in an Air BnB( August 2019 – Lake of the Ozarks)- Visit NYC
- Renew my passport
- Visit another country
- Rent a car
- Visit Waco and Magnolia Market
Purchase Lululemon leggings(August 2020)Buy polarized sunglasses(February 2019 – Ray Bans)- Pay off Student Loans
- Have a no spend month
Buy a new car(May 27, 2019 – CRV)See a counselor regularly(2019)- Take a spin class
- Go on a hike
- Run a 5K
- Run a 10K
Complete a half marathon(May 13, 2020 – Thoughts on 13.1)Hit my move goal for 30 days straight(March 27, 2020)- Try Whole30
Create a gallery wall(Spring 2019)- Buy a new dresser
- Paint the trim and doors at our house
Declutter the basement(May 2020)- Host 3 big tailgates (0/3)
- Host a small group
- Host Friendsgiving
- Help someone pull off a surprise
- Send someone flowers
- Send Christmas Cards (0/2)
- Mail 10 Letters (0/10)
- Give 5 Just Because gifts (0/5)
- Bake 3 Birthday Cheesecakes (0/3)
- Try a new restaurant in town (May 2019 – Flyover)
- Make 10 Pinterest Recipes (0/10)
- Pay for a stranger’s meal
Leave a 100% tip(May 2020)
There you have it! Let’s hope I can check all of these off before November of next year!
September Goals
August was good and full and my birthday felt thoroughly celebrated throughout the entire month. Though we couldn’t celebrate like we have in the past, it was great to get to spend quality time with my family and Kevin’s family. The weather has already started to cool off which has made for some lovely evening walks and some even better pre-fall vibes.
So far 2020 has shaped up to look different than I ever could have imagined, but having goals has allowed me to continue moving forward and has brought a lot of comfort, peace, and growth. When I set goals at the beginning of 2020, here’s what I decided on:
Goal 1: Prioritize my health – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, environmental, and social.
Goal 2: Allow open to be an invitation to live intentionally.
In August, here’s how those two goals played out:
August Monthly Goals
JR Content Calendar– Quite a few posts on the blog in August. We’ll call this a win.- Birthday Cheesecake – I decided this didn’t line up with some of my other healthy goals, so we scratched this one.
Successful Work Move– Done!Spend the Weekend at the Lake– Loved this.Onboard New Teammates– Yep!Have One Photoshoot– I mean… come on.- Paint an Accent Wall in our Bedroom – Moving this to next month.
Read 4 Books– Checked off 10 in August!
August Weekly Goals
Weigh In– yep!Budget– stayed on track and reviewed weekly.Tending Tuesday– done!- Create FinalVIbe Content Calendar – I could have done better on this one! Luckily Kevin helped pick up the slack.
August Daily Goals
Exercise– EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.Read the Word– started out rough, but finished strong.IG Post– 14 postsVitamins– did it!
August Highlights
- My family spent a relaxing weekend at the lake.
- Kevin hit 70 miles on his bike (and we enjoyed meeting up with friends in Sedalia).
- We celebrated my 29th birthday and my people loved on me so well.
- I went to a sunflower field for the first time.
- I started Phase One of the Live Hard Program.
- We brought home some new plants from Helmis.
- I powered through 10 books (which has been more than I’ve finished in an entire year before).
August Favorites
Food: Yogurt, Strawberries and Dark Chocolate (so much yum!)
Book: Chasing Vines by Beth Moore
Purchase: Air Force 1s
Song: One of Them Girls by Lee Brice
September is already shaping up to look different than it has in the past. Living in a college town, it’s typically fast-paced and the town wakes back up, with thousands of students arriving back to campus for a new semester. This year, while students are headed back, masks and social distance requirements are changing things up and the environment definitely feels a bit different. Many students are continuing to take classes online, but have still chosen to return to Columbia anyway. COVID numbers have started to increase, which has put pressure on our local government, businesses, and public schools. Although some schools (like Mizzou) still plan on having college football, this will be the first year that we won’t be sitting in the stadium for every single game. It’s going to be different, and I’m not fully prepared.
There are still plenty of things going on and I’m still powering through on some personal goals. Here’s what that looks like for September:
September Monthly Goals
- Paint an Accent Wall in our Bedroom – Really wanting to add some navy paint to our room this month!
- Read 4 Books – It may not be reasonable to keep up the momentum from last month, but we’ll see how we do.
- Blog – I have so enjoyed posting here and hope to continue that in September. Not sure what that will look like yet, but I have some posts already planned out.
- No Spend – August was a little rough on my personal goals (even though we met the budget), so I’m just planning on buying necessities in September.
September Weekly Goals
Most of these are the same as they’ve been, but I’m seeing progress in all areas, so I’m going to keep chugging. I’m adding the FinalVibe content calendar for each week, because that’s something that I’ve really been enjoying and that has been helpful to FinalVibe progress.
- Weigh In
- Budget
- Tending Tuesday
- Weekly Sabbath
September Daily Goals
- Exercise
- Read the Word / Prayer
- IG Post
- Take Vitamins
- Headspace Meditation
What are your goals for September?
About
Hi, I'm Jacqueline - believer, learner, and all around hobby enthusiast. I'm married to my highschool sweetheart, Kevin, and we live in the midwest with our sweet pup.
On this blog I share all kinds of things about my life - from my faith journey to the garden in my neighbors backyard. I've been blogging for almost eight years and use this space as a way to document my daily life.
Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the internet.