There was a season in my life when I constantly felt behind–not because I was actually doing too much, but because I expected too much of myself.
We had just moved houses, our family was walking through a hard season, and I had recently been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. My energy was unpredictable. My emotions were heavy. And my normal routines just weren’t working anymore.
Every week, I’d make a plan to finally get it together.
I’d map out the workouts I was going to do, the healthy meals I would prepare, the spaces I planned to organize, and the days I wanted to commit to work–all while expecting myself to stay fully present with my family.
By Wednesday, I was already off track. Tired. Frustrated. Convinced that what I really needed was more discipline.
But what I actually needed wasn’t more discipline. It was more compassion.
From that place of exhaustion and discouragement, I started asking myself a different question: What’s realistic for this week?
I began considering myself before making the plan. If my week was busy or my body felt off, I stopped forcing five workouts and committed to two. When I felt emotionally depleted, I planned simple meals–tacos, soups, leftovers–and let that be enough. If I noticed I was overwhelmed, I made it my goal to scroll for less than fifteen minutes a day, or not at all.
Slowly, I began meeting the goals I had actually set, and that built confidence.
I realized compassion didn’t mean lowering the bar. It meant setting the right one for the season I was in.
And when I started living from compassion, the discipline followed.
I slowly started working out again because two workouts a week were what I could reasonably do in that season. It didn’t feel overwhelming. It felt doable. Over time, that steady consistency rebuilt my strength, my confidence, and eventually my routine. I found myself working out daily again–but this time from a much healthier place.
My family started getting home-cooked dinners instead of DoorDash, even on busy nights. Not because I suddenly had more time, but because my meal plans finally matched the reality of what I could actually manage. The meals were simpler, but they worked. Our home felt calmer. Our family felt more connected. And I felt more present because I wasn’t constantly trying to keep up with unrealistic expectations I had set for myself.
When I started planning from compassion instead of pressure, I stopped living in constant failure and started building steady, sustainable momentum.
Compassion inward creates capacity outward.
The goal of my weekly rhythm is to start from compassion. When we stop planning to do what we think we should do and begin planning to do what we actually need, we can create a plan that truly serves us and our families.
Each week begins with a check-in across six areas: cycle, emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, and capacity. These prompts help you see what’s true right now before you decide how to plan your week. This is where you pause and ask the Lord to show you what He wants you to notice.
The first place you start is your cycle. Where are you in your cycle? How might that affect your energy or mood this week? This isn’t about rules—it’s simply about noticing patterns and honoring how your body was designed.
Next, you check in on your overall health–emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. How am I feeling heading into this week? How does my body feel—tired, strong, or somewhere in between? How focused or distracted do I feel? How connected do I feel to God right now?
Then you look at capacity. What does your calendar actually hold? Big events? Travel? Full evenings? Long days? Before deciding what you can give, you name what’s already there. You jot down the big things and let that inform how much margin you realistically have.
Only after you’ve checked in and gotten honest about your current reality do you decide what you can commit to.
When your plan matches your reality, you can actually follow through. And that consistency, built slowly and faithfully, is what transforms everything over time.
The next section of my Weekly Plan is designed for small, realistic goals that fit this week’s reality. These aren’t meant to overhaul your life. They’re meant to align it. Think of them as steady steps that keep you moving in the right direction.
Some of mine look like this:
- Wake up with my alarm–my go-to habit when I get off track
- Wash my face before bed–because I actually care about my skin
- Only check social media once a day–essential when I’m feeling emotional or distracted
- Five minutes of connection with a specific child–a daily touchpoint that’s been powerful when I can tell someone needs me
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Shower–slightly embarrassed to admit this one is almost always on my list
These goals may seem small, but they’re powerful because they’re doable. They’re how you begin living in rhythm with what you’ve just noticed about yourself and your capacity.
After you’ve checked in and set small goals, you can move into any practical planning your week needs. This is when I plan meals and review my task list. If I’m depleted, we’re doing sheet-pan or crockpot dinners. If I’m energized, we’ll get a little fancy.
Let’s stop neglecting ourselves and our reality when we plan. Compassion toward yourself helps you make a plan you can actually live out, not just write down.