Planning to Learn and Grow in 2014

There’s something about a blank calendar that excites me! All those days are spread out in enticing array as opportunities.

When I look at 2014, I see so many opportunities to learn and grow as a person! But if there is one thing I’ve learned in these 50+ years of life on this earth, it’s that the days fly by quickly. And if I do not make plans to learn and grow, it’s quite possible to arrive at the end of the year and wonder where the time—and all those opportunities for growth—have gone.

Which brings us back to why blank calendars excite me. There is hope smiling back from those blank pages! And as I tuck little reminders and plans into the weeks and months of the future, my mind rests in the knowledge that now I will be regularly encouraged to seize those opportunities. Now I have a plan.

Of course, things will not go exactly as I have imagined, sitting here looking over the pristine landscape of blank pages. Life happens. Changes come. But at least I have the peace of recognizing the potentials down the road and a map of which direction I hope to head as I am able to walk it.

So this past week I’ve revisited my big goals for the rest of this school year and outlined some next steps in my children’s education. It’s time to start reading Hamlet with my senior.

I’ve also refreshed my list of books that I want to read—books for my own encouragement, edification, and simple enjoyment. So far the list includes a lighter fiction book in The Winged Watchman by Hilda van Stockum; a research book called Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything by James Gleick; a spiritual growth book by Gary Thomas, titled Authentic Faith; and finishing the epic Les Miserables, in which I am currently on page 1502 out of 1976!

And I’ve cemented in my mind some life lessons that need to loom large as I set down and live out my schedule in the months ahead. Namely, that people matter more than deadlines, and that rest is as important as work. I may need to write those reminders on every page of my new calendar.

What plans are you making to learn and grow in 2014?

Resources for Planning, Learning, and Growing

You might find these resources helpful as you make plans for learning and growing in the new year.

A Growing Time, 2014 Calendar Journal—The latest in our popular personal calendar journals, A Growing Time encourages you to take a breather and stop trying to force your children’s growth on your own time-table. Growth will happen in the right conditions and on its own schedule. Reassuring articles, inspiring quotes, handy calendars, and plenty of room to write.

Planning Your Charlotte Mason Education— Take the guesswork out of planning for your Charlotte Mason homeschool. In this book and DVD you’ll find clear instructions and examples that walk you through five simple steps, from determining the Big Picture all the way down to planning your day.

Charlotte Mason Handbook series—Charlotte had many pearls of wisdom and practical instructions for parents and teachers. But most of them are scattered across the six books she wrote. The Charlotte Mason Handbooks gather all that wisdom into one easy-to-find place. Now you can read Charlotte’s own words, presented in simple, bite-size chunks and organized by topic—the five topics we get the most questions about. These books are your quick and comprehensive reference guides to see what Charlotte had to say about the preschool years, language arts, nature study, habit-training, and math. Grab one and continue learning in 2014!

• The Early Years: A Charlotte Mason Preschool Handbook

• Hearing and Reading, Telling and Writing: A Charlotte Mason Language Arts Handbook
• Hours in the Out-of-Doors: A Charlotte Mason Nature Study Handbook
• Laying Down the Rails: A Charlotte Mason Habits Handbook

• Mathematics: An Instrument for Living Teaching