Graceful Goals
There’s a fine line between living a full life and living a life that feels too full.
For most of my life, I’ve had a habit of filling every inch of space — every hour, every list, every plan — all with the best intentions. I wanted to be productive, present, and purposeful all at once.
But over time, even the good things started to feel heavy. I found myself tired, restless, and wondering why “doing it all” didn’t feel as fulfilling as I thought it would.
When Graeme was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, my world — and my schedule — were completely rocked. During his treatment, we developed a clear plan for balance and survival, doing our best to create rhythms that supported both healing and life. That season forced me to slow down and taught me one of the most important lessons of my life: doing more doesn’t always mean achieving more.
Even when I had to step back — cutting work hours, saying no to commitments, and focusing only on what mattered most — life continued. Our family still found joy. Our business still moved forward. And in many ways, doing less allowed for more intention and bigger impact. We learned how to be thoughtful and strategic with our time — how to build days around purpose instead of pressure.
But once recovery was complete and “normal” life began to return, I slowly slipped back into my old patterns. I started filling every hour again, carrying unrealistic expectations of myself.
I always know it’s happening when I start multitasking through everything — cooking dinner while answering emails, showing up to only half of the routines I committed to, skipping workouts, or ordering takeout more than I’d like to admit. It’s not that I want to be busy; it’s that I don’t want to let anyone down. But somewhere in the middle of all that striving, I start to feel it — that quiet bitterness creeping in. It’s always my indicator that things are off balance. When I start to feel resentful or short-tempered, it’s not because I don’t love what I’m doing; it’s because I’ve stretched myself too thin to enjoy any of it.
With so many good things in front of me, I want to say yes to them all — because each one represents an opportunity to be a better spouse, a better parent, a better leader. Who doesn’t want to say yes to all of that? But the hard truth is that by trying to do everything, I was doing nothing really well. And I definitely wasn’t enjoying my life.
It’s ironic because I teach this all the time at work. At Graceful Spaces, goal setting is the framework that keeps us aligned, grounded, and moving forward together. It helps us stay focused on the big picture instead of getting buried under endless to-do lists. It reminds us that our work isn’t about crossing off tasks — it’s about pursuing meaningful objectives that create impact for our clients, our team, and our lives.
I’ve also realized that goal setting does something even more powerful — it sheds light on what’s actually possible in the time we have. It brings reality into focus and forces us to look at what will create the most impact. When you’re clear on your goals, you start to see what fits, what doesn’t, and what truly deserves your energy. It’s both humbling and freeing.
What I’ve realized is that, just like our company goals, my personal goals should keep me realistic about what can fit. They should help me gauge time, energy, and priorities so that success feels achievable, not exhausting.
That doesn’t mean I never feel lost in the weeds or overwhelmed — it happens to all of us, even at Graceful Spaces. But it does mean we have a place to return to. A structure that reminds us where we’re going and gives us language to decide what’s truly worth our “yes.”
Goal setting isn’t a one-time event. For me, it’s something I revisit at least once or twice a year — because seasons shift, priorities evolve, and life changes. Each new chapter deserves a fresh look at what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be rebalanced. These regular resets give me the chance to realign before burnout creeps in and to stay connected to what matters most in that season.
Whether it’s at work or in my personal life, goal setting gives direction — but more importantly, it gives grace. It creates the space to refine, realign, and begin again.
Through the pursuit of balance, and through the survival of some tricky seasons, I’ve developed a few practices that help me stay grounded in joy — blending the daily tasks that have to happen with the way I want to show up.
Now, I pause more often. I look honestly at the balance between what I want to do, what I need to do, and what I can realistically do. That’s where peace lives — not in perfection, but in intentional choices that align with what truly matters.
Because fullness without rhythm eventually becomes noise — and learning to quiet that noise has been one of the most freeing parts of my journey.
Approaching Life Planning Like an Organizing Project
Before our team ever starts organizing a space, we follow a method to make sure we’re setting up solutions that will last. It starts with pulling everything out of the space, categorizing like items or activities, editing what doesn’t belong, and then zone planning — deciding which items or routines deserve priority based on habits, physical space, or necessity.
After more than ten years of helping clients organize their homes and setting goals for myself, I realized that one key component to organizing my life is doing this same kind of prep work.
It’s not just about seeing what’s there; it’s about facing reality. Life planning is no different.
It’s so easy to overestimate how much we can take on, or underestimate how much we already do. Before I can create meaningful direction for a new season, I’ve learned to “pull it all out” and see what’s actually in front of me. I take inventory of my roles, responsibilities, desires, and challenges. It’s a visual reset — a big-picture view that helps me see what belongs, what overlaps, and what needs to go. This is probably the part of the process i see most people run from including myself. But when it comes to truly showing up with intention and balance, its the most important step.
Once everything’s out in the open, I start to notice patterns. Just like in organizing, some things naturally group together — projects or goals that are actually serving the same bigger purpose. Recognizing that helps me streamline, simplify, and cut down on unnecessary effort.
Then comes the edit — and this part always takes honesty and grace. Editing doesn’t mean giving up; it means creating space for what matters most right now. Sometimes that means saying no to something good so you can say yes to something essential. This part is hard for me, but keeping a journal of “what’s next” helps. It lets me set aside ideas or dreams without tossing them altogether — they’re simply waiting for their right season.
From there, I start to prioritize what truly matters in this moment. Which areas carry the most weight in this season? Which goals will create the biggest impact for my family, my company, or my health? Every time I do this, I have that same realization: No wonder I’ve been feeling so stretched — I’m trying to do everything all at once!
Once I can see it all clearly, I decide which priorities get structured and which can be held more loosely. Some goals need clear plans and measurable steps. Others just need space to evolve. I’ve learned that life shifts constantly, and sometimes a “high priority” goal has to move lower on the list — or even go on hold. That flexibility is freeing. It helps me focus on what’s truly possible instead of chasing everything at once.
Connecting to the Bigger Picture
Over the years at Graceful Spaces, I’ve learned that goals are only as good as the plan that brings them to life. One of the frameworks that’s shaped how we do this — both as a company and personally — is the OKR system, which stands for Objectives and Key Results.
At its core, the concept is simple but powerful. The objective is your why — the big-picture result that would truly make an impact if achieved. It’s what gives your actions meaning and direction. Then come the key results — the measurable steps that show you’re moving toward that bigger goal.
What I love about this approach is that it keeps me anchored in purpose rather than perfection. It’s not about checking every box or doing everything right. It’s about making sure the actions I take are actually connected to the bigger picture — the why behind the work.
For example, when it comes to health routines and activities, the objective isn’t just “exercise more” or “eat better.” The true objective is to set my body up with its strongest ability to heal and detox — to support longevity and wellness. When I remember that, even the small daily choices start to feel more meaningful.
The key results are what help me see progress along the way — the small wins that confirm I’m moving in the right direction. It might look like better digestion, increased energy, or feeling stronger during a workout. These are the signs that the habits are working, that the effort is leading somewhere purposeful.
This OKR mindset has helped me find balance between action and awareness. The tasks still matter — they’re how we get things done — but when I focus only on the checklist, I lose sight of the bigger picture. The beauty of OKRs is that they help us hold both: the doing and the why behind it.
And when life feels uncertain or unpredictable, that connection to the objective brings me back to center. It reminds me where my heart needs to be — not buried in the to-dos, but rooted in the purpose that makes all of it worthwhile.
Often, an objective can take months, even years, to achieve — sometimes it’s something you work toward for a lifetime. That’s another reason I love this framework: the key results become the mini celebrations along the way. They’re the milestones that remind you that progress is happening — that you’re moving closer to the life and purpose you want to create, one intentional step at a time.
When “Healthy Living” Becomes Another To-Do List
There are seasons when one area of life starts to feel especially heavy — when the desire to do everything “right” turns into exhaustion. For me, that moment came when we began making holistic swaps in our home to support Graeme’s healing.
I wanted to do it all — research every toxin, replace every product, cook everything from scratch. In my head, the only way forward was all in. Even knowing that wasn’t realistic, I found myself burning out — juggling new habits, buying every gadget, and losing sight of what mattered.
Eventually, we realized we needed a rhythm — something intentional and doable. So we created a simple system for that season: each month, we’d focus on a handful of meaningful but manageable changes.
Our plan was always the same:
One investment – something bigger that felt worth the commitment.
One smaller cost change – an easy, lower-effort swap.
One major routine shift – something that would shape how we lived day to day.
One simple routine change – something lighter that still moved us forward.
That rhythm became the foundation of how I approach goal setting now — in health, home, or business. It reminded me that sustainable change doesn’t come from doing everything at once; it comes from doing the right things consistently.
Holding Goals Loosely (and Still Moving Forward)
Just like there are some goals that feel like the world rides on them, there are others that still matter — they just don’t need to carry that same weight. For me, fitness is a perfect example. Movement is important for my well-being, but this isn’t the season where I’m training for something big or joining a tennis league.
Instead, my goal is simple and achievable for right now: move five days a week. That’s the objective.
But, as I’ve learned through our OKR approach at Graceful Spaces, an objective alone isn’t enough — you need key results to show progress. For me, those key results are mapping out how that movement fits into my week. Monday might be yoga, Tuesday a longer gym workout, Saturday a family walk.
That’s the beauty of goal setting — it gives both accountability and reality. The same key results that hold me accountable are the ones that help me see what’s realistic for my week. I’m not aiming for perfection; I’m aiming for consistency and energy that support everything else in my life.
“Holding goals loosely doesn’t mean lowering your standards — it means building structure that bends with your life, not breaks under it.”
Creating Space Through Time Blocking
Knowing my “why” gives direction, but living it out requires rhythm. Purpose needs structure — space to breathe inside real life. Time blocking has become that structure for me, the tool that helps me honor my priorities without losing myself in them.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a dreamer and a visionary — which is both a gift and a challenge. My ideas come faster than my capacity to execute them, and for years, that pattern led to a familiar cycle: overcommitment, exhaustion, burnout, repeat.
I also carry a deep desire to be present — to show up fully in every part of my life. I want to be an engaged mom who spends meaningful time with my family, a wife who builds in date nights and laughter with Graeme, and a person who still has time to read, reflect, and fill my own cup. I want to be a supportive and present leader, a business partner who shows up well, and a creative business owner who gives back to our clients and community.
But the truth is, trying to be all of that at once can leave me feeling like I’m failing at everything. It’s simply not possible to live every role at full capacity all the time. Time blocking has become my way to release that guilt and bring peace back into my days. It helps me see when I’ll be each of those things — and allows me to show up fully to the main priority in front of me, instead of constantly feeling like I should be somewhere else.
The practice that’s helped me most to break that cycle is time blocking. It’s not just about scheduling tasks; it’s about seeing reality. Writing out my week in a templated calendar — including things like getting dressed, driving to carpool, and buffer time — forces me to recognize how much space I actually have.
It’s also opened my eyes to fun opportunities I might not have considered before — like realizing that Thursday is actually the perfect night for our family movie night because of how our activities align!
In seasons when my priorities are many, time blocking has become a powerful way to protect focus. I’ve started stacking my days by theme:
Monday and Wednesday: Leadership days — team meetings, coaching, and strategy. These are busier evenings with pickups and drop-offs, which makes them great nights for easy meals.
Tuesday: My creative workday, and the day I have capacity to focus on family management and health research. Since there are no afternoon activities, it’s the perfect day to cook and even prep some meals for the next day.
Thursday: Creative space for exploring new ventures at Graceful Spaces — and Thursday evening is family night.
Friday: Catch-up and wrap-up day. We’ve even found a two-hour evening window for date night!
Saturday: Everyone has morning activities, so I block that time just for me — to do whatever my heart needs. The afternoon is reserved for family and friends.
Sunday: Graeme and I found that our best porch time happens on Sunday mornings. That small discovery inspired me to move my workout a little earlier so I can meet him outside. We shifted to a later church service, and the rest of the day is family time — often ending with Sunday suppers, our new favorite tradition for connection, sometimes with friends joining in.
Building my week this way has given me more freedom than any unstructured calendar ever did. I even block time for rest — reading, quiet evenings, and unhurried moments that refill me. Because joy and downtime aren’t luxuries; they’re essential to staying present and creative.
Time blocking also helps me see what needs to be edited out to make space for a balanced life. It’s not about cramming more in; it’s about designing my time with intention so I can live it with peace. I can clearly see when it’s time to work hard — and when it’s time to put the phone down and be fully present as a mom, wife, and friend.
The Gentle Structure of Grace
Whether it’s at home, at work, or in our health, goal setting is the quiet structure that holds everything together. It’s how we stretch toward growth without losing our balance.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that structure and softness aren’t opposites — they’re partners. The plans we make give shape to our days, and the grace we hold for ourselves gives life to those plans.
So as you step into a new season, try pulling everything out, taking stock of what matters most, and gently rebuilding around it. Make a few clear goals, give them structure, and leave space for the unexpected joys that make life beautiful.
Progress isn’t about conquering the world — it’s about creating a rhythm that lets you live it well.
Goal setting has become my anchor. But not in the check-the-box, color-coded kind of way (though I do love a good list). It’s more like a compass — a way to ensure I’m facing the right direction, even when the pace changes.
“Goal setting has become my anchor — not to control life, but to create space for what matters most.”
1. Apple Mac Book 2. Rifle Paper Co. Notebooks 3. Christina’s Favorite Gel Pens 4. Christina’s Favorite Highlighters 5. Cord Organizer 6. Leather Mouse Pad 7. Elevated Clock 8. Christina’s Favorite Candle 9. Acrylic Tray with Magnetic Mat 10. Coffee Table Book 11. Acrylic Bubble Picture Frame 12. Orchid 13. Monogrammed Throw
At Graceful Spaces, we believe the best goals create space for what matters most. If you’re craving clarity in your next season, start small, hold it loosely, and give yourself grace along the way.
xo,
Christina
P.S. I’ll include a few affiliate links for the items I use and love — but my hope is that the real inspiration comes from the activity itself: showing up with intention, embracing beauty in the everyday, and weaving joy into even the simplest routines.