A Reflective Planner for a Generous Life

For Brenda Wang, life can often feel like a whirlwind of commitments and possibilities. She found herself at a crossroads between juggling part-time work, living in an intentional community, and nurturing personal projects and friendships.

"My mind was swirling with ideas, tasks, details, and the many demands of daily life," says Brenda.

After deciding to reduce her regular paid work to one day a week and taking on additional casual jobs to make up the difference, she turned to a familiar practice: coaching herself.

"I paused, took a deep breath, and began to life-coach my own life," she said.

By reflecting on her priorities and organizing her schedule to align with her values, she experienced a shift from overwhelm to excitement.

This self-reflection sparked the creation of her new project, A Generous Life.

"My hope with this reflective year planner is to help people determine their priorities so they can live according to their values," explains Brenda.

She added that the planner is designed to encourage intentional, generous living while remaining realistic about capacity.

According to Brenda, many people start the year with good intentions, but without tools for accountability, they often slip back into old habits. She structured A Generous Life to serve as a reflection guide, organizer, and day planner—essentially, “a life coach in a book.”

Drawing on her experience working with university students and people in their 20s, Brenda shaped the planner’s questions to be both practical and action-oriented. It includes short monthly reflections alongside in-depth reviews at the start, middle, and end of the year.

Brenda collaborated with designer Shontay Maher to ensure the book was visually appealing. "I know how much a beautiful aesthetic can motivate people," she said.

This is Brenda’s second book, and she hopes it will resonate with others who want to live intentionally and generously.

Originally from Canada, Brenda now lives at Ngatiawa River Monastery, supports the L’Arche Kāpiti community, and works as a fundraising coach with The Navigators. In her free time, she enjoys tramping, creating, and spending time with others.

More about Brenda Wang and her projects can be found at www.generousfrugality.com.