Do you have a monthly planning routine? In this video I’m sharing the 5 steps that I go through whenever I’m planning for a new month. Doing this review helps me to finish off each month strong, reconnect with my goals, and set the intentions for what I want to achieve in the new month.
For a full guide on how to implement these steps in your own planning routine, download the free printable guide.
STEP 1: ACKNOWLEDGE THE WINS
The best way to stay motivated is to give yourself props for the things you’ve already achieved. The more results you see, the more you will want to keep going. So, list the accomplishments of the month. Once you get it out of your head and onto paper, it will feel more REAL, and get you motivated to set more goals for the upcoming month.
STEP 2: MAP OUT THE BIG THINGS
Is there an event you have to attend this month? A project to work on? A big purchase to make? Important birthdays or holidays coming up?
If it’s outside of your normal routine or budget, it should go on your calendar so that you have a big picture view of what’s coming up and what you have to plan for. And yes, I mentioned the budget too, because you should make sure you plan for your money as well as your time and goals.
STEP 3: REVIEW YOUR PRIORITIES
I don’t have goals for the entire year. Why? Because it’s simply too much. If you can handle planning for a whole year’s worth of goals, do you boo, but I know that that’s not for me.
But if you’re like me, what I recommend having instead is a set of priorities. And priorities change!! That’s just a fact of life. So review them every month and make sure they are still aligned because you don’t want to be making plans for things that no longer matter to you.
STEP 4: ALLOCATE RESOURCES
What I mean by resources are those things that you have a limited amount of – your time, money, and your energy. Once you know what your priorities are, and the big things that are coming up, you can start to map out your whole month. You need to get realistic about what you have on your plate, what must be done vs what can wait, and budget out not only your money, but your time and energy as well so that you don’t burn out.
This is also going to be the foundation you’re going to use to plan out your weeks. You can see exactly how I do my weekly planning in this post.
STEP 5: DO A BRAIN DUMP
Make a list for all the random tasks and ideas that you’re holding on to so that you can process through them. As you do this you may also remember things that are in fact priorities, which you may have missed in the previous steps.
Some productivity gurus say to start by doing the brain dump. However, I recommend that you do it last so that you don’t get overwhelmed by all the things that you “have to do” and end up not really focusing on getting clear about your priorities. The ultimate goal is to create the life that you love – so your priorities need to come first!
Hey, just wanted to say that I got the Content Repurposing Guide when I actually wanted to get the Monthly Review Checklist. 😉