PLAN A PRODUCTIVE MONTH.
– How to stay on track and have a good month.
Have you come across the saying TIME waits for no one? Well, guess what it's 100% true.
When you are asked, "how are you doing?" Do you find yourself saying.. "I'm good, I've been busy with work..." BUSY seems to be part of our vocab so often that most of us have busy schedules and sometimes we realise we don’t have TIME to do all the things we planned or LIFE HAPPENS.. and because of this, we’re always looking for ways to become more productive. Some of us rely on our phone calendars while others use a planner to record everything.
Being more productive not only makes your life more efficient, but it can reduce stress and allow you to accomplish more of your goals.
Today I’d like to share with you 5 steps that I do at the start of a new month. I’m all about a routine that allows me to flourish in the various aspects of my life.
1. REFLECT ON IT!
When you’re planning the month, I begin by looking at the month I’ve just completed. It’s all about reflection,
- thinking about what you’ve achieved,
- what you aimed for, and
- what you need to improve on.
When reflecting on the past month, these are some of the questions I ask myself.
Where did I spend most of my time, money, and energy this past month?
What are my TOP HIGHLIGHTS?
What did I accomplish last month?
What do I need to improve next month?
You need to think about the things you want to continue doing and the things you want to let go of for the next month. This is the only way you’re going to make this month count.
2. SET AN INTENTION/ THEME FOR THE MONTH
At the beginning of each month, take a few moments to realize what you want to focus on this month. Maybe you want to focus on patience or self-love. Set as many intentions as you would like! You could set 1 or 5, as long as you're working towards it every day.
- Started setting intentions more instead of just goals
- Intentions allow you to connect with a bigger purpose
- Keep them positive and visible in your surroundings.
- It may sound cheesy, but having the right mindset is crucial to achieving your goals. If you tell yourself something is going to happen you start to believe it will and soon enough it does.
3. CONSIDER A 30 DAY TRIAL?
We do trials before purchasing or trying something new. Why not explore that same concept you’re your theme for the month? Maybe it seems like something you’d like to try, but which you’re not sure about committing to. How about giving it a 30-day trial? If you decide the change doesn’t suit you, just stop after the month is over. But if you decide that it’s been worth it, then this month just might have been one of the most important in your life.
Before you move on to the planning activities, you want to do something physical to shake yourself out of the reflecting you’ve just done (you don’t want to get stuck). You can start by cleaning and decluttering, this is a transformative process that feels as good mentally as it does physically. You can start to de-clutter your desk, CLEAR YOUR INBOX, sleep in earlier, less phone time, organize your files, or just get rid of the clutter. Channel the Marie Kondo in you!
4. TIME TO PLAN! FIND YOUR GROOVE. /COLOUR CODE
Because I’m a multitalented creative being, my work is very diverse. From YOGA & FITNESS CLASSES TO PLANNING CONTENT ONLINE TO RUNNING A BUSINESS AND WORKING ON PROJECTS TO ALL MY COMMITMENTS… I have to “switch gears” a lot.
I choose SPECIFIC TIMES FOR PARTICULAR PROJECTS/ WORKS OR particular day of the week and only work on ONE PROJECT that day. This helps me to stay focused. I LIKE TO THINK IM A PRODUCTIVE HOOMAN.! Planning out what I do each day of the week is the only way I can GET STUFF DONE. Find your groove. You have a special way of working that WORKS FOR YOU. – I can dive further on this topic in the future.
Break your list down into weekly manageable chunks BASED ON YOUR THEME.
I DO IT BASED ON CATEGORIES.
SHOW YOUR CALENDAR. Outline your day
Create a schedule of what your days look like and add your goals and tasks in.
Include SELF CARE AS WELL!
It’s also important to take time for self-care. Taking one day off to cleanse the mind and soul will boost your energy, creativity, and just remind you that YOU ARE LOVED even when you’re not being productive.
Plan for flexibility as well.. – may sound counterintuitive but LIFE HAPPENS gais.. so sometimes we need to flexible and reprioritize.
5. HAVE FUN EXECUTING IT AND STAY ACCOUNTABLE
Use a system that works for you, whether you tick it off as and when you finish it, cross it out, or simply bullet journal it. You need to be productive, expect it to happen if it’s written down, and make it happen.
You shouldn’t be feeling stress but instead excited to work on all the stuff you’ve planned for your month.
Just like it works better to work out with a partner, according to Brainworks, having someone be your accountability partner with your schedule can help keep you on track.
Try your best, but don’t beat yourself up if it’s not perfect. BE KIND TO YOURSELF. Also, you might be underestimating the amount of work you need to do on a project! Nobody is a machine, and you shouldn’t treat yourself like one. If you don’t meet your self-imposed deadline or achieve your goals on time, ACCEPT THAT. Learn from your limitations and adjust your workflow accordingly.
ENJOY THE PROCESS and learn what works best for you.
NOTICE YOUR WINS GAIS.
You're not alone.
I got you.
Gaya.