Last blog post was all about the big picture. The vision of your life and about getting an overview of the year ahead.
After planning your year, it’s all about reviewing and preparing your month. A month review is the perfect check-in point to see if you’re on track, what needs to be adjusted and what is working. And bringing in the single actions and activities to make your vision happening.
If you don’t have a vision, should you plan and review your month? I think so. It gives you a more specific roadmap, provides – to most of us – a feeling of being in control. And maybe most of all, it’s a way to ensure that we make time for the things that are most important to us, right now. As one of my clients also stated: “It takes the thinking and decision making out of the game. On a difficult day when I don’t want to do anything and feel just pity for myself, I have now a plan to stick to, and most often it gets me going without putting much energy into it, and that gets me out of my mood”.
Below is the template that I’m using now for about two years. Have a look you might want to make small adjustments to make it work for you.
I’m using a two-step system, the review and the planning.
Monthly Review
I start with a monthly review since only reflecting on my past behavior will I know what worked and what didn’t and can start making small or bigger adjustments to change my behavior and move towards my dreams. Without reflection, we wouldn’t know what to change or what not to change or what’s working or not.
One little side note, the monthly review doesn’t always need to happen at the exact time. But it’s worth getting it done, even if you’re already halfway into the month. Already this is an indication, that you’re too busy and it may be worth to consider to slow down, or you didn’t have the energy to do it, and it may be an intention for next month to up your energy levels. The learning will be still the same – so worth doing.
Reflection
My reflection may look like this:
I planned to have friends over the first weekend of the month. Further, I wanted to create space to go once a week to yoga and exercise daily for 20 minutes at home. It turned out that my partner had to leave unexpected for a business trip twice, my son got sick the first week of the month and didn’t really get back his groove until the third week. Therefore I didn’t manage to go to yoga at all, we canceled the friends stay and rather took the rest we needed as a family.
Lesson learned, I can’t commit to yoga right now, but my work out at home worked fine if I prioritized and planned it. Slow down on planned activities and instead take it spontaneously if the energy feels right and postpone the get together with friends when things are a bit quieter.
Intentions
Looking at my yearly calendar I put together my intentions and goals for next month. By the end of the month, I want to have achieved, felt and done?
I start with how I want to feel, and then what actions promote that feeling. Because first there is the thought, the thought creates a feeling in us, and that feeling will propel us to act.
(As an example, you meet an acquaintance and they don’t pay attention to you, you might think that they don’t like you. This thought creates the feeling of rejection and that rejection again may make you take the action of isolating you and not going to visit her the next time she asked.)
While setting intentions your thoughts are positive, and you focus on what you want to achieve. An example may be that you want to take more time for you and your family. Or you want to reconnect with your friends and family. Or you want to set the focus on feeling healthy and confident.
Desired Feelings
How do I want to feel this month, what are my desired feelings? The way I want to show up and how would that look?
Here are some examples:
I want to feel positive and have an I can do attitude. That also means that I take every single day a little step towards my goals.
Or I would like to feel calm and grounded. If things feel busy and chaotic, I’d like to slow down, breath and be more present.
Word of the year
I write down my word of the year again as a reminder. I might add another word or short sentence I can hang on the mirror or other visible places to remind me about my intentions. Similar to a mantra.
Anything from: I love myself, Do less, Take things slowly, Breath or slow and steady.
For example, just recently we expected guest, and I wanted to clean the house, prepare the food, make the dinner table nice. And I started feeling frenzy. Looking at my mantra at that time, slow and steady, I re-prioritized. How the table was looking wasn’t that important, neither if the house was shiny. It was about preparing a simple meal with the help of my son and then enjoying the time with my friends.
Changing habits can be hard and a reminder can be a support to keep us on track of what we want to change.
Community
I ask myself the question “With whom do I want to connect next month”? Shall I schedule that skype
Often we don’t think about the people and connection when putting our goals together. Yet, we know
Once I have the overall picture, than I move into planning.
Planning
Then I take about 15 to 20 minutes and plan my month ahead. I take my calendar and write my activities and projects down.
Key Projects
I already have my list with intentions, but now I practice tough love with myself. What are the key priorities? The 1 to 3 items I want to get done and that I will focus on.
Yes, it’s hard to only choose 1 to 3 items to work on. But I know that I feel accomplished and proud when I got these items done. Rather than planning 10 projects and get them done only halfway.
Now I break down these priorities into action items. I write down the action items and then decide which week I want them to happen. The more detailed I plan here, the easier it is to plan my week.
Here is an example:
I’m planning a birthday party for my son. First I check when the party will be and then I write down every step to make the birthday party happen. From writing invitations, buying the food, wrapping the presents and so on. Once I know the activities I can add them to my calendar.
Measurement
This step is all about setting measurements so that you know if you have achieved your intentions. Time to put the numbers down and specific actions.
Now is a good time to make smart goals – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound.
You want to set goals that stretch you a little bit if you want to move forward at the same time know that you can achieve them.
Parking Lot
Here I write down what I would like to get done, but has not key project priority and I won’t sweat it if I don’t get it done.
And it is the place to hold all my future ideas.
Learning & Self Growth (optional)
In the
Most often I move straight into planning the next week. So for me, the monthly review/ preview is well tight to the upcoming week plan.
Talk soon, Cathleen
