I have a monthly date with myself at the beginning and at the end of every single month to figure out how to create the best schedule for me based on what I want to happen, aka make those GOALS HAPPEN. I will walk you through what that looks like for me.
It takes me about an hour, but I actually LOOK FORWARD to these self-meetings and they are game CHANGERS as far as making my goals happen. If you want to do this, you must one, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY and two, have FUN with it!
After doing my morning routine, which includes coffee and my devotionals/bible study, I start reflecting, assessing and making shifts. This is about growing, not putting myself down.
1. Reflect on Last Month
I use the reflection page in The Life Planner, with guided questions, to keep me in check and open my eyes to where I put most of my attention throughout the month.
Here’s what my monthly reflection page looks like:
I write:
- one significant memory (good or bad, because that’s life)
- accomplishments and challenges
- things I loved
- whether my master goals are still a priority
- what I can change to be better next month
It’s SO important to reflect on the past to make changes for the future. This is my opportunity to see what worked, what didn’t and what you can do to be better. How can you move forward without assessing the past? Am I right? Let’s move on to the next step…
2. Plug in the Essentials
I pull up a monthly calendar and fill in all important dates coming up. You need this so you know what’s happening this month, whether it’s a doctor’s appointment or a meeting with your son’s teacher, a bill due date and paydays.
I’m using the calendar in The Budget Planner, but you can totally use any calendar. Y’all, this is a game changer because this is your life MAP.
You’re going to look at this calendar daily, that way you won’t miss a thing and you’ll always be ahead of the game instead of feeling so behind all the time.
3. Monthly 3
In the Life Planner, I scroll through to the monthly plan page for the new month. Here is where I choose 3 goals, from my master goals list (this is the list of goals I made at the beginning of the year), to move the needle for this month.
These will be big goals that will help propel me to my yearly goals, this means that you want these goals to be your MAIN focus throughout the month.
I literally write in 3 goals with boxes next to them because y’all know I love checking things off when they’re done. These check boxes hold me accountable to making sure that I get these things done.
4. Weekly 3
Based on your 3 monthly goals above, I break them down into weekly action steps so that they are more doable throughout the month. That way, I force myself to actually achieve those goals with these bite sized weekly action steps. No excuses.
These top 3 are my non-negotiables and must get done by the end of the week. WRITE THEM DOWN in a weekly view, whether it’s digital or on paper.
For example: if you’re monthly goal is to start a blog, your weekly goals would involve things like:
- Step One: Choose Your Niche
- Step Two: Choose a Domain Name
- Step Three: Choose a Blogging Platform
- Step Four: Choose Your Hosting and Theme
- Step Five: Plan and Write Your Content
You know I love to provide you with a FREEBIE, so this way, you have absolutely no excuses. Click the weekly view down below and either use it digitally or print it out!
5. Daily 3
The small steps we take each day are what move the needle towards making our goals happen. In my weekly view, I write down the top 3 things I must get done today, to get my weekly 3 done to then, in turn, get my monthly 3 done.
Are you seeing the pattern here? We’re taking a giant monthly goal and breaking it down by week and furthermore, by day, so that it becomes something tangible AND do-able instead of just a dream.
6. Checkpoints
So Here’s the thing about goals – you have to have checkpoints. You can’t just have the starting line and the finish line and then just hope for the best. You have to break your goals down into workable chunks and assess your progress along the way so you can adjust your course if you need to.
Imagine writing a test and never getting the results. That’s exactly what happens when you make a goal and don’t check-in with yourself to see the status of that goal.
How can you track your progress if you don’t assess how things are going? Am I right?
In my DIGITAL REFLECTION PLANNER (coming soon), I give you monthly, quarterly and yearly checkpoint worksheets.
- Yearly check-in meeting (December): allows you to establish your goals & vision to reflect on the past year & intentionally establish your goals to make them happen this year!
- Quarterly check-in meeting (January, April, July, October): allows you to re-assess your goals to reflect on the methods you’re using and if they’re working, while prepping for the next quarter.
- Monthly check-in meeting: allows you to reflect on last month while creating an action plan towards your focus goal this month.
So that’s an overall look at how I create my schedule! I feel like it’s a good mixture of checking in with myself and taking look at the progress I made toward my goals. Sometimes you need to pivot because something’s not working and THAT’S OKAY.
Whatever you decide to do to create your schedules, I encourage you to include assessing and reflecting in there so you can make sure that what you’re doing daily is actually propelling you in the direction you want to be headed.