Last Updated on May 6, 2023 by Corynn
This blog post is about how you can plan for a new month!
Starting a new month can be refreshing but also can come with a lot of things. Such as; birthdays, holidays, events, work projects, and so much more.
sometimes we enter a new month not even having any idea what is going to happen for the next 30-31 days. So i have decided to share with you on how I plan for the month ahead of me.
What Should I Plan For A new Month?
Before we begin placing things on our calendar, we have to figure out what we are planning for the new month. not everyone will have the same calendar, but I came up with a list of things that may show up on your calendar this month;
- Birthdays
- Work Events
- Appointments (this an be medical or personal)
- Dates/Meeting up with friends
- Due Dates/Deadlines
And anything that i geared towards your life. Down below we are going to further discuss how to put these on our monthly calendars.
What should You do at The Beginning Of The Month?
Usually you want to do this on the first of every month or the last day of every month planning for the following month. Here is a list of things you should do at the beginning of the month:
List All The Events That Are Happening
Sometimes we have so many events one month and then nothing the following month. It’s best to write down each event, some details about it and the time the event starts. This is great for you to refer back to if someone ask if you are busy on a certain day.
Adding events to my calendar a prior to the month starting helped me so much to remember what is going to happen.
Book Doctors Or Personal Appointments
Need to see the doctor? Dentist? Or you have a nail appointment at the end of the month? This is a great time to book these appointments to make sure you secure the dates you want. This takes about 15 minutes and can ease your mind.
Try to make these bookings a couple days before the month begins. Once the first or second of the month comes around. You may have difficulty finding the days you want.
Discuss With Your Partner If/When Date Night Is Happening
Planning your date nights will not only help you both plan in advance but continously allow dating to happen in your relationship.
The longer you both are together and/or live together, it tends to get tough trying to go out on dates.
Already picking a day will keep you both accountable.
This could be a date at home or a restaurant. this is also a great opportunity to book reservations for any aspect of your date night.
RELATED POST: Date ideas For Married Couples
Create a Budget For The New Month
Something my husband and I are really trying to do prior to the month starting. Is to Track our expenses and creating a budget.
I find that when we look at all the events we have prior to the month starting, it really helps us to give each other an estimate on what our expenses will look like.
For example, If we are entering a month where we are attending a lot of birthday parties, we know that we will have to adjust our budget to have a category for presents and/or dinners.
Creating a budget prior to the month starting will help you so much with overspending and not scratching your head figuring out where did all your money go.
List All The Bills That Are Due This Month
If you tend to forget due dates and deadlines, this is something you should implement. Placing the days your bills are due or the day you usually make a payment on your calendar.
Looking at my calendar each week helps to let me know which bills are coming up. Since starting this strategy, I have limit the amount of times I have paid a bill late.
PRO TIP: I advise you to write this in red, due to the fact that red is more common to catch your attention.
Reminders For The Month
Need to remember something later on in the month? Put it down as a reminder! This could be calling your doctor about information you need, asking your boss for a day off or even an area around the house you really need to clean.
Creating a list of reminders that you need to do throughout the month and placing it in your calendar/planner can relieve some stress off yourself, and plus gain more space in your brain to focus on other things.
Set Your Monthly Goals
I know we have new years resolutions we tend to set for the entire year. But in order for us to be the person we truly want to be, we have to set smaller goals to achieve those new year’s resolutions.
For instance, you decided you wanted to be more fit, it order for that to happen you need to set small goals. So let’s say for March, you want to go to the gym 3 times a week. You will then look at you planner and see when you will be free to go 3 times a week to the gym.
By implementing this strategy, you will feel way more closer to achieving your goals.
Okay! Let’s say you don’t accomplish your goals this month. This is your chance to look back at your previous month to see; what stopped you, how busy did you actually get this month, what were your obstacles, and what can you do differently next month.
Remember, If you didn’t accomplish your goals last month, you can still bring the same goals over to the following month.
To Do List For The Month
We all have a to-do list, this could be repairs around the house, organizing your paperwork, or even making that trip to the bank. But previously we talked about adding reminders to your calendar, so what is the difference between reminders and a to-do list?
A Reminder is something you need to remember to do although a to-do list is a list of things that has to be done instantly and/or on that day.
For example on my to-do list for the next month is to declutter my linen closet. This is where I will place that task on a day that I know I will get the linen closet done.
It helps to create my to-do list before the new month starts because I can see at a glance what my month will be like. Without stuffing my calendar with so many things.
Implement Self-Care
We all have those busy months where work is super busy during the week, every weekend you have somewhere to go. Remember to book yourself some time for self-care.
This could be going to the nail salon, getting a massage, journaling, doing a face mask at home, or even watching your favourite show.
Implementing self-care into your calendar will help you prevent over-stressing and burning out.
Add In Things For Your Children
Now having children can make your schedule super busy. you have to take them to birthday parties, extracurricular activities, or even school events. This is where you place this in your calendar prior to the month starting!
Days go by so quickly and you never want to be in Target rushing your family around because you forgot your child had to go to a birthday party, and you just remembered this morning.
If your kids are older, this is a great thing to do with them. You can sit down and have a family meeting discussing all the events/things they need to do for the month.
Say goodbye to rushing around and forgetting things!
Plan For A New Month: Color Coding & Categories
Want to know the number 1 thing that will help you stay organized next month? Color coding and creating categories! Let’s discuss…
With all these events, birthdays, kids extracurricular it is super hard for ONE person to keep track off. Having everything written in the same color will b super hard to remember.
For humans, we find that we can remember things easily with color. meaning, if we were playing memory, you would remember the color of the card rather than the number/letter.
In order for this to happen you need to give each thing on your calendar a category alongside a color. For example on our calendar birthdays will be written in orange, bills/deadlines will be written in red, and so on.
Next, give each person in the household a color (Yes even the pets in your home!)
For instance, on our household calendar, my universal color is Purple, and my husbands universal color is Blue. So now whenever I look at the calendar I know my husbands work schedule, days he is going to hang out with his friends and so much more.
For children, it’s best to use their favourite color, so that they can recognize “Hey that’s my favourite color! Why is it up there?”
For your pets, they also have vet appointments, immunization deadlines, and reminders to purchase more food for them. They need their own color on your calendar!
What is The Best Way to Start a Month?
We all want to start a new month on the right foot. Here are some ways on how you can start a new month the best way you can;
Try Not To Over Book Yourself
Sometimes we want to feel busy in order to feel like we have accomplish something each day. But remember that not everyday you have to do something.
Spending the day lounging around watching TV, or working on a hobby is still a busy day for you. You don’t always have to be “booked and busy”. This can lead to burnout.
The best way to avoid burning out is limiting the amount of things you do each month. For example if you already notice 2/4 of your weekends are booked, try to make sure you give yourself one weekend to relax.
Go In With a Positive Attitude
Let’s say that you had a really hard month, So many things happen that you were like “Why me?!” (Could have possibly been a Mercury Retrograde?).
Instead of going into the next month thinking this month is going to be the same way, try to go in with a positive attitude and a open heart to trying something new.
Trust me, we all have shitty times in the year, but we gotta look on the positive side and know that things won’t last for long.
Reflect On How The Last Month Went
Back to what I said at Set Your Monthly Goals you want to make sure you reflect how your month went in order to catch a pattern.
This can be for people who had a great month, or for people who had a shitty month. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to reflect on:
- What was my happiest day?
- What was my shitest day?
- What was my favourite food I ate?
- Who made me feel happy?
- did I plan too much?
- did I accomplish everything I wanted to do?
- How did I accomplish my goals this month?
By doing this you will be able to have your best foot forward for the following month.
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