The beginning of the month is always a nice fresh start to finally crush your goals and be productive. But how to be more efficient if, by the end of the month, you forget about certain tasks you wanted to complete?
You should try monthly planning!
So what are the benefits of monthly planning?
You won’t have to rush to get things done
I don’t like to be rushed, who does? Monthly planning can help you avoid unnecessary stress and get things done with better quality.
You’ll be in control of your life
I think feeling that you’re in control of your life is one of the greatest benefits of monthly planning.
I feel more prepared for what’s to come and can be more productive and mindful of my time. Even though it cannot prepare you for the toughest moments, it can help you stay on track.
You’ll be able to reflect on and improve your life
When you live on autopilot it’s hard to see and analyze what you’ve achieved, how long it took you to do that, what you need to work on, etc. That’s why by having monthly planning I can hold myself accountable and crush my goals.
If you’re asking yourself how to be more efficient, here’s a list of things you can do at the beginning of each month.
1. Set goals at the beginning of each month
Okay, many of us set some big goals at the beginning of the year, but how many of us actually achieve them? Don’t you forget about them?
I’m asking because I could really forget about one or some of them. And when I looked at my “New Year’s Resolutions” list at the end of the year I was like “Oh no, I completely forgot about this one!”.
Why was this happening?
Because the goals were not broken down into little actionable steps that I should’ve accomplished every month to knock out the big goal.
That’s why now I like writing down my ‘small’ goals in my planner at the beginning of each month. And you know what? I found out that by having these ‘small’ monthly goals I’m more likely to actually accomplish them and be closer to my ‘big’ goals.
So how to be more efficient?
Whether you want to lose weight, learn another language, acquire new skills, create a successful blog, or become better at something overall set goals at the beginning of each month and write them down.
Don’t forget to look at them every couple of days or weeks to make sure you’re staying on track.
Also, set some time to reflect on how the previous month went:
- What have you accomplished?
- What have you not completed and why?
- Have you learned anything new?
- What did you like about the month?
Setting goals at the beginning of each month helps me be more efficient and mindful of my time!
2. Schedule your appointments
Is it time to get a check-up at the dentist? Do you need to schedule your business meetings? Maybe your toddler’s turning 18 months old and you need to schedule another check-up.
Whatever plans you’re having for this upcoming month try to schedule them all so when you look at your calendar you’ll see which days are fully yours. It’s super convenient.
Scheduling your appointments at the beginning of a new month can help you:
- Save time down the road.
- Know when your appointments are so you can plan the rest of the month accordingly.
- To not procrastinate and actually go to the appointment.
- Be more organized and feel amazing!
- Have a well-planned schedule.
3. Plan ahead
Similarly to scheduling appointments, when you go through your calendar week by week, see what events, whose birthdays are coming up this month, or maybe you’re traveling away from home.
Of course, you cannot know every single thing you’ll do but try to plan out your month as detailed as possible.
You will save plenty of time by doing it only at the beginning of each month, and it will help you be more efficient.
4. Manage your finances + Create a realistic budget
After you’re done setting your goals, making schedules, and planning, it’s time to manage your finances.
Write down what is your income for this month, including your side hustle income if you have it, or a bonus if you’re getting one this month.
Take some time to pay down your bills, make credit card payments, and transfer some money to your savings account.
Create a realistic budget. How to do that?
In the first column write down how much you’re expecting to spend on insurance, rent, utilities, groceries, TV cable, entertainment, and so on. At the end of the month, in the second column, you will write down how much money you actually spent. Then in the third column write down the difference between those two and you will see your realistic budget.
Here’s a free printable ready for you to track your expenses and see where your money’s going.
Your expenses can be fixed (your rent, phone bill, insurance, payments on loans, etc.) and variable, those that change month-to-month (groceries, entertainment, etc.).
The important thing here is to analyze your variable expenses and if it’s possible to reduce them.
You can also check out one of my blog posts about The Highlighter Budgeting Method. It’s a fun way to control your finances.
5. Deep clean your home
The beginning of a new month is a great time for decluttering, deep cleaning, and organizing your home. I love doing that because it gives me some kind of feeling of a fresh start.
It works because once you deep clean your home, you will have more free time later. It doesn’t work if you have kids though (our house gets messy every day, *kidding not kidding*)
In both ways, cleaning and organizing your home at the beginning of each month will make you feel wonderful!
This might include:
- Floors – sweep, mop, vacuum
- Countertops
- Windows
- Mirrors
- Cleaning dust
- Pantry shelves
- Your working space (if you’re working from home)
- Decluttering your closet
- Bookshelves
- Bathrooms
- Your fridge
- Expired beauty products and more!
Have you ever heard of the KonMari Method? I suggest reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo where she will teach you how to declutter, simplify, and organize the home you will love!
6. Create your workout schedule
How to be more efficient and stick to regular workouts?
Well, creating your workout schedule and routine can help you do that! There’s no magic. It just does.
The beginning of a new month is a perfect time for that as you will be able to see your calendar, when it’s the most convenient time for you, create a schedule, and your exercise routine.
It doesn’t have to be every single day, it’s great if you can though! Consistency is key. But strive for at least 2-3 times a week.
Also, don’t try to do EVERYTHING in one day. Because the next day you will hate yourself for that, having your whole body sore.
Chloe Ting programs are very nice, they’re completely free by the way.
7. Choose a book to read
Maybe you always wanted to learn more about marketing strategies, or time-management techniques, or maybe you love novels. As we talked about a workout routine for your body, reading is a great workout for your brain.
So, pick one or two books at the beginning of the month and enjoy them.
8. Take on a new project
Take on a new project that you can complete within one month like creating a course or DIY project. Something that you always wanted but never made time for.
By doing it you can learn more than you think!
9. Create self-care + beauty routines
It’s time to pamper yourself!
Creating self-care and beauty routines is important as you need to take good care of yourself to function well and simply be happy.
At the beginning of every month write down what will be included in your self-care routine and when you’re going to do that.
Include:
- Manicure
- Pedicure
- Bubble bath
- Trimming your hair
- Hair masks
- Skincare routine and more.
It’s a great way to relax and reset yourself. Creating a self-care schedule will help you be more organized and feel refreshed. That’s exactly what you need at the beginning of a new month!
10. Organize your phone photos
I always have tons of photos on my phone, sometimes I forget to delete bad or blurry ones and they keep my phone memory full.
That’s why I found organizing and deleting photos in bulk at the beginning of each month very helpful as I won’t have to spend my time on it later.
11. Prepare birthday gifts beforehand
When you look at your calendar, make a list of your family members and friends who have birthdays this upcoming month.
Also, write down how many birthday cards and what gifts you need to buy.
Doing this will save you so much time later when you’re out shopping.
Alright, here I listed my best 11 hacks that you can do as well. Now you can try to be more efficient by doing these simple things. They all keep me on track!
Thanks for reading and pin it if you enjoyed it!
Don’t forget to download my free PDF checklist!
Now it’s your turn: Do you find monthly planning effective? What things do you do at the beginning of each month?
Here are some more articles on how to be more efficient and productive.
Read More:
Time-Management Hack – The Pomodoro Technique
How To Create A Healthy And Productive Routine In Isolation
38 Things To Do With Your Blank Notebook To Feel Amazing
These are 11 great ideas to help be more efficient. Going to tackle a few right away!