Happy Memorial Day!
Today’s episode is dedicated to monthly planning rhythms! I discuss why the monthly planning level can be a challenging one, but then provides reasons to try giving it some attention.
Elements Discussed:
- Ways to add to the “fresh start” energy – screen backgrounds + monthly tracking
- Monthly work plan (new element for me, see below!)
- Monthly goal setting (middle piece of the Nested Goals method – great way to break up big seasonal projects), including a look back / forward / within, and a calendar landscape review
- Monthly “extras” – might include budget, household supply maintenance, fitness ideas, library holds, adding in fun, and more!
Prior episodes mentioning Monthly Planning:
#17 – Your New Month Guide
#218 – Monthly Review
Mini-Review: Completist Products Mentioned (no affiliation):
Weekly Planning Pad
Daily Planner
Monthly Planner
Mock up of their daily layout (essentially copied what was in my Stalogy notebook midmorning onto this page):
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BLP Live in Nov: SOLD OUT by episode air date, but stay tuned for virtual options!
Episode Sponsors:
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4 Comments
Love the idea of a monthly fun audit! I also use the everygirl backgrounds options for my phone and laptop and they always brighten my day.
I use a self-made monthly template in Notion, and always look forward to doing my monthly list – I set them up early and add things but do a proper sit down a week before the month starts. I do print it out though, and tend to reprint 10 days in when it gets tatty. I add new additions and delete things I’ve accomplished. The goal is that the list drops to 1 page at some point, and is mostly accomplished by the end of the month.
I have big headers – WORK (Research and funding, teaching, impact, admin) and LIFE (personal, home, social, garden).
Mostly these are monthly lists but mid-November, it becomes a countdown list – things that need to be done before the end of the year, and my current list is “before summer holidays” as my summer season is fragmented – 5 weeks before holidays, 3.5 weeks of holiday, and 5 weeks between back to school for T and back to teaching for me.
Definitely on board for a monthly fun audit! I’ve loved using the Lazy Genius Playbooks in conjunction with monthly planning. I’ve always tried to go from yearly to monthly, and that was just too big a leap. Your quintiles definitely seem to work well for you — I think quarterly might be my answer!
What a helpful episode! I always listen on my commute but I’m off today so relistened so I could take notes and plan my June.
I do all of my daily planning on paper but love the idea of using a Notion template for monthly goal setting and may play around with that today.
Thanks.