Here we are – the start of another new month. I like the thought of knowing that I have thirty-one days to set and complete tasks that are going to get me more in my business, my career and in my personal life. I have been busy working on my intentions and plans prior to today – I’m now ready to start implementing them. As of this morning, I have already completed three items on my To-Do List, and this is number four!
So how about you – are your intentions set for the month? Do you know your ‘game-plan’ for what you want to achieve? If you do – kudos to you! If not, don’t worry as there is time for you to sit down and get started. Here are some steps that I took that you may want to follow in developing your monthly plan:
1. I Reviewed: before I could focus on the future, I sat and reviewed my activities from November – what did I accomplish; what did I not; how did I get things done – what resources, time, money, people did I utilize; if I didn’t get something done, what got in the way – was it time, money, resources, people, or was a mindset
2. I Reflected: once I had my assessment completed, I now sat and thought about what I wanted to accomplish this month. I looked at my past goals and activities to see if there were some that carry over monthly and at ones that came up to add to my list. I sat and noticed what feelings or visuals came up on each of those, as this is how I set my plans
3. I Documented – my next step was to write down, in great detail, the images or thoughts that came up during my reflection time; what did the goal look like, what actions/steps would I need to take to get there. Each goal is written as if I am completing it now (this is mind-trickery); I listed specific numbers or outcomes I plan to have, with dates for completion.
4. I I Prioritized: with my list, I then prioritized the activities: the easiest to complete, the ones most fulfilling, the hardest or most difficult, the ones that I needed other people or resources to complete, the ones that I might have to learn more about. I gave these a date for completion; some on my list are to be done daily but it gives me a firm time-frame
5. I Made Them Visual – now that I had all of the information, I made them a visual picture for myself ( that is my need but use what works best for you); I bought a big desk calendar and wrote my daily/weekly activities on it, using different color markets, i.e. red- meetings, purple – writing activities, green – clients, etc. I created a daily “To-Do” sheet so I can list my goals for each day and then the actions toward them; I also have a system on my computer, My Ultimate Organizer, where I can put them. The more reinforcement, the better.
These steps were a little time-consuming but well worth the effort as I feel more focused and excited to get things done this month. The planning helps with the Christmas holiday this month, and extra activities that are coming up, or that can take time away from your daily life. One last step – once your planning is done and you start to take action, be sure to track your results as you get things done and how you feel. Right now, I feel well-accomplished and excited, which has increased my confidence and motivation to get me towards my end-goals.
Do you plan and prepare for each month? What steps do you take? I’d love to hear your thoughts so leave a comment below!
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