8 Value Things To Do At The Beginning Of Every Month

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[This article was first published in October 2020 and has been republished with some of the best updates.]

A new month, a new goal! At the beginning of every month, there are many things you should do to stay organized and focus on every single task for the days ahead. 

It’s tricky how time ticks so fast while we struggle to get around chaos forgetting to care and remind ourselves of our value.

I know it’s not always easy drawing a thin line between living and surviving, but I want you to know that you are doing an excellent job! 🙂

You are doing just great, the journey may be locked with challenges, but I want you to know that life is in phases, all you have to do is take one step at a time. Click To Tweet

Detach yourself from self-doubt, nourish the fire burning inside and recognize the light in your soul. You got everything inside of you to shine because you are not ordinary but extraordinary.

So, how did I escape the trap of disorganization? How did I come out of that cage of living a life not based on purpose? The secret is planning. I realized that all I needed was planning. I only needed to entrench my days, weeks, and months in schedules and plans, and in no time, I’d see myself enjoying the positive fruition of organization.

I started doing certain things at the beginning of every month. These things were – and still are- like routines for me. They prepared me for the month and propelled me properly into the hours, days, and weeks. They tune the inner me into a psychological phase of accepting responsibilities.

I will be sharing 8 of these tips with you today. These are some of the things you can do at the beginning of every month to prepare you for the days ahead:

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Reflect on the previous month

At the beginning of every month, it is essential to look back and have reflective thinking about what the past month was like.

Sit down and really think about the previous month. How do you feel about it? Do you feel productive? Did you meet your goals? Are you on target for any big goals you set this year?

Look for parts where you didn’t meet up with your goals, what worked, and what didn’t work. Then decide to want a change in the new month.

From my blogging journey, it was obvious that some strategies didn’t work and I needed to figure it out. Thing is, I was blind to those downgrading factors till I had deep, reflective thinking for the next month and that was a great change!

So, if you are in the same situation right now, I’d advise that you initiate a process of change by reflecting on your last few months, outlining your mistakes, and identifying areas where you can do better.

Write your monthly goals

Writing out your monthly goals help you see at first glance all the things that need to be done that beginning of every month.

What’s one thing you want to really master this month? Is it daily workouts? Is it to learn a new language? Do you want to become a morning person?

One of the best ways to ensure you are not overwhelmed by your monthly goals is by breaking them into smaller parts. Write out your goals at the beginning of every month and break them into a weekly or daily to-do list. Check these smart ways to prioritize your to-do list.

Remember, achieving meaningful and impactful goals for the year is way better than just listing a hundred plans without anyone of them seeing the light of the day! You can simply review your quarterly goals and devise several means of achieving all these goals that are yet to be born.

You can have more than 12 goals for the year but ensure that for each year, a goal is primarily set to be the major goal. In other words, if you don’t get to achieve these goals, one goal must at least be achieved and that’s the major goal!

Layout some plans and notes

I love planning! Planning is an essential principle for growth because your life is in your hands and until you do something about making them work, they’d remain dormant.

You could get a planner, a journal, and write some notes on what you intend to achieve for the month, addressing your fears, letters to self, having a self-care check.

Planning your work involves making notes on what you intend to achieve for the month, and also outlining the best ways to achieve the goals.

Plan your budget

Payday! Who doesn’t love payday? Which stuff do you spend the most with your money? Mostly I use it to buy books, food, or coffees.

While it is good to have an idea of what you want to do with your money, it is important that these plans are made intentionally. Budgeting is a good way to start a new month as it helps you spend only on those items that you absolutely need.

A budget is your financial map. It tells you what to spend your money on and what not to spend your money on. Like the finance guru will say, save before spending. Budgeting helps you do that easily.

There are many ways to budget your income and you could choose the one that’s most suitable for you. However, I’d talk about the 50/30/20 formula.

• The rule states that 50% of your income should go to important things. Some of the things that should go into the 50% category are rent or mortgage, transportation, including car payments and has, utilities, groceries, insurance, childcare, basic clothing.
• For the 30%, you’re to include all you want but could certainly live without.
• 20% is for the future. You could save it, or invest with it.

Deep clean and declutter

What comes to mind when you hear declutter?

Some of you may think of clearing up the wardrobe, others may think of clearing up the pantry. Whatever comes to mind first, it is important to clean up your space and I would like to think that the best time for this is at the beginning of every month.

At some point in my blogging journey, I didn’t have the time for my personal life. I didn’t even have the time to clean my room. I was struggling to strike a balance. It was a tough one and I figured it was affecting my daily blogging schedule for the rest of the month.

Clear up your wardrobe, the kitchen, your desktop, your phone, your apps, unsolicited messages, workspace, close open items, and detach from people who drain you. Create space for new things, give out things you do not need or haven’t used in a long time.

Pick out a book for the month

Books help us learn in our own space. If you’re like me and you love to read, then you could read more books but if you’re not, you could limit yourself to just one book.

Reading is very important for personal development and growth. It helps you gain from the knowledge of other people, who might have worked in the very same shoes you’re currently in.

“Not only is reading good for the soul and the mind, but another one of the many reasons why reading is important is that it makes for a great conversation starter. Reading provides you with a great deal of new information and can connect people from all over the world.” University of the people

For starters, you could pick up a small and interesting book and deliberately decide to read it for the whole month. Trust me, after completing the book, you’d experience a major mental shift that will allow for growth. There are many beautiful books out there, how about you go to the nearest bookstore around you and start with one? The bookstore is one of my favorite places to visit!

Here are 5 best personal development books that I recommend for you:

• The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz: this book reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
• Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo: this book will retrain your brain to think more creatively and positively in the face of setbacks. If you’re having trouble solving a problem or reaching a dream, the problem isn’t you. It’s that you haven’t yet installed the one belief that changes everything.
• The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau: A book that challenges each of us to take control—to make our lives be about something while at the same time remaining clear-eyed about the commitment—The Happiness of Pursuit will inspire readers of every age and aspiration. It’s a playbook for making your life count.
• Love for Imperfect Things: How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving for Perfection by Haemin Sunim: I recently just finished this book and I really really fall in love with it! With more than thirty-five full-color illustrations, Love for Imperfect Things will appeal to both your eyes and your heart, and help you learn to love yourself, your life, and everyone in it.
• The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to Be Calm in a Busy World by Haemin Sunim: this book emphasizes the importance of forging a deeper connection with others and being compassionate and forgiving toward ourselves. The more than twenty full-color illustrations that accompany his teachings serve as calming visual interludes, encouraging us to notice that when you slow down, the world slows down with you.

Ask yourself important questions

Start the beginning of every month by asking some deep questions about what you would be expecting from yourself through the month.

Where you are currently, what you have to do to get to your end goal, and what you would love to achieve. It’s a process of having deep thoughts about the prospects of the month by asking yourself certain questions.

By asking these questions, it is to help you have full knowledge of what you would like to achieve by the end of the month and this gives you the mental strength to pursue your goals easily.

• What are some things I am hoping to achieve?
• Where do I want to be at the end of the month?
• How am I doing with the hassle of survival?
• What phase am I currently in and what’s this phase teaching me?
• How do I grow more and get in tune with myself?
• How do I nourish myself better? 

Schedule your selfcare activity

It is important to think about doing something for yourself at the beginning of every month. This is because we get so busy with work, responsibilities, and other activities that we sometimes forget we need a little ‘taking care of’ as well.

Last year, I wasn’t great with scheduling time with my friends and then when it came down to trying to find time to get together, there just wasn’t space in the calendar.  Months would go by without a girl’s day or meeting a friend for coffee.

So, this year I make more time for my friends! At the beginning of every month, I am reaching out and meet my friends for coffee or get those lunch dates! Yaay!

To ensure you are not forgetting to give yourself a treat, plan something for yourself every month. Here is something you can do for yourself:

• Plan a short trip
• Read a book
• Book a spa date
• Movie marathon
• Take some time off work to rest
• Visit interesting places
• Meet up with your friends

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Final thoughts

And that’s all I’ve got at the beginning of every month! They sound simple, right? I know it’s only eight things, but I swear doing these each and every month makes SUCH a difference in making sure to stay organized and reach my goals all month long.

Plus when I’m planning my daily, weekly, monthly schedule and set my goals, the months don’t tend to go as scary-fast!

The last thing you need to do is put this all in your calendar. Just pick a day at the beginning of the month and block out some time to make it happen! 

I would LOVE to know what things you do at the beginning of every month to keep yourself organized. Leave a comment and let me know!

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