Ahhhh, a new month. Full of fresh opportunities.

This month, I’ve got goals. Pot a windowsill herb garden. Go to a local plant shop and buy them out. Decorate my home and office with green, leafy plants that don’t require much care.

Sitting down to plan my month is one of my favorite activities, not only because of the endorphins that are released throughout the process but also because I love seeing my blank calendar fill up with everything I have planned work-wise, fun-wise, and goal-wise.

Are you a planner? If so, you’ve probably got me beat as far as April plans, since it’s already the 2nd. If not, read below for a few of my No-fail Monthly Planning tips.

• Include Routine Activities

Ok, so maybe it’s a given that you brunch with you sister every Saturday (if so I am jealous of you & I wish this was true for me!) so you don’t write it down. But here’s the thing: once you have a record of everything you do during the month – including those standing weekly appointments – you have a much clearer picture of where your time goes. And knowing where your time is spent will help you understand how to maximize it, and how much free time you have.

• Write Monthly Goals

You may have heard it before, but the best way to ensure you’ll achieve you goals for the month is to write them down. Remember how you felt on March 29th when you realized the third month of 2018 was already gone and you still had, like, six things on your to-do list for the month? Don’t let April be the new March – make a list of your goals along with when you plan to work toward /achieve them, so that come May 1st you can be giving your future self an exuberant high-five.

• Schedule Relaxation

I’m pretty sure we’re all guilty of loading our calendars up with work and dentist appointments and completely neglecting to write down time we plan to spend reading a new book, painting our toenails, or exploring a new part of town – I know I am. But I’ve found that when I schedule in such things I enjoy like spa nights or creating an indie/folk/punk-rock playlist or going to the gym (yep, I actually love the gym), I’m much more likely to power through some of the not-fun things I have to do throughout the week.

How do you schedule your month? Do you write things down or prefer to use an electronic calendar? Comment below! ↓

♥