1.     Clear your mind

I recommend meditating, even just for a few minutes.  If meditation is so new to you that it isn't working to clear your mind, try an activity that does calm you down/clear your mind.  Examples of other ways to clear your mind: exercise, yoga, running, walking in nature, reading a book, knitting, practicing a sport, playing an instrument, singing - anything that gets you out of the vise grip of your mind so you can focus on what truly matters to YOU.

2.     List out areas of importance in your life currently.

Can be relationships, projects, events, responsibilities, etc.  Add Self/Play to your list if you do not already have it.  Play is key to resilience, and is defined by Brene Brown as activities we enjoy, maybe even lose track of time doing, and that are not tied to any sort of productive outcome.

3.     Describe your ideal self in each area.

For each area of your life, write an I am statement, describing how you act, and characteristics of your ideal self.

4.     List goals/todos/tasks for each area for the upcoming month. 

Be specific with x/week, etc.  Include responsibilities that you must do, things you are excited to do, and things that bring you closer to your ideal self and other goals in your life.

5.     Write a goal/focus for the month for each area.

This helps focus your mind before the next step, and will motivate disciplined action to follow through and DO the must dos on this calendar throughout the coming month.

6.     Cut out what you can!

This is a good opportunity, BEFORE you schedule them, to cut out unnecessary tasks and focus on the 20% that bring you the biggest return on investment per the pareto principle.  It is tempting to keep everything you originally wrote down.  I highly recommend having a master task/todo list for the areas of your life it makes the most sense (work, etc).  That way when you eliminate something from your monthly must do calendar, you still have the idea/task written down somewhere and you can return to it in the future.

7.     Habit or Task?

With what remains, decide whether it is a task that must be scheduled, or a habit which must be cultivated.  Building even a single habit requires diligence and focus, so be realistic about how many habits you are cultivating - and potentially eliminate (for now) down to only a couple of habits.

8.     List habits in lower right corner of calendar page.

Make sure to identify the cue, the response(habit), and the reward.  By writing down the reward, you can cultivate craving for the reward by thinking about it in relation to the cue and response - helping your brain make the neural connections you need it to make to strengthen a new practice into an unconscious habit using the cue identified.  (for help with habits see our habits module!)

9.     Schedule tasks and todos in calendar. 

The squares are small for a reason - other things WILL come up throughout the month that will require your time and energy.  By staying disciplined in only scheduling what will fit in the squares on the calendar you take extreme ownership over ensuring you get the things that you have scheduled done…and also have time to engage with and enjoy the things life throws at you throughout the month. 

10.     Follow your calendar all month!

Each morning check your calendar and ensure the items on this calendar get prioritized in your day…and get done. If you need to move them, that’s fine, just ensure they get done this month - remember these are the items that will bring you closer to your goals, so don’t let the whirlwind of daily life keep you from your dreams!

Mediate or move – whatever it takes to clear your mind so you can focus on YOUR goals and dreams.

Work

Family

Friends

Exercise

Etc.

Entrepreneur – I am creative, confident, and disciplined in the dual pursuit of adding value to others and producing revenue to fund our lives.

Entrepreneur –

…Create products for shop pages

…Create challenge for social media for January

Entrepreneur – Create revenue stream – no matter how small

Entrepreneur –

Create content engagement goals for social media platforms

(I really don’t NEED to do this this month - I just need to make content and get started - this step can wait - so I’ll remove it from my list)

Schedule social media content…TASK

Meditate daily to take control of my attitude each day…HABIT

Meditate Daily –

Cue – baby goes down for first nap

Response – go outside and meditate for a few minutes

Reward – feels amazing during, and feel ready to take on the day after!

See calendar below

Action is the key to achieving your goals - stay consistent with these priorities and you WILL be closer to your goals by the end of the month!