Do at the Beginning of Every Month to Stay Organized

8 things to do at the beginning of every month to stay organized. There isn’t something magical that happens monthly to reset your whole life but there are things you can do every month to start the month out right. Who doesn’t want a good start to their next 30 days?

Do at the Beginning of Every Month to Stay Organized

Create or Update a Monthly Budget – If you haven’t created a monthly budget now is a great time to start. It’s never to late! I wish I would have starting budgeting much earlier in my life. There are several ways to do it so the key is to finding what works best for you. The main thing is to account for your income and spending. Make adjustments in your spending if necessary.

We keep our main budget on line in Microsoft Excel. It keeps track of how much money we have coming in and also what we are spending each month on regular payments. Make sure to make adjustments at the beginning of the month if needed. We also keep other spending under control using the envelope system. These 2 systems are simple and work well for us.

Set Your Planner – It’s important to get things in your planner for the new month as soon as possible. There is a chance of double scheduling or having conflicts if you don’t do so. Now it’s time to schedule appointments, tasks, and other things that are more flexible and add them to your planner. Use a paper or electronic planner, whichever is easiest for you.

Complete any Ongoing Tasks – It’s hard enough moving incomplete tasks from day to day or even week to week but I draw the line at month to month. Most of us don’t want to carry baggage to the next month. We have to draw the line somewhere right? Make a goal to complete the ongoing task. You will feel so much better about starting a new month with a clean slate.

Reflect on Past Month – Are there things you can change in the previous month to help your life run smoother? What things can you take off your plate? What things do you want to add? Learn what worked or didn’t work from the previous month and make adjustments.

Set Goals – Now is the time to set goals for the new month. You can do it one week at a time if that works better for you. I would also add those goals to my planner especially if they have a specific end date.

Organize / Declutter Your Home – A monthly organizing and decluttering of your home is a great idea. It helps you take care of things before it gets out of hand. I have a monthly decluttering series that might be helpful in this process (there is a link to every month at the bottom of the post). It’s also a great time to get digital things organized and decluttered. Clear out your emails, messages, photos, and any apps you aren’t using.

Choose a Book to Read – If you’re not a reader start small. You might be surprised at the many benefits of reading. Besides gaining knowledge, it’s also a great form of entertainment and can be very relaxing. Pick a few books you’re interested in or get references from friends. The average woman reads 14 books a year and the average man reads 9. A goal of one book a month is a good start.

Plan a Fun Activity – Plan a weekend trip, an activity with the kids or family, a girls night out, or even just a night at the movies. Put it in your planner and save that time for something you look forward to and enjoy. Plan a couple a month or one a week if possible.

Enjoy your organized month!

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