With half of the work year behind us and mid year performance reviews to look forward to shortly, now is the perfect time to discuss how to stand out at work. Whether you are hoping for a raise or a promotion in the upcoming year, learning to stand out from your coworkers is an important step to bigger and better things in your professional life. How to Stand Out at Work will be a 5 week series where we discuss different ways to improve your image to set yourself up for success.
Make your boss’ priorities your priorities
One very common gripe that workers often have is that they work so hard and yet their boss does not seem to acknowledge everything they are doing. Perhaps you have taken on some extra work or been working overtime on certain projects, but still no acknowledgement from your boss to let you know your extra efforts are appreciated. This issue may be caused from the fact that your extra work isn’t exactly helping your boss and his priorities. It may be helping you, or other team members, or just be work that needed to get done as part of your job, but unless your boss feels like your efforts are helping them specifically, they aren’t likely to bend over backwards to applaud your efforts.
It is a very strange fact, one that took me a long time to realize, but all your work does not necessarily align with your boss and his priorities. We all have a multitude of tasks and projects that we perform each day and taken on at certain times, but that is just part of our jobs. For most of us, our boss is at a higher level, perhaps overseeing dozens of people who each do a multitude of tasks each day, so its hard for them to be impressed with one particular employee and the minutiae of their tasks. But what a boss will be impressed with is an employee whose work is directly impacting the progress of certain larger goals that are the responsibility of their manager.
For example, in sales, it may be your job to sell new products or services to your customer, grow their business, close distribution gaps, etc. That could be your day-to-day function as a sales person. Your boss, however, may be focused against finding new business and clients in order to grow his overall business, especially during times when the economy is stagnant and existing customers aren’t growing at a sufficient rate. So, you could be working very hard doing your job, making small wins at the customer level, but if your coworker with the same job is winning new accounts left and right, expect them to be the one getting attention from your boss.
With everything in business, it’s about what you can do for others. Your boss may not expect you to be executing against his particular set of priorities, but you can bet that they are going to be very appreciative to the employees that end up progressing their plans and goals for the year. So, if you want to stand out to your boss and position yourself as a hard-working member of your team, you need to get with your boss and figure out his priorities. You may already know what he is focused against, but perhaps haven’t paid attention to it because you have your own work to do. Either way, you need to align with your boss on what they are trying to achieve and make it happen for them. Only good things will follow!
Read the rest of this series by clicking a link below!
With half of the work year behind us and mid year performance reviews to look forward to shortly, now is the perfect time to discuss how to stand out at work. Whether you are hoping for a raise or a promotion in the upcoming year, learning to stand out from your coworkers is an important step to bigger and better things in your professional life. How to Stand Out at Work will be a 5 week series where we discuss different ways to improve your image to set yourself up for success.
Give Praise to Others
If you are trying to get ahead at work, it may seem counterproductive to share praise with others, especially when you are trying to stand out yourself, but it will actually help you to cultivate yourself as a leader. Don’t get me wrong, it is very important that you be seeking out ways to get praise from your superiors in order to show that you are a good worker and worthy of advancement, but being a team player means sharing the spotlight. No one wants to promote someone who is always looking out for themselves and for their own self-interest. Of course, everyone is doing those things as they are expected, but team players and leaders are more likely to advance and be seen in a positive light.
Think about it, although you may be very good at your job and getting work done and projects accomplished, you most likely needed the help and support of others to get you there, and acknowledging that is a very important thing. In the workplace, a staggering number of employees claim that they are under appreciated, you yourself may feel that same way. How would you feel about a coworker who took the time to thank you for doing your job and perhaps even went so far as to acknowledge your help and sing your praises to others? You would most likely feel indebted to that individual and perhaps be motivated to continue assisting them in the future. And that’s the magical connection! When you praise others, others want to help you and support you more!
So, I challenge you to think about the people around you at work who support you in getting your job and your tasks done. Next time you see them, make sure to thank them for what they have done for you and give them positive praise when speaking to others. You may think that if you don’t praise them in their presence they won’t hear about it, but don’t worry they will! One of the great things about praise is that it spreads like wildfire and will certainly get back to the ear of your subject! Of course, public praise is also a great way to acknowledge people, although we don’t often get many opportunities to do this. So, if you do have the opportunity to praise someone in a meeting or in a large gathering of coworkers, by all means go for it! Just don’t let the lack of a public stage for your praise stand in the way of you giving it! Even private conversations with supervisors or coworkers are great times to give praise to others and help you stand out as a leader and a team player!
With half of the work year behind us and mid year performance reviews to look forward to shortly, now is the perfect time to discuss how to stand out at work. Whether you are hoping for a raise or a promotion in the upcoming year, learning to stand out from your coworkers is an important step to bigger and better things in your professional life. How to Stand Out at Work will be a 5 week series where we discuss different ways to improve your image to set yourself up for success.
Mentor Others
Once you’ve gotten your feet wet within your organization, a great way to stand out to both your supervisors and to your peers is through mentoring. You may think that mentoring is something for upper level management or those who have been with your organization for a long time, however, it really is never too soon to start mentoring others and there are two ways you can do this.
First would be through informal mentoring where you find a colleague at work and “take them under your wing” so to speak. You can give them information and guidance; be that single point of contact that they know they can reach out to for help; or simply be their for them by lending them your ear every now and again. Informal mentorships are like a professional friendship that stays within work and are about developing trust between colleagues. Rank within the organization doesn’t matter soo much in this relationship because its informal so you can act as a mentor to older or more seasoned colleagues as long as you have something (knowledge, ability, time) that they need from you to make the relationship work.
The second type of mentorship would be a more formal relationship in which your supervisor and perhaps even HR know that you are actively mentoring an individual. In these scenario’s it is normal for the mentor to be someone of higher rank or experience in order to make the formal relationship a beneficial one to all parties involved. Some organizations encourage experienced employees to take on mentorships as a way to help develop their own career and assist in the development of others. Generally, as long as you are not the lowest member in your organization, you can actively mentor others.
Mentoring is one of those activities that shows your supervisors and upper level management that you are willing to share your time with others and pass on your knowledge and/or skills. Both formal and informal mentorships are a great way to stand out at work because they establish you as a peer resource. Your team and your boss will know that you are someone that others can go to for help and that makes you more valuable as an employee. Once your peers see that you have demonstrated the ability to assist others with problems or issues and give sound advice, more of them will begin to approach you with questions of their own. Be prepared for this as it is not feasible for you to act as a mentor to everyone who comes to you for help, but you also want to be sure you do not turn people away looking for help. This is one of those faucets thats hard to shut off, so try to be reasonable with expectations for yourself and others. If you don’t think you can help everyone, let them know kindly and as quickly as possible. The more your boss sees others coming to you for direction and assistance, the more you will be worth to your organization when it comes time for raises and promotions!
With half of the work year behind us and mid year performance reviews to look forward to shortly, now is the perfect time to discuss how to stand out at work. Whether you are hoping for a raise or a promotion in the upcoming year, learning to stand out from your coworkers is an important step to bigger and better things in your professional life. How to Stand Out at Work will be a 5 week series where we discuss different ways to improve your image to set yourself up for success.
Volunteer for more work or new projects
If you are interested in getting ahead at work and standing out as a shining star on your team or within your organization, one of the most important things you will have to do consistently is do good work and always be on the lookout for more projects and more responsibilities. With our economy still on the mend after the recession, employers are often slow to bring on more help or create additional positions until they see their business beginning to return steadily. For many companies, business is not back to where it once was, so upping their headcount is out of the question. So, who is going to take on that additional work that needs to be done with fewer heads available to do that work? The answer needs to consistently be you!
Now, I am not saying that you need to take on each and every new project and bulk on extra work all the time, but if you are seen as the team member that is able to get their own work done while also offering to take on new tasks and new responsibilities, when it comes time for a discussion about a raise or a promotion, you are going to be golden in the mind of your manager. Before you begin asking for more work, make sure you are completing your current work to the satisfaction of your managers or supervisors. Although you may be able to get your work done quickly, it doesn’t always mean you are up to par on the level of work you are producing. Speak to your boss and ask about your performance and how they view the quality of your work. You do not need to wait for a performance review to have that discussion with your manager, it should be an ongoing discussion that you return to whenever you take on new tasks, or complete new projects.
Once you are certain that your manager is pleased with the level of your work, you can then approach them about taking on new responsibilities. I would always suggest that when you go to your supervisor you have examples of the types of projects or responsibilities you are looking to take on. Perhaps you know that there is a new client project coming up and it requires a great deal of writing. If you believe yourself to be a strong writer, you will want to bring that to the attention of your manager when asking for that responsibility. Explain the skills you believe you are confident in and ask for the opportunity to take on that new challenge. Your boss will be impressed with your initiative and after a while, once you have a handle on your new task, you can ask for more work again if you are able to fit it into your day. Be careful not to take on too much new work, however, because if you take on a new task and it becomes too much for you, that is not going to help your cause. Always try to be deliberate with the new roles and responsibilities you are willing to take on so that they are serving your goals in the end.
Just be prepared to get an answer that you are not thrilled with. If your boss does not think you are prepared for the task you suggest, they may offer another less desirable responsibility. If this happens, don’t panic. Continue the conversation with your manager and try to understand why they think this different role or responsibility would be helpful for you to take on. Remember, you will want to make it clear to your boss that you are not simply looking for more work, but rather you are looking for new challenges and opportunities to help you grow and learn in order to prepare yourself for future roles. If they think a different task will help you along in your career more, take their advice and take on the new task. Even if it’s not what you originally intended to do, your boss will see that you have taken the initiative and when it comes time for conversations about raises or promotions, you will have a good leg to stand on!
With half of the work year behind us and mid year performance reviews to look forward to shortly, now is the perfect time to discuss how to stand out at work. Whether you are hoping for a raise or a promotion in the upcoming year, learning to stand out from your coworkers is an important step to bigger and better things in your professional life. How to Stand Out at Work will be a 5 week series where we discuss different ways to improve your image to set yourself up for success.
Developing a consistently professional demeanor
In each and every one of our professional lives, a varying amount of professional demeanor is expected. Some people may come from more relaxed work settings and others a stricter business world, but developing your own consistent level of professionalism is important. You always want to be a few steps higher than the norm in order to stand out in a business setting. A few ways you can do this is by dressing professionally, refraining from office gossip and remaining positive.
Obviously, a certain level of professional dress is required at most jobs, but you can stand out by keeping your work wardrobe slightly more business professional than your coworkers. As they say, dress for the job you want, not the job you have. So if your job expects business casual, aim to be dressier at the business formal level. It speaks volumes to others when you are the only woman at a team meeting in a dress or pants suit while others are in khakis and polos. If you already come from a business formal environment, make sure your look is on point with items that will help you stand out. Jewelry, scarves and a stand out work bag or briefcase are great ways to look more polished and put together than your coworkers. Also, don’t forget makeup. Makeup can be a make it or break it to a business look, so make sure your not too heavy on your makeup look and not too light. If you are not sure, ask friends and family if they think your work makeup looks professional or not, or take it a step further and visit a makeup counter at your local department store and ask their opinion or have them develop you a custom day time look for work!
Office gossip is one of those things that so many women and men get caught up with, but it can carry a heavy negative connotation. Even if all your coworkers are in on the gossip, keep yourself out of it, or at least, listen but do not add input when others are discussing it around you. You never want your name associated with any piece of gossip, so make a point to stay out of it. Even if you are known to your coworkers as a goodie two shoes, its better for you if your boss hears that you stay out of the gossip than in the thick of it!
Remaining positive is one of those small efforts that will have a profoundly positive impact on your career. So many workers get into the habit of complaining about their jobs, other coworkers, or their boss and it really shows in their demeanor. If you refuse to partake in the negativity and keep up a positive attitude about your job, supervisors and upper level management are bound to notice. When your boss announces a new project or throws a last minute heap of work on you or your team, take the information in stride, smile and act eager for the new challenge. While everyone else is complaining or groaning you will be happily smiling all the way to a promotion!
Have you used planners in the past but then felt disappointed when they didn’t make you anymore productive or help you to make much more progress than you expected. If that sounds like you or that is the situation you currently find yourself in, you are not alone.
So many women come to the planning community looking for a planner to be their ultimate productivity sidekick. They do some research, look at some planners, watch some reviews- they choose the planner they feel most excited about- their unicorn planner, they get it home, they spend all this time setting it up exactly as they want with all the information they need inside, so excited that they now have achieved planner peace, and then they start using the planner and they still have just as much to do, they are spending the same amount of time doing it, and they aren’t seeing any more results than usual. The planner is not making them more efficient or strategic with their time and tasks- they are just as overwhelmed and busy as they always have been, and they still don’t have time for the goals and priorities they say matter to them!
Yes, the planner helped a little bit. It helped them remember the tasks they said they wanted to do and it helped them remember their appointments, most of the time, when they actually checked it. Perhaps you can relate to the excitement of setting up your planner and then the reality that you have a hard time checking back in with it. This happens much more than you think! Getting a planner and filling it out once doesn’t mean you are going to suddenly have a reliable planning routine.
So, if this sounds like you, you are in the right place and I want you to know that if this happened to you in the past, I totally know why it happened.
Because most planners aren’t actually planners. Most planners are simply a paper based reminder systems. Think about it. Most planners on the market give you a pretty standard system of inserts. The inserts might look a little different, they may be laid out in a different way or use a different font or style, but the vast majority of planners out there to buy are essentially the same system.
They give you a yearly reference calendar, maybe two years of reference calendars so you can check dates.
They give you a monthly spread, usually a boxed grid style where you are meant to write in some events or due dates, but not very much because the boxes only hold so much. So, you can fit in some birthdays, trash day, holidays, drs appointments, maybe some important due dates.
Then they give you either a daily or weekly agenda spread. A weekly agenda may have lined sections for each day of the week, maybe a task list on the side or be broken out into boxes. A daily agenda might include a daily hourly schedule.
Then at the end of the planner, you may get some notes pages, or contacts pages- some very brief reference section.
That system of inserts inside most planners is giving you a step by step process for how to use the planner. So, it’s saying put events here, put tasks here, put appointments here. This is your day. Right? That’s a system to help you remember, not a system to help you be more productive or strategic.
Just writing down a to do list isn’t making you more productive. Having an hourly schedule doesn’t make you more efficient or help you achieve your goals. It may make you initially feel more productive- which is part of the neuroscience behind planning- which is that the physical act of writing out or typing out a to do list or schedule makes your brain feel more at ease. But your brain feels that way whether or not you actually do the tasks and follow the schedule, or not. So, with most of these planners, you write out some tasks, you feel better, you may then move on with your day and ignore that list in your planner because you feel better just because you wrote the tasks down.
But what if you come back to that list- those reminders you wrote down. How do you tackle the list? I guess you just choose a task from the list that you feel like doing because on that list there is no prioritization- there is no clear objective for the big picture you want to accomplish. There is no strategy. And so what happens is most people take the easiest task off that list and do that. They sift through the list and they choose what they feel like doing. And then at the end of the day, the list still has some tasks on it and 9 times out of 10 those tasks were the important things that actually needed to get done. But they have been pushed off for tomorrow now, right?
And so you come back to your planner the next day, and you see these tasks and you add some more for the new day and you choose again. But because there is no structure or strategy for this list, you look at the items and say to yourself “I don’t feel like doing these things- I didn’t have the energy for them yesterday and they seem even more urgent today and I feel like that’s a lot of pressure on me right now, so I am going to do something else.” And so you take another easy task off your list, and every time you check off something easy, you get that hit of dopamine- and that hit of dopamine makes you feel like you are getting things done, you are checking boxes lady, you are feeling productive. But guess what? At the end of the day, those big scary urgent tasks are still there, and the longer they sit on your to do list ignored, the bigger and scarier they become.
Have you ever done this? You’ve left something on your to do list for so long that you are irrationally scared to approach the task?! I know I have done this many times, so I am not immune to this situation either- it’s human- it’s neuroscience. The longer we avoid something the more pressure we feel and the more pressure we feel the more our brain turns on the fight for flight mode and we generally avoid the task and pretend it doesn’t exist. Instead of just doing it and getting it out of the way which is what would actually make us feel better and solve the problem.
Okay, so we have all this, we have an existential threat created by our planners just because we are using this system of inserts that aren’t really meant for planning or doing, they are meant for remembering.
Go ahead, look inside some of the planners in your stash- look at some planners at target or staples, or online- this system of inserts is repeated over and over and over. You think their are thousands of planners in the market, but their aren’t- their are just multiple sizes and variations on this one system!
Darn, what are we supposed to do?
How do we get a planner that actually helps us plan and avoid situations and downwards spirals like this?
Because we are ambitious ladies here- we have things to do, we have goals, we have families, we juggle priorities and responsibilities like a boss and we don’t have time for a planner that isn’t helping us do more in less time, a planner that isn’t helping us get clear on what we need to do to be successful.
Well, this is where I found myself circa 2014. Premade planners were not doing it for me- so I started designing my own inserts to create a planning system that actually helped me get my ideas out of my head and onto paper, helped me to organize those ideas strategically, and then helped me schedule and track it all so that I was getting things done!
That three phase system became the basis for a my personal planning philosophy that I call Functional Planning.
Functional because it helps you get everything you need and want to do out of your head and onto paper so you can organize that information strategically, and then schedule and track your work to it’s successful completion.
Step 1, Step 2, Step 3- this is how we plan functionally.
Functional planning is based on research backed time, task and personal energy management strategy. Plus, it incorporates actual neuroscience so that as you follow through with functional planning techniques, you are actually training your brain to think more productively and strategically about your tasks and how you spend your time.
For years, I have been obsessed with the concept of Functional Planning and I’ve been sharing my journey here on Youtube and on my blog and social platforms, as I research, design and create functional planning tools to help you create the strategic plan for your life.
The culmination of this work is my signature Functional Planner known as the Charmed Life Master Planner.
I created the first iterations of the Charmed Life Master Planner back in 2015 and every year since I have evolved the design to incorporate the newest research and technology so that your planner becomes the single greatest productivity tool in living your best life.
And for anyone who may be new to me and wondering about the name of the planner. In 2015 I designed a unique month on two pages, vertical week on two pages planner that I called the Charmed Life Planner, and that was all it included, monthly and weekly pages because that’s how planners are sold right. But I also sold the Charmed Life Planner in a bundle with project planning inserts and I called that bundle the Functional Planning Bundle.
And I sold the planner like that, until 2018 when I added a third and final section to the bundle that I call the Brilliant Ideas section- which are the ideation inserts- brain dump, brainstorm and notes pages. Once I added that third section, really completing the planner and the functional planning system- I started calling it the Master Planner. It was the one planner to rule them all! So, I merged the two names. Charmed Life Master Planner because my brand name is Strange and Charmed, my shop is the Charmed Shop, I’m all about living and teaching others how to live a more Charmed Life. And Master Planner because this one was it- this system was the embodiment of Functional Planning mastery. So that is the history of the name of the planner!
The Charmed Life Master Planner is a first of its kind Functional Planning System. System because the inserts included in the planner walk you through a specific process for getting your ideas out onto paper so you can prioritize them because we know we can’t do it all at one time, we have to make choices and select what is most important and put first things first and second things second.
Then the system guides you into organizing your tasks into strategic project plans so you can create a step by step process for achieving an objective, goal or outcome you desire. Finally, the planner gives you a variety of calendar pages so you can outline your plans for the year with a big picture overview on the yearly views, and then drill down to the monthly view, and into the weekly and daily views if you need that much detail- it’s up to you!
The concept is that you create this big picture plan for your year, break it down into action steps and you can track and schedule those tasks down from the macro view to the micro view, so that each day you know exactly what you have to do to move your life forward, and as long as you do those few essential tasks each day and week, you have made necessary and impactful progress. This is all based on neuroscience and productivity research that tells us that humans see their time and plans as unique structures- so it’s important to have multiple views in your planner to mimic the way you see time in your mind. This is known in science as chronoception- which is your perception of time. And this is also based off the science of what is known as time-space synesthesia, which is the way some people, including myself, perceive time as part of their physical space.
Now, this is something I’ve only ever really discussed privately within my Master Mind, but I experience time a little differently than some other people do. I actually see time around me like a ring around my body. And because of this synesthesia I experience, when I plan, I need to be able to see time laid out visually, as opposed to seeing it as a list. And this factor has played heavily into how I design my planner inserts, because some people, like myself, have a very visual experience of time, and most planner systems do not provide the right layouts for people like me to see their plans in a way that allows them to make an accurate prediction of what they will be able to accomplish with their time. So, if you experience time space synesthesia like me, or you just consider yourself to be a very visual person, the Charmed Life Master Planner includes inserts that most planners don’t include, so it is a more functional system for anyone who is neurodivergent in any way.
Every year, I work to refine these inserts and this system, really making the system as accessible as possible to the greatest number of women because I know and believe and am living proof that this process, once you learn it will take you from overwhelmed to organized. It will take you from chaos to clarity. And it truly helps you work smarter not harder.
For years the Charmed Life Master Planner was only available as a set of print at home inserts.
Then in 2018 I turned it into a book bound planner that you can purchase on Amazon.
In 2022, the planner got a huge makeover in terms of style- all the same great function, but I just had to give her a makeover, the girl was 7, she needed it!
Then in 2023 I unveiled the next evolution of the system – The Digital Master Planner!
So, the Charmed Life Master Planner comes in three versatile formats:
Print at home inserts that you can use to create your own custom planner system in the binder of your choice
A Digital Planner PDF hyperlinked and compatible with a variety of PDF annotation applications and tablets
A Book Bound undated version so you can keep your year together in one easy to use book and never waste inserts again
Each version includes over a dozen elegantly designed inserts based on productivity and neuroscience research to help you capture your plans and ideas, define strategic objectives to work towards and to track and allocate your work each day. The Master Planner is truly a tool intended to help you take your goals and tasks from to-do to done!
No matter which planner format is compatible with you, the printable inserts, digital planner or book bound, the Master Planner is the productivity system and tool you need to actually start getting more done!
We are currently in the transition period between two months, and so this is the time I like to perform my monthly planning routine. Today, I thought we could plan together and I could guide you through my step my step monthly planning routine.
Why You Should Use a Monthly Planning Routine
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, scattered, and constantly chasing after tasks. However, there’s a powerful tool that can transform the way you approach your days and help you reclaim control of your time: the monthly planning routine. By dedicating time each month to organize, prioritize, and strategize, you can unlock a host of benefits that will not only boost your productivity but also enhance your overall well-being.
1. Organize and Manage Your Task Load
A monthly planning routine allows you to take stock of all your commitments, deadlines, and projects. By laying out everything in one place, whether it’s a digital calendar or a trusty planner, you can gain a clear understanding of what needs to be done and when. This organization is key to preventing important tasks from slipping through the cracks and ensures that you can approach each day with intentionality and purpose.
2. Focus on Your Priorities and Goals
A monthly planning routine provides you with the space to reflect on your long-term objectives and break them down into actionable steps. By identifying your top priorities for the month ahead, you can align your daily activities with your overarching goals, making progress towards them with each passing day. This sense of purpose and direction is invaluable in helping you stay motivated and on track, even when faced with distractions or obstacles.
3. Balance Your Workload to Avoid Overwhelm
One of the biggest challenges in today’s fast-paced world is finding balance. A monthly planning routine empowers you to take control of your workload and distribute tasks in a way that prevents overwhelm. By strategically allocating your time and resources, you can ensure that you’re not putting too much pressure on yourself at any given moment. This balanced approach not only reduces stress but also allows you to maintain a sustainable level of productivity over the long term, preventing burnout and exhaustion.
4. Enjoy the Month Without Missing Important Dates or Feeling Stressed
Finally, a monthly planning routine affords you the opportunity to fully enjoy each month without the constant worry of what you might be forgetting or missing out on. By proactively scheduling events, appointments, and deadlines, you can free up mental space to be present in the moment and savor life’s experiences. Whether it’s a family gathering, a weekend getaway, or simply some well-deserved downtime, knowing that your responsibilities are accounted for allows you to fully engage with whatever the month has in store.
Creating Your Monthly Functional Planning Routine
If you are interested in creating productive and functional planning routines in your life, I do have a monthly planning workbook you can download and use to following along with this process. I use this workbook to help me create the outline of my monthly plan before transferring the final information into my Charmed Life Master Planner. I find that using a workbook like this helps me to get my ideas out of my head and onto paper more easily without worrying that I might make a mistake in my planner. This is especially helpful if you use a paper planner and it’s not easy to move things around, or if you use a planner that doesn’t have a lot of different inserts for planning and organizing your ideas- this workbook has some different spreads you can use and then transfer the final information into a simpler planner if that is what you use.
First, make sure you have 30-45 minutes blocked off to complete this process. If you are new to monthly planning, it might take you a little more time to complete, but over time as you perform this routine, you will find that you become quicker and the process gets easier.
Set the vibe. For best results I recommend working in a clutter free area, grabbing a drink, lighting a candle and/or put on a relaxing playlist.
Grab your planner, writing utensils and any other bits you like to use to plan and let’s begin.
The Step-by-Step Monthly Functional Planning Routine
Step One: Monthly Review | In this step we will review the month that is ending for patterns that can help you to plan better moving forward. There are four prompts in this section:
1. What in the last month worked?
Wins
Healthy choices you made
Major tasks you accomplished
Boundaries you set
A new skill you developed
Decisions you faced and made
Obstacles you overcame
Self-care you made time for
Mindset work
Objectives or Goals you hit
New Habits or Routines You Integrate
Successful Planning and Execution of Plan
2. What didn’t work?
Tasks you avoided
Habits you didn’t stick to
Plans that didn’t work out
Routines that didn’t work
Things that overwhelmed you
Perfectionism that creeped in
Procrastination
3. Which incomplete tasks from the month need to be migrated to the new month?
Tasks you planned to do in the prior month,but didn’t accomplish and now need to be completed in the following month. Not all tasks will need to be migrated to this new month. You can defer tasks to a future month where it makes more sense to complete the task, or you might just need to delete the task all together because the opportunity has passed.
4. What have you learned overall to help you become a better planner?
How to plan better
How to motivate yourself
Tasks you enjoy
Tasks you don’t enjoy
What needs to be shifted or reworked in your life or plans
Step Two Brain Dump|Use the following prompts to help you get your thoughts, plans, dreams and ideas out of your head and onto paper with a brain dump. These four questions will help you pinpoint priority tasks that should have your primary focus in the month ahead and help you set boundaries so that you avoid unnecessary obstacles and make time for actions that will bring you in alignment with your best self.
Q1: What do you need to get done in the next month
Q2: What would make next month feel productive and successful
Q3: What drains on my time and energy do I want to watch out for and avoid in the upcoming month? What is my plan for dealing with them?
Q4: How do I plan to show up as my highest and best version of self this new month?
Step Three: The Monthly Calendar |Populate key dates into your monthly calendar. Consider holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, events, due dates, appointments and any other days of significance that you need to be aware of this month.
Step Four: Monthly Tracker | Use the Monthly Tracker to outline all your goal related tasks for the month in one place. Each month you can plan for 3 projects, 5 weekly action items or systems and 6 daily action items or habits.
Step Five: The Monthly Master Task List |Populate the Monthly Master Task List with any additional tasks due this month that are independent of your goals and objectives.
Step Six: Task Allocation |Review your monthly tracker and master task list to choose three priority tasks to allocate to each week of the month. This ensures that you have split up your work across the weeks of the month so that you have enough time to complete your work. If you find that you have too many priorities this month to properly allocate tasks, you may want to consider cutting down your objectives for the month so that you do not overwhelm yourself.
Step Seven: Monthly Manifestation Journaling |Use the following set of prompts to journal out what you would like to happen in your life this month. Think of this process as though you are creating a wishlist of all the ways you would love to be surprised and delighted by life this month!
Prompt 1: What outcomes would you love to manifest this month?
Prompt 2: What unknowns, questions or worries can you surrender to God/Spirit/The Universe, knowing trusting and believing that they will act on your behalf and ensure you have a path ready to your goals?
Prompt 3: Write a list of affirmations to support you in believing that these outcomes are already yours.
Create a Monthly Plan With Me
If you need more motivation to complete your monthly functional planning routine, feel free to use this video as encouragement. It walks you through the complete process provides additional insight on some of the more complicated prompts and gives you time to complete each activity in the planning routine.
Creating a Consistent Monthly Planning Routine
Once you complete these steps you will have not only a functional and efficient plan for the tasks you will accomplish this month, but you also will have shifted your mindset and opened yourself up to believing that you will get the things you want from life this month. Moving forward you will use this monthly plan to guide the tasks you work on each week, using the monthly tracker to move forward your goals and your monthly master task list to act as a focused to do list that you can plan your days around. Don’t forget to come back to those affirmations you wrote out frequently. Rereading those affirmations aloud a few times a day will help you to continue to shift your mindset in ways that will make it easier for you to take action and accomplish your goals!
Make sure to bookmark this post and come back to it each month to plan, and of course, grab the workbook to help you make the most of this process. As you use this process month over month you will see how the consistency compounds and helps you find more balance and focus in your life.
If you are looking for more planning strategies, I have one more thing that may interest you. I have a free On-demand workshop called How to Plan for a Balanced and Successful Life that will teach you more about planning and executing on your plan successfully.
So if you want to learn more about how to set up a planner to help you get organized, how to establish a regular planning routine, and how to get more done in less time- this free workshop is precisely what you need!
Transform Your Finances: The Journey to Abundance Begins with the Money Manifestation Techniques Activity Workbook
Do you find yourself trapped in a cycle of living paycheck to paycheck, with a nagging feeling that your relationship with money is holding you back from the abundance you desire? If you resonate with the struggles of financial limitations and negative stereotypes surrounding money, it’s time for a mindset upgrade. The signs are clear, but the good news is that change can happen swiftly when you embark on a journey of specific mindset work practices.
Signs You Need a Money Mindset Upgrade: Breaking Free from Financial Limitations
Living Paycheck to Paycheck:
If the end of the month brings more stress than relief, and you constantly find yourself counting down the days until your next payday, it’s a sign that your current money mindset needs a shift.
Inherited Money Beliefs:
Growing up in an environment where money was tight might have instilled beliefs that earning a living requires constant struggle. Recognizing and challenging these inherited beliefs is the first step to transforming your financial reality.
Negative Stereotypes About Money:
Associating money with negative stereotypes such as greed, corruption, or a lack of values can create subconscious barriers to abundance. Identifying and reframing these associations is crucial for fostering a healthier relationship with wealth.
Change Can Happen Quickly with Mindset Work Practices
The good news is that your current financial situation and mindset are not permanent. With specific mindset work practices, you can break free from limiting beliefs, redefine your relationship with money, and start manifesting more abundance into your life.
Introducing the Money Manifestation Techniques Activity Workbook: Your Path to Financial Freedom
The Money Manifestation Techniques Activity Workbook is a transformative tool designed to guide you through a four-step manifestation process. This 32-page PDF includes 20 worksheet pages, offering a comprehensive guide to upgrading your money mindset and manifesting abundance. Here’s a glimpse of what the workbook entails:
Step One: Decide What You Want – Abundance Budgeting
Learn the art of abundance budgeting to align your financial goals with your desires. This activity sets the foundation for a mindset shift towards prosperity.
Step Two: Identify and Replace Limiting Beliefs – Raising My Energetic Income Level
Dive deep into identifying and replacing limiting beliefs around money. The accompanying activity, “Raising My Energetic Income Level,” empowers you to elevate your energy and attract higher financial vibrations.
Step Three: Raise Your Vibration to Feel Abundant – Manifestation Journaling
Elevate your vibrational frequency with manifestation journaling. This activity helps you tap into the emotions of abundance, aligning your thoughts and feelings with your financial desires.
Step Four: Hold Space for the Manifestation to Arrive – Checkbook from the Universe
Embrace the power of holding space for your manifestations. The “Checkbook from the Universe” activity acts as a symbolic gesture, allowing you to welcome the abundance you’ve attracted.
Bonus Tools and Activities to Accelerate Your Transformation:
50 Powerful Money Affirmations:
Reprogram your mind with affirmations that overcome limiting beliefs and attract abundance.
Daily Income Tracker:
Monitor your daily income to witness the progress in overcoming money boundaries.
Manifestation Resource Guide:
Dive deeper into money manifestation with recommended books, tools, and apps to enhance your journey.
Why You Need the Money Manifestation Techniques Workbook: A Call to Transform Your Reality
The Money Manifestation Techniques Workbook isn’t just a set of activities; it’s your roadmap to financial freedom. It provides you with:
A simple, four-step manifestation process for continuous financial growth.
Techniques to manifest money and abundance on-demand.
Powerful affirmations to reprogram your money mindset.
Daily trackers to monitor your progress and celebrate victories.
A resource guide to further your understanding and mastery of money manifestation.
Ready to transform your finances and manifest the abundance you deserve? The Money Manifestation Techniques Activity Workbook is your key to unlocking a wealthier, more abundant future. This digital gem, optimized for printing, is your tangible guide to a year of money manifestation. Embrace the journey – your charmed financial life awaits!
I absolutely love the look of a retro style keyboard. There is something about the mix of the digital and analog worlds that lights me up inside. It’s such a vibe!
You know I love to mix digital and analog, there is something so romantic and sentimental about it. It’s the reason I love to use a paper planner despite living in a digital world and running a business online. It just adds a more visceral, tactile experience to your life when you have those analog style tools. There is nothing more unexpected than when you see a chic modern office with a few whimsical analog pieces styled.
So, I’ve been shopping around for some retro chic typewriter style keyboards and found a few wireless bluetooth versions that would be the perfect compliment to your home office!
This mechanical wireless keyboard is such a vintage inspired throwback. I love the silver metal accents on the keys, you know they would feel so good to type on.
This vintage pink keyboard is a throwback to 80s and 90s style computers. I will never forget the sound and feel of typing on these square little blocks.
Let’s be honest, this Retro Pink Typewriter style keyboard is definitely one of the showstoppers of this bunch! I’ve always loved the look of a typewriter, but they just aren’t a practical tool for my life. This keyboard, however, could fit in quite well!
I have to say, I think this retro mechanical style keyboard is probably my runner up from this selection of keyboards. I like that it looks the part of a vintage typewriter, but it also has a lower profile which I appreciate for my desk.
I had to include this colorful pink keyboard in the roundup! I’ve been more drawn to the color pink this summer and I love the variety of tones in the keys.
I hope this roundup of Retro Chic Keyboards inspires you to restyle your home office desk to add a little more whimsy into your day while you work from home! Let me know which keyboard is your favorite in the comments.
When you work from home, the line between work and home begins to blur very quickly, and with it go many of our productive work habits that we had in place when we worked outside of the home.
There are plenty of different productive habits I hear about that are suggested for people who work from home, but much of the usual advice you hear is a lot of extra fluff that really just wastes our time. Sure, in a perfect world were we all have unlimited time, energy and willpower, we could all wake up early, go for a run, shower, cook all our meals from scratch, clean our homes, do it all and of course be super productive at the same time.
But the reality of the situation is that most of us need to prioritize and make hard choices throughout the day for how we will spend our time. It’s not that most of us don’t want to do it all, but it’s that we just don’t have the time and energy to get it all done.
Working from home presents a unique challenge to productivity because being at home gives you the illusion that you have more time or have the ability to do more for your personal and home life while you are at work than you might be able to do if you worked outside the home. But this mindset can get us into trouble with our time and energy management, stealing time from our work, and keeping us from truly feeling finished with our work at the same time.
So, I have landed on 7 Productive Habits that truly do make an impact on your work and quality of life when you are working from home.
Set a reasonable wake up time:Notice I didn’t say, set an early wake up time. Look, you work from home and you have no commute, so you can spend an adequate amount of time sleeping so that your energy is as high as it needs to be for the day. Don’t skimp on sleep, it’s one of the most productive things you do in a day.
Plan your day in the morning:Research shows that you make better plans when you plan in the morning rather than at the end of your workday for the following day. It’s because those who plan at the end of their days often have a lot of decision fatigue and they aren’t the best judge of their plans. So, make your plans in the morning before you get to work, set aside 15 minutes at about the same time each day (set an alarm if need be) and start establishing this productive habit.
Set a consistent work schedule: One of the major struggles of working from home is having a clear boundary around work time and home time. So, set a consistent work schedule for when you will begin working each day, when you will take breaks and when you will stop working each day.
Take regular breaks where you relax and recharge:Your work breaks should be focused on your rest and giving you a chance to recharge your energy so you can continue to do consistent work throughout your day. Don’t take your breaks to do personal tasks, your breaks need to be for you.
Set boundaries to limit the personal tasks you work on during your workday:Now, I understand that the convenience of working from home means you have the ability to work on some personal tasks throughout your day, but you need to keep these tasks to an essential minimum and plan them into your schedule separate from your breaks.
Organize your workspace at the end of your day: For those of us who work from home, it’s often hard for us to stop our work for the day even if we have a set end time. In order to trigger us to actually close up our work for the day, I like to use a cue like organizing my workspace and preparing it for the next days work to help me shift out of work mind and into home mind.
I hope you find these 7 Productive Habits to Establish if You Work From Home helpful!
There is ONE MORE THING I think you will find helpful if you are an at-home worker that isn’t a habit, but a resource!
If you work from home and you are missing the company and socialization of co-workers, I highly recommend joining an accountability group to act as your virtual work family. I know for some of us, we work solo without co-workers, but even if you work with a team virtually, it still isn’t always clear that these co-workers are available for socialization the same way they might be within an office setting.
So, for that reason, having a group of virtual on-demand accountabilities buddies is a guaranteed way to get the support and socialization you need during your workday and beyond!
THE WORK FROM HOME LIFESTYLE ISN’T ALWAYS EASY
It’s not easy being an ambitious working woman in today’s society. Women have more responsibilities on their shoulders now then they ever have, which is why goal getters like you and I need to stick together!
If you would like more guidance, support and inspiration for living your best life, I welcome you to join the Productivity + Planning Mastermind!
This is what I created the Mastermind for:
To be a safe space for women like you and I who see beyond the surface of our societal expectations, challenge the accepted norms, and know there is a better way to live.
It’s a place for support, encouragement, accountability and ongoing personal development for us to continue challenging accepted norms and choosing our own unique path to success.
→ The Mastermind includes so many resources to help you on your journey, from multiple live calls each month, to on-demand strategies, tools, and even a complete course on productivity!
→ We have our own private chat forum where we connect and discuss topics ranging from planning, metaphysics, mindset, and wellness.
→ We have a monthly book club to help nurture a growth mindset and continue to learn.
→ We even have a dedicated group for small business CEOs to learn and connect as well!
→ The best part is, when you join the Mastermind, you get immediate access to the entire library of resources, masterclasses and bonus materials that I have been creating since it’s launch.
→ There is no waiting, content isn’t dripped to you, it’s all there for you to explore and access on-demand as you please.
→ And of course I am there as well for guidance and to answer your questions along the way.
When you know better, you do better.
Are you ready to do better for yourself, your family and your future by committing to your personal development to become the best woman, mother, spouse, sister, daughter, aunt and friend that you can be?
