With the close of March upon us, April and Q2 about to begin, now is the time to do your quarterly business planning. On Saturday I went live on my YouTube channel to share my Quarterly Business Planning Process, so, if you have not had the chance to sit down and follow along with my process, this is just a simple reminder to get yourself started.
So much can be accomplished in a quarter!
For me, mapping out my business plans on a month to month basis is just too short a period of time to get a good grasp on the objectives and goals I am trying to reach. So, by doing my big picture business planning on a quarterly basis, this gives me several check-ins throughout the year to ensure I’m progressing on my goals.
My CEO Strategy Business Planner
When I sit down to do my business planning, I have a dedicated set of planning inserts that I use to follow my business planning process and keep my plans clear and organized; the CEO Strategy Planner!
The CEO Strategy Planner is the ultimate bundle of business planning inserts designed for the modern creative entrepreneur or business owner. The planner is divided into multiple sections that follow the essential parts of any good business plan. This strategic planner seamlessly integrates with the calendar or agenda system of your choice. Whether you use a physical planner, a digital calendar and planning tools, or, if like me, you use a mixture of both- the CEO Strategy Planner can be used in conjunction with any calendar and planning system to create your custom business, marketing and financial plans.
I also created a new business tool for you to use!
The CEO Business Braindump Triggers List!
This is a triggers list for you to use during your braindump process with business specific categories and topics to keep in mind. As a braindump is also part of my planning processes, I recommend downloading this new free tool and using it as part of your quarterly business planning process.
Time to get planning!
Watch the replay of the CEO Strategy Quarterly Business Planning Workshop
Make sure to grab your planner, favorite pens and markers, the triggers list and the beverage of your choice and get comfortable for what I hope is a very productive business planning session!
I would love to hear how your quarterly business planning session goes, so do please reach out via the comments of this post or drop me a DM on Instagram @MissTrenchcoat!
If one of your goals for 2021 is to start an online business, and you’ve been thinking about it for a while, but haven’t yet taken successful action, this coaching package is intended for you.
So today, I want to break down the work we are going to do together in the 6 week program, and give you some reasonable expectations for what you can achieve in what may seem like a pretty short period of time.
This post is going to be a little long, but for those of you who are really curious about what we will do in the 6 weeks of the Accelerator, this information will bring you much clarity, so read it all, take your time, and email me if you have any questions when you are done!
What we can achieve together in just 6 weeks!
First and foremost, with this package, you get access to EMPIRE BUILDING which is a 6 module course that guides you through those 6 key business pillars you need to have in order to run a successful business.
Each module includes:
→ A Video Lecture that teaches you about each business pillar and introduces you to guided activities to complete that will become key assets for your business.
→ A Workbook that includes a written transcript of the lecture plus guided worksheets to complete the key business activities that you learned about in the module.
→ Links to tools and resources that supplement the lecture, like examples of completed worksheets, software and applications you may find useful to help you create specific business assets, and swipe copy examples for emails, content posts, and funnels.
→ A Guided Journaling Workbook that helps you get in touch with what you actually want to create in your business, so you are tapping into your own unique inner guidance to craft an intention business that meets your needs.
Now, the EMPIRE BUILDING course itself is completely on-demand, so when you enroll, I recommend you get started watching those lectures, taking notes and starting the guided activities. As you go through those activities, something wonderful is going to happen- you are going to hit roadblocks and have lots of questions that you will need clarity on because you are starting to learn and apply the lessons of the modules!
That’s where our Slack group coaching comes in. As you get your hands dirty and start doing the work building out the assets and structure for your business, you will take your questions directly to the Slack channel for the individual module they relate to and I will be there to give you guided advice immediately so you can get your answers quickly and move on to the next part of the process. And the great thing is, your questions are likely questions that other students in the course have and so we are going to be able to help each other by digging into these questions and issues deeply within the group.
You are going to get tremendous clarity from the simple act of going through the modules and bringing your questions to the group for us to dig into, and I find that having clarity and knowing what you need to do is incredibly motivating, but that isn’t all you get with this experience!
You will also have the opportunity to join me for 3 new live classes being added to EMPIRE BUILDING!
The first new class is the CEO Strategy Masterclass scheduled for 4.14.21 @ 7pm EST.
→ In this class I am going to guide you through creating the essential pieces of your business plan and help you map out your business plans for the rest of 2021. I’m also going to teach you how to plan your days moving forward so that you integrate work on your business with your many other priorities that need to be balanced at the same time.
The second new class is the CEO Mindset Mastery Class scheduled for 4.28.21 @ 7pm EST.
→ In this class I am going to set the stage for the mindset you need to hold as a business owner to ensure you are staying motivated and accountable to your business, especially in those tender moments when you don’t see your big picture vision coming together quite yet. I’m going to share my mindset mastery toolbox with you and teach you the ways I keep my mind in alignment with my business goals so that I hit them time and time again.
The third new class is the Killer Content Masterclass(title might change on that one, I don’t know if I love it… let me know what you think!) scheduled for 5.12.21 @ 7pm EST.
→ In this class I am going to teach you how to create a full editorial calendar of content for the year that strategically targets and grows your community filled with your ideal customers. I’m also going to share different time management strategies that you can use to really maximize your time so that content is easy and quick to create. Perhaps you’ve heard me mention this before, but I produce 3 Instagram posts, 2 blog posts, 1 video and 1 email for my community each week, and this process takes me no more than 10 hours per week. That’s a lot of content created in very little time, and so I have many time saving, content batching tips to share.
For each of these new master classes, you have the opportunity to join me live, face to face via Zoom, and of course at the end of each class the floor will open to Q+A so when you attend live you will get your immediate questions answered right then and there so you can start integrating what you learned into your business plans! Replays will be available after each live has ended if you cannot attend a class.
So, through this 6 week experience, if you are able to put in a good 2-4 hours a week to go through the content and start taking action, there is a lot you can accomplish.
→ You can have your business branding and online properties secured
→ You can have your content platforms and editorial schedule mapped out and filled with great content ideas
→ You can have your ideal customer and key messaging identified so you know how you’ll grow your audience
→ You can have a plan and ideas generated for content marketing, plus a head start on lead magnets and funnels that will help you grow your revenue
→ You can have your products and business models identified so you know what you’ll be selling and how you can easily add new revenues streams to your business to grow your revenue
→ You can have your goals set, your business legally incorporated and protected, have a clear idea of what aspects of your business you will be working on throughout the year and a simple system to move those plans forward on a daily basis
And I say can here intentionally because this process does require you to show up and do the work.
I promise, I have made things very clear and easy for you, and I will be with you each step of the way to ensure your questions or issues are resolved swiftly because that is what you are paying for in the experience.
You are paying for someone who has been there, done that to hold your hand, and let me tell you, I am soo helpful and attentive to my students! You are in such good hands with me, if you couldn’t already tell from all the help and insight and free value I add to my community each and every day!
But at the end of the day, you do the work.
This is your business
This is your dream
This is your time to shine!
I can tell you from experience, you can make building your business an uphill battle or you can make it the most fun and exciting thing that makes you jump out of bed in the morning.
So, if you can dedicate 6 weeks of your time to focus on your business, you will have plans in place and valuable assets created that will help you finally get your dreams in motion, can carry you through the end of 2021 and give you the resources to manage your business for years to come!
So, what do you say?
Are you ready to take my hand and let me guide you through this?
Remember, the Accelerator formally begins on April 1st, but as soon as you enroll, you will get access to the EMPIRE BUILDING course which you can start working through asap and have a head start for when group coaching begins!
Have you ever wondered what it takes to successfully run an online business?
I’ve been full time for my business for nearly 7 years and I’ve learned a lot in that time about what works and what doesn’t, what matters and what doesn’t, and the energy and mindset that you need to embody if you want to build something that lasts.
During the BUILD YOUR CEO STRATEGY live business training I hosted on Saturday, I explained the practical aspects of my CEO Strategy concept.
CEO stands for Creative Entrepreneur Optimization and this concept is a philosophy of approaching your business where you (1) Get clear on your business vision, (2) Find the digital marketing systems that help you easily build your ideal community and (3) Organize your time and business around your strengths and needs so you are earning more with less effort.
Bringing your perfect business to fruition doesn’t have to be hard, but it does require balance.
As CEO you must balance the big picture vision for your business direction with the small daily tasks that create your results, and to achieve that you need to have a plan!
That plan must include certain elements and assets essential to digital marketing, but it also must include a practical strategy for how you will manage your energy and mindset so you can step into the vibe of CEO for your business everyday to get the job done!
This is what the vibe of building your CEO Strategy feels like:
→ Mastering self-care
→ Slowing down to do more
→ Open to receiving $$$
→ Adding value via content
→ Focusing on your goals
The Vibe of Building Your CEO Strategy requires PRACTICAL + ENERGETIC alignment!
That’s why I just opened the next round of the EMPIRE BUILDING Business Accelerator 6 week group coaching package and in this round I am teaching three NEW master classes that help integrate practical business planning with personal energy management so you can build your perfect CEO Strategy!
Today I want to set the record straight on an often controversial and misunderstood aspect of productivity; multi-tasking!
As a society, we get a lot of mixed messages on multi-tasking. The American #hustle culture projects a narrative that your productivity is measured by the number of tasks you can check off your to do list in a day, and that busy is the ultimate sign of success.
Everyday I see images on television and social media that glorify doing multiple tasks at one time, apparently a sign that you are using your time efficiently?
I see posts on Instagram about how you can sleep when you’re dead and how humorous it is that career professionals in their 20s and 30s have no time for their social lives.
Blowing off your friends and family to sleep because you’re burnt out from work is a right of passage.
Having to drink a bottle of wine or take prescription sleep aids in order to get rest at night is the accepted norm.
But despite all the social signals that working non stop and doubling or tripling up on tasks is the way to go if you want to look like a successful human, productivity research is very clear that when you try to do more than one thing at a time, you are going to do both of those things poorly. In fact, studies show multi-tasking decreases productivity up to 40%.
Now, if the tasks you are working on are not very important and don’t require any skill or level of precision, then by all means, multi-task away.
I’m all for listening to your favorite podcast episodes while you fold the laundry or do the dishes.
I very often listen to a book on tape or catch up on YouTube videos when I’m in the bath.
There are some things you can do adequately at the same time.
For instance, I use essential oils and listen to a guided meditation when I’m trying to fall asleep at night. It’s a wonderful way to stack healthy sleep habits to ensure a restful night’s slumber.
But when it comes to tasks that do matter. Tasks for work or business, attending meetings or calls, and even relaxing or spending time with loved ones, you really should focus on the task at hand if you want to see and feel results.
I’ve learned from much trial and error that I can’t listen to a non-fiction book while I’m working or else I won’t do much work or I won’t remember what I’ve learned from the book. I can’t have it both ways, I can only focus on one important thing at a time if I want to do it right.
I can’t attend a Zoom meeting and try to do anything more than take notes if I actually want to absorb the information from the call. And even in this case, while I’m taking notes I often miss new information that is being mentioned.
Multi-tasking just doesn’t work on the important things because humans need to focus in order to learn or create.
Sure, you can work on multiple tasks a day, but you can’t work on multiple tasks at one time.
So, I advocate for focus. For doing one thing at a time, giving it your full attention, and doing the thing very well.
When you do this, focus on one thing at a time, at first you might experience a bit of fear because all your attention and pressure are on one task.
Some of you I’d bet have been multi-tasking not simply to get more done in a day, but to actually keep you from going all in on certain work.
Multi-tasking relieves the pressure of perfectionism for some people because you know deep down inside that you just want to rush through certain tasks and get them over with. Multi-tasking can be a type of distraction for us, and a boundary that keeps us from doing our best work at the same time.
Done is better than perfect, right?
Well, it depends on the context.
You can do two things at once, check the box on them and move on to the next thing without even stopping to evaluate if the work was necessary or impactful.
So many of us check the box on tasks with the expectation that it is going to move the needle on an objective or goal, but we give up because we don’t see the fruits of our labor. Perhaps, if we had focused on one thing at a time and did our best with each, we would have seen the impact we were expecting.
This brings to mind the example of working out alone versus working out with a trainer. Working out alone of course benefits our health, but it’s been shown that working out with a trainer gives greater results because the trainer is there to ensure you are holding proper form and putting in a full effort for your time. When we work out alone, sure, some of us may be disciplined enough to remain in proper form or push ourselves to the limit each workout, but truthfully, most of us are just trying to get thru the experience rather than doing it right. We have a belief that just finishing is enough, and when we don’t see the results we expected after weeks of effort, we give up.
What if we just put in the full effort and gave the task our full focus to begin with?
Well, then we would start seeing results that would likely blow us away.
Wouldn’t that be a nice feeling for once?
So, from now on, let’s hold ourselves accountable for doing one thing at a time when it comes to tasks that are important or are tied to our goals and objectives.
It’s fine to multi-task in small ways on mindless tasks that don’t have a significant effect on our lives, but when you do, take note of whether you got all you expected from your experience, and if you feel unfulfilled you know not to multi-task on that item again in the future.
Mark your planner for Saturday March 20th @ 2pm EST (New York City, NY Time Zone) for my latest FREE Live Business Workshop called Build your CEO Strategy!
Working from home is a concept I am all too familiar with. Even before quarantine and before I left my job to go full-time for my own business, I was a home based employee.
Working from home has a certain allure that many office goers are often curious about and sometimes envious of, but trust me, working from home is no cake walk! I’m often asked about how I stay productive when I work from home because to be completely honest, working from home can be a total productivity killer. Unlike working in a structured office setting, home based workers are faced with many different obstacles that often cause them to be less productive. This may not translate to all at-home workers, but I know I have experienced challenges working from home and I know others who have as well. The way I see it, there are three main issues that home based workers face.
Isolation: Working from home often times means working alone and this issue often caused me a lot of grief even when I did work for a Fortune 50 company and technically had co-workers. When I worked in an office I often felt like my co-workers were a major distraction to me because they would pop in and out of my office all the time, but when I transitioned to working from home I realized that those interruptions actually forced me to take a break from my work every so often. You see, when you work from home you don’t have the same pressures and excuses to get work done that you do when you work in an office. There is no “Oh, I really need to finish up this report quickly before my co-worker stops by to chat about our project.” Although many of us dilly dally when we work in an office, we also have some institutional pressures that actually help us get our work done!
Lack of Accountability: Depending on the type of work you do and whether you work from a home for a company or for yourself, you may feel a lack of accountability looming over your head to keep you productive. This is something I felt as a home based employee and something I struggle with now that I work for myself. When your supervisors or co-workers aren’t watching, you feel like you can slow down your pace, engage in more distracting behavior (like turning on the TV or doing the laundry) that can waste much of your time when you should be working.
Distractions: As much as a formal office setting has its own unique set of distractions, nothing is more distracting that working from home. Seriously, your bed is never more than a few steps away from you at all times which is a very tempting trap I often fall into! Working from home gives you a lot of freedom, many of us think that if we work from home we can get all our work done and clean the house and make dinner as well, but in my experience that isn’t the case. Unless you are highly disciplined it’s going to be hard for you to get your full 8 hours of work in and then a bunch of extra personal items as well. Other than the time you get back from your commute, you really don’t get anymore hours in a day when you are a home based worker!
So, what can we do about this very common issues that at home workers face?
I have a few tips that I use to keep myself productive and I suggest you put these into practice for your own home/work balance!
Create a defined office space: It’s very important as a home based worker to have a defined office space. Your bed cannot be your office! Get a desk and a chair, set yourself up an area of your bedroom or home to be your office. I am lucky enough to have a dedicated room in my home that I use as my office space and I feel drastically more productive when I work from it. Make sure to add personality and decor to your office or workspace as well by adding inspirational artwork to your walls, keeping a supply of stationery and office supplies on hand and of course, having all the necessary office gadgets you need to get your work done like a printer, fax machine etc. Now, although you may have a defined office space, I also find it helpful from time to time to get yourself out of your space and work from another location. In non-covid times, that would mean take your laptop and some paperwork and head over to a local cafe or library to get some work done at a remote location. With covid, however, I think we need to get a little more creative. I have some alternate spots in my home that I use as my occasional office (including my bed) and I know for a change of scenery some people have taken to working inside their cars from a more scenic location near their homes. So, even in social distancing, we can still switch it up when need be.
Engage in a morning routine: For a long time I woke up, got out of bed and went straight to work in my office. Since I didn’t have to get ready to go into the office, I thought there was no reason for me to establish a morning routine, but I find that having a morning routine and getting dressed and ready in the morning is a major boost to my productivity. Although no one sees me when I work from home except my family, I find that I actually get more done on the days where I actually wake up, put on a cute but comfortable outfit and do my hair and makeup just a bit! The ritual of getting ready establishes a sense of accountability for me that really helps me to stay focused and productive during the day.
Connect with other remote workers: To combat the isolation that comes from being a remote worker, I highly recommend connecting with other remote workers to create a support system. These workers could be other home based employees as your company, or friends and family members that also work from home. I think it’s a great practice to have an instant messaging application open on your computer and connected with these individuals so that throughout the day you have people to talk to. You can even schedule lunch dates to meet up with a friend during your lunch hour or have a Skype date during lunch time with another virtual co-worker!
Another great way to stay connected with other at-home workers is by joining an accountability group like the Productivity + Planning Mastermind. We chat daily via Slack, have regular accountability check-ins and I host two live calls a month. It’s like having some virtual co-workers and friends at the same time!
Set a consistent work schedule: Another issue I have is that since I work from home, I end up working at all hours of the day and night. Usually I do this when I haven’t felt particularly productive all day and feel like I need to make up for my laziness by working well into the night to complete a project or tasks, but it is a terrible practice that I highly suggest avoiding. To combat this, I think it’s important to set a work schedule for yourself. Set your start time, breaks, lunch and end time for the day and try to stick to it. It will be hard at first, but if you can set yourself alarms to remind you to start and stop working that may help you build the habit.
Define an end of day routine: Like your morning routine when you get up to go to work, I realized that as an at home worker part of the puzzle I was missing was also an end of day routine. When I worked in an office I had this end of day routine where I would stop working on my projects, organize any in-progress information for the next day, clean up my workspace, and then shut down my computer before I left. As an at home worker, I think it’s very important to establish an end of day routine like this that works for your own situation. It will help you prepare your mind to shut off from work for the day, and leave your space ready for you to pick up and get back at it again in the morning!
I hope these tips gave you some inspiration and ideas for how you can be more productive when working from home.
Being a home based worker isn’t always as easy and care free as you might think so if you are an office based worker that is considering transitioning to home based, I highly suggest giving this some thought before making the leap and establishing good habits from day one that will make your transition easier!
Of course, let me know if any of these tips helped you or if you have any more tips to share with the community!
Last month, I shared how I functional plan my months to ensure I am achieving my goals and balancing my workload, and as promised, now I want to show you how I plan my weeks and days.
The first thing I do when planning out my week is identify 3-5 priorities for that week. These priorities will often be goals I am working towards that week or they can be big projects that need to be accomplished. This really helps me focus on spending my time wisely and not scattered putting effort in too many directions.
Next, I make a complete task list of items due to be worked on this week. These tasks come from my monthly editorial calendar and monthly master task list!
Then, I’ll add any key reminders for the week in the proper section of this insert- I’m using my week on one page insert design as you can see.
Finally, I will populate the top 3 tasks for the current day, and fill in any other tasks that I know will be top 3 items for the rest of the week based on my default weekly schedule which is what I use to keep track of my themed workdays. I do not, however, fill in my top 3 for each day ahead of time. I only populate information I know will likely not change and I always recommend not filling in too much ahead of time with your planning in case things do change or you get behind or ahead on work one day.
With my weekly plan laid out, I then move onto daily planning if I know I am going to have a particularly task heavy day and need the extra space. Daily planning isn’t something I need to do everyday, but on a few high performance days I find it incredibly valuable to keep me on track.
Next, I write out the goals I’m focused on for the day- similar to the weekly priorities, but I can get more day specific here if I want to.
Then I write out my complete task list for the day.
I’ll also make a plan for how I’ll spend my down time that day, which can be very helpful in motivating you to stay productive on work when you know you have something to look forward to later on.
Finally I will populate my schedule for the day. I am not usually one to write out and stick to a detailed schedule, but I do enjoy creating an outline for the way I want my day to flow. I don’t always stick to the exact time schedule, sometimes I finish things early and sometimes I finish them a little later, but when I script my day out like this it does tend to go according to plan. This was a very task intensive day where having that plan for my time really made a difference.
Now, to round off my daily planning, I also like to do some journaling in the space provided on the back of this daily insert. If you want to learn more about journaling, I made an in-depth video on 7 journaling strategies and getting started that you may find helpful.
When it comes to my journaling, I like to do a few different types of journaling at once. Here you see I am starting with gratitude journaling- where I personally like to write out 7 things I’m grateful for. Then I will script my day out a little more based on my schedule. Last I will write out my Vibe for the day, which is what I call my affirmations. These set the tone for how I want to feel and the mindset I want to embody that day.
So, that’s my vibe journaling and my process for weekly and daily journaling to achieve my goals using my functional planning methodology!
Today, I want to share 5 Productive Work From Home Lunch Break Ideas with you all.
We are about to commemorate one year in our global pandemic lockdown, and at this point, most of us have become much more skilled at working from home. If you were one of the many employees who shifted to a work from home life-style for the first time, I know the last year for you hasn’t been easy. I can only imagine the adjustment you had to go through and I know many of you still don’t feel as productive as usual working from home.
As someone who has worked from home for years running my own business, I know I certainly went through a transition like this myself. The biggest challenge I struggled with, that I think many of you can relate to, was taking breaks. When you work in an office, it’s a little easier to convince yourself to take a break I think because you feel like you are in a work environment and so taking 30 minutes to an hour in the middle of the day for your lunch break to relax and perhaps take care of your own personal work seems more acceptable. But when you work from home, at least for me, you can feel like you don’t need to take a break because you are already home. But then of course, lack of clear break time exhausts us mentally, and makes it even easier for us to work overtime.
Something that has helped me establish more Work Life Balance since working for myself is the idea of taking a productive lunch break.
Yes, being at home steps away from my kitchen means I have easy access to food and snacks, so maybe I’m not always hungry during my lunch break, so I have found other productive things to do during my lunch break that make me feel like I am using it wisely, while also using it to decompress and take a true break from work.
Here are my 5 Productive Work From Home Lunch Break Ideas!
1. Listen to a 15-30 minute guided meditation
Nothing helps me reset my productivity quite like a guided meditation. For those who are new to the practice of meditating, using a guided track makes it easier to relax and focus because you are paying attention to the directions you are being given. If you struggle to meditate on your own, try a guided track and see if you enjoy that. Not only does meditating have a wonderful ability to re-energize our minds but truthfully, a guided meditation track is also something you can do while you are eating your lunch or doing other productive activities during your break. Don’t think you always have to be sitting down quietly with your eyes closed to be meditating, because there are many different ways to put our minds in a meditative state. Maybe you just don’t want to be driving or doing anything too complicated or dangerous while listening to the track, however!
2. Read or listen to a book on tape
Members of my community often ask me how they can fit in new habits they are interested in like reading, and I think using your break time as a dedicated time for something like reading is a great idea. Reading or listening to a book on tape is a great way to relax and rest your mind, shifting your focus away from work. So, if you want to start reading more regularly, try doing so as part of your work from home lunch break!
3. Watch an inspirational or entertaining YouTube Video
I have spoken before about how I enjoy using incentives like watching a YouTube video as a reward for being productive at work and avoid procrastination. You could certainly use this as a lunch break strategy where you get a mid-day break to do something fun you enjoy like watching a Video. Now, I do think it’s best for these videos to either be inspirational or entertaining because if you can get a jolt of motivation or some laughter in your day, that is going to be a boost to your productivity!
4. Add some new inspiration to your vision board
For me, my vision board isn’t just something I create at the start of the year and stick to, it’s a living breathing work of inspiration that I like to currently update. So, spending some time searching for images online or quotes you can print out and add to your vision board is a great, relaxing and inspiring way to spend a lunch break.
5. Write out affirmations
If you have some affirmations you are trying to use to reprogram your mind, spending a little time during your lunch break writing them each out several times is a easy bit of mindset work you can do to be productive. I like to write my affirmations out 3 x 3, so three affirmations written out three times. Do whatever works for you, but make sure while you are writing out the affirmations, that you feel the feelings of that affirmation being your truth. That is the best way to get those affirmations plugged into our brain quickly!
So, I hope you enjoyed these 5 Productive Work From Home Lunch Break Ideas. I would love to hear which idea you are going to start implementing so please leave me a comment and tell me about it!
Earlier last month I talked you through my process for ensuring I move my goals forward each month through my monthly planning process, but today I want to show you that complete monthly review process step by step.
The Monthly Review is a multi-step planning routine that I perform at the end of a month to review my progress from that month and then make my complete plan for the next.
I’ve codified this process into a handy insert that I’ll use to guide my steps today. This Monthly Review insert is an exclusive download for my Master Mind Members, if you want it, definitely sign up for the membership because at this point, if you’ve been watching my videos and getting value from them, my membership group is how you become a member of my inner circle and get consistent accountability, valuable content and exclusive resources from me on a daily basis. So, if you are serious about improving your productivity and want to join a community dedicated to helping you get down to business creating your dream life, then click here to enroll today!
Now, let’s get to my monthly review.
The first set of tasks on my monthly review have to do with closing out the prior month.
• First, we will review the prior months calendar and agenda to ensure all completed tasks are checked off and tracked on their designated project plans as necessary
• Next, we determine if any incomplete tasks need to be disregarded or moved to the current month for completion.
•And finally, we ensure all prior month trackers have been populated as necessary.
Once the prior month is up to date, we move onto planning the current month.
• First, I perform a braindump.
• Then I ensure project plans are completed for objectives scheduled in the current month as necessary
• Next, I move project related tasks to monthly master task list along with all other known tasks belonging to the month.
• Next I populate the Monthly Master Task List with all tasks related to my monthly objectives, along with all other known tasks belonging to the month.
• I then populate important dates, schedule and reoccurring events into the monthly calendar
• I populate any additional key information into the monthly calendar as well.
• I ID the top 3 monthly objectives
• Then, I determine which tasks I will work on in which weeks so time is clearly allocated for everything I intend to accomplish this month
• And finally, I will Fill out monthly habit, finance or other trackers as necessary
There is a space on this insert to then list out any other additional tasks you like to perform as part of your own personal monthly review, and for me I like to script the month ahead, and track my finances. Both I will complete at the official close of the month.
The page page of the monthly review insert has some key questions to use to evaluate your productivity from the past month so you can then create a better plan moving forward and learn from your mistakes.
These question include:
How satisfied are you with the results of the prior month?
What were your victories and accomplishments to celebrate last month?
What did you do well in terms of productivity and planning last month?
Where did you struggle in terms of productivity and planning last month?
What are three areas you would like to improve upon this month and what concrete actions will you take to do so?
And that is how I perform a monthly review.
In the comments I’d love to hear which part of this process you are going to start implementing with your monthly planning routine.
Sometimes it feels like the last year has been one challenge after another.
The truth is, struggle is always an option for us, but so is bliss.
When I get worked up because I’ve been focused for too long on the struggle, it’s important for me to stop to practice gratitude.
No matter what is going on, we have all survived hard times before and we are strong enough, smart enough, capable enough to navigate them again.
Here are 3 Gratitude Prompts for you to use as Affirmations or for Journaling to help you shift your perspective on the hard times you may be going through.
✨ I am grateful for the chance to start over each day
✨ Thank you God for carrying me through the hard times
✨ I’ve gone through hard times before and I’m strong enough to do it again
Take some time this weekend to focus on these prompts in one form or another if you are feeling overwhelmed, sad, or defeated.
Brighter days always return to those with a grateful heart 🖤
And of course, if you are experiencing a particularly hard time, please reach out to someone you trust to get support. We are not meant to weather storms alone.
Take care of yourself and I wish you a peaceful weekend.
