How do you prioritize?
1. Reset for the month
At the end of the month it's normal to look up and wonder where the last four to five weeks went. It feels like everything was a whirlwind filled with house projects, weeknight plans, and family-filled activities.
Take some time to yourself to not only reflect on the past few weeks, but also reset for the new month. One of the best ways to prioritize a new month is to write down a list of things in your Mindful Planner that you need to schedule, organize or prepare on your Monthly Reset page.
Your list may look something like this:
- Schedule: dentist appointment & oil change
- Organize: clean out the fridge, schedule events on my work calendar & deep clean the car
- Prepare: make a deck for my presentation on the 13th & set up the guest room for family coming to town on the 25th
2. Set goals
Goal setting is intimidating when you feel like you have a list of 10 things you want to accomplish in a short amount of time. At the end of month you feel more discouraged than satisfied because it feels like only 50% of your goals hit the mark.
Instead of writing down a long list, it can be helpful to prioritize a short list of small goals you want to focus on. Take time at the beginning of the month to use your Intentional Monthly Goal's page to pick one thing for each area of your life:
- Personal
- Financial
- Health
- Relationships
- Home
You deserve to feel encouraged, and prioritizing your goals is a start.
3. Categorize your weekly tasks
It may seem odd to organize your weekly tasks into categories...a list, is a list right? While it's true that categorizing your tasks doesn't change what's on the list, it can help you see what needs to get done, what's most important and what areas of your daily schedule will be impacted.
Depending on the Mindful Planner you own, the level of detail on your Weekly Tasks page will differ. Use the categories provided to write down your tasks:
- To Do
- Contact (call, email, text)
- Remember
- Chores
- Errands
Put stars or highlight the ones that need to get done for this week to be a success!
4. Prepare the night before
Sometimes we run around from the time the alarm goes off till bedtime without a moment to stop and think. Some days are like this and we know it's part of life, but it can often make us feel imbalanced going into tomorrow if we haven't had time to reset or collect our thoughts.
One of the biggest game changers in your daily routine can be taking time at night to have a little planning date with yourself. It doesn't have to be long, it can be 5-10 minutes, but it can give you the space to set your priorities for the next day. An easy way to do this is by using your Weekly Breakdown page to jot-down:
- Your top three to dos; and
- One important thing to remember
This quick habit will give you the confidence you need to get through all your "tomorrows" with productivity and enjoyment.
5. Take some quiet time
This one may seem obvious, and maybe it's not even a tip, but it's hard to do in busy phases of our life.
In order to have clear priorities and organization, we have to have space to think and reset. Take care of yourself and always take time to reflect on the things that matter most to YOU. We believe that each individual can live a more peaceful lifestyle when they choose to "be mindful".