Ready to start your month rightly and be Productive? Ultimate list of things to do at the beginning of the month and make your month and year the best ever.
What you do at the beginning of the month can affect how well your month goes.
If you start the month with a plan, after taking time to reset your month, relax, recharge, plan, and set actionable goals, you’re more likely to have a successful month than someone who dabbles into a new month “winging” it.
Winging and spontaneity are good, but they often lead to you failing to accomplish your goal and, in most cases, unproductivity, feeling disorganized, and getting stuck in a rut.
Let’s backtrack a bit.
At the beginning of the year, you had goals, a bucket list, and everything you wanted to achieve this year. How is it going? Do you have the same enthusiasm to take on those goals? How is your energy?
Is it as high as when you were making plans for the new year? A short answer may be No.
Now, imagine you have a list of things to do at the beginning of the month that help you become productive, enthusiastic, mentally, physically, and emotionally ready to make each month of the year better.
Ultimately, this will help you achieve your goals faster – This is why you need to reset your month and have a handy checklist of things to do at the start of the month.
Personally, I’m productive when I reflect, plan, and set the mood for the new month instead of winging it.
Kindly note: This blog post isn’t only about setting goals but also about how to step into every new month intentionally.
You may wonder, “What is the best way to start a new month”?
What is a Good Way to Start The Month?
The best way to start a month is to start the month on a positive note, feeling motivated and empowered to achieve your goals, live better, and be in the present.
However, you can only start your month feeling positive when you reset each new month and unpack your challenges and setbacks for the last month.
Starting the month on a positive note involves taking personal and practical steps to set the tone for the days ahead.
As you read along, you’ll find 16 practical steps and things to do to kick off the month on a high note.
So, without further ado, here are 16 Things to do at the beginning of the month for better living, productivity, and energy and to finish the month strong.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Kindly read the full disclosure here.
16 Things To Do At The Beginning of the Month
It’s another 30-31 days of the month (maybe February) to make the most out of life. These are 15 things to do at the beginning of the month for a successful and productive month. Let’s dig deeper.
1 . Reflect, Review, and Reset
The first thing I do at the beginning of the month is to take stock and reflect on what happened in the previous month, from business to life, relationships, personal and business goals, health, feeding, and sleeping patterns.
For example,’ I have a tracker for tracking my site’s SEO progress, traffic, income, and every tiny bit of my business.
At the end of the new month, I look at everything and write down the figures in the tracker, which helps me set data-driven goals.
First, I only applied this to my business, and slowly, I started implementing this exact system in my life, and It’s been a game-changer.
When you set goals and intentions and have a system for tracking them, you can identify and measure your progress, etc.
Unlike business, where you can review by numbers, you’ll dig deeper to find answers for personal goals and overall well-being. For example, in a journal, ask yourself these questions;
- How do I feel about last month?
- What made me the happiest the previous month?
- What happened that made me sad?
- Did I accomplish my goals?
- Did I hit my business goals?
- What are the lessons from last month?
- What can I do differently this new month?
- How did I improve myself the previous month?
PS: Don’t bother how you answer; answer the questions honestly and unfiltered.
And, without correcting any mistakes, read it and discover existing patterns; this will help you set better goals for the new month.
Although these questions may look simple, they are deep and can help you improve yourself in the new month.
2. Set 1 – 3 Main Goals
Never start a new month without setting goals for the month.
What are your yearly goals? How many have you accomplished as the year passes, or did you set and forget about them?
Here’s a strategy I use that will change how you set your goals.
I called this strategy “Spider webbing your goals.”
For Example:
I digress; as an SEO (Search engine optimization expert), every page, blog post, and category on this site links to each other one way or the other.
It helps me achieve proper internal linking on this site.
This is the same way your goals (yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily) should be linked together).
And each day, you’re taking actions that align with your overall goals for the year.
For instance, if your goal in the new year is to lose 20 pounds, you should also have a smaller, actionable goal that can help you achieve your overall goal of losing 20 pounds.
Let’s say you divide 20/12; each month, you’re to lose 1.6 pounds. And 1.6 pounds monthly seems doable, right?
Break these 1.6 pounds into more minor daily activities like exercising and walking instead of hopping on the buses every time and eating light to help you achieve your 1.6 monthly weight loss goal.
Ultimately, you’ll build a daily lifestyle that helps you smash your goals.
So, at the beginning of the month, bring out bits from your monthly and yearly goals that you can achieve. It could be 1-3 main goals and other smaller tasks you can achieve.
Here’s how to set goals for the new month;
- Break your yearly goals into smaller bits you can achieve monthly. Pick 1-3 main goals you want to focus on.
- Write down these goals and create a system to measure them.
- Break down your goals into further achievable bits you can do weekly and daily.
- Use your “review, reflect, and reset” results to make your goals better and easily achievable.
3. Plan Your New Month on a Planner
After setting your goals, the next thing to do at the beginning of the month is schedule and plan your activities.
If you’re a paper and pen girly like me, you can use a paper planner. But if you prefer a digital plan, platforms like Notion, Asana, or other mobile apps are handy for planning.
While it’s impossible to schedule every activity in the new month down to the tea, you can create a rough schedule: “If all things go well, this is all I’ll focus on in the new month.”
Here’s something I do: I set my goals at the beginning of the month and break them down into actionable bits I can achieve daily.
I plan things out in a planner for each week; I look at these goals and write them in the notes/checklist app on my phone.
As I accomplish each task, I tick them off my list. Doing this simplifies my tasks, making them easy to accomplish.
So, in your planner,
- set your plans for each week of the month
- Schedule daily activities
- Track and schedule meetings & appointments- Google Calendar is free
- Set due dates and deadlines
- Make a list of bills to pay
- Take notes of anniversaries and birthday
Imagine doing these at the beginning of every month; you’ll start each month feeling empowered, organized, and ready.
4. Check Your Finances, Paybills and Budget
You will only enjoy a peaceful and easy month when you plan, budget, and sort your financial situation at the start of the month.
We need money one way or the other to survive.
Whether we admit it or not, our finances play an essential role in our happiness and all-round well-being.
So, at the beginning of every month, check your finances and track your income, expenses, bills (recurring and one-off expenses), debts, savings, and daily expenditures.
Constantly checking and tracking your expenses helps you make wise decisions that can change your financial habits.
Also, check those recurring subscriptions you rarely use and consider quitting them.
For example, Last year, I decided to unsubscribe from my Cable subscription because they only showed old movies and things that were not useful to me.
I only have a Netflix subscription because I unwind with movies (I love K-dramas).
I understand cable subscriptions vary according to country.
As well as business expenses, I avoid recurring subscriptions as much as possible.
Ideally, setting a budget at the beginning of the month helps you stay on top of your financial situation.
When setting your budget, use the 50-30-20 rule, which means you’ll set aside 50% of your income for expenses, 30% for fun/recreation/wants, and 20% for savings or debt.
5. Go Shopping and Restock
Go through your supplies and take stock of what’s available, what needs replacement, and what you won’t buy again.
Shopping and restocking at the beginning of the month can help you take charge of your finances and expenses and stick to a budget.
For someone like me and where I reside, you save more money buying in bulk than at retail.
That aside, restocking and shopping for everything you need for the rest of the month helps you plan, stay productive, and manage your time better.
So think about the things you need to get by monthly and make a list of things like toiletries, groceries, raw food items, etc.
This list may change according to months, seasons, and times of the year; for instance, toward the end of fall, you will include items you need for winter. During Christmas, you’ll need to budget and shop for Christmas gifts for your loved ones, etc.
6. Clean Your Fridge and Kitchen
Another fun thing to do at the beginning of the month is to clean your kitchen and fridge.
First, go through the products in the fridge and pantry and remove all expired products.
If you have things to expire soon, move them to the front, where you can see and use them.
After sorting products in your fridge and pantry, clean every inch of your fridge before restocking.
Use a towel to clean your pantry and kitchen before reorganizing everything.
Imagine how you’ll feel when you look at your kitchen, and everything looks “put together.”
Personally, I deep clean my kitchen and fridge once a month, and every week, I mop the floor, sweep, and organize the house daily at the end of the day since I work from home (it takes 30 minutes of my time).
With this, my home is never disorganized and is always clean, and this is amazing for my mental health because I hate clutter.
7. Create a Monthly Self Care Plan
While planning for the new month, also schedule and include self-care activities you’ll do for yourself.
As much as life is like a rollercoaster, with a constant need for survival, we shouldn’t take the gift of “actually living” for granted.
Living, in this case, doesn’t mean breathing or survival; it means being intentional about yourself, your health, lifestyle, self-care, and physical and mental well-being.
So, every month, set aside time for yourself.
You can start by creating a self-care menu (list of 5 to 60-minute self-care activities) that you can include in your day-to-day activities to promote your well-being.
The type of activities you schedule for each month will differ based on the season, weather, and, most importantly, how you feel and where you are emotionally.
For example, during the Christmas season, when it’s all bustle and fun, I schedule activities that allow me to spend time with myself at home.
Because I know it’s a busy period, taking time to relax, breathe, and be myself will help me take charge of my well-being.
8. Clean and Declutter Your Home
Cleaning, decluttering, and organizing your home can help set the mood for the new month. It’s empowering and can help promote peace of mind.
At the beginning of the month, set a day or a few hours aside to deep clean, declutter, and organize your room, accessories, closet, bathroom, and every other area at home.
Do this to clean and declutter your home;
- Gather unwanted items, sort them into categories, and donate, trash, and recycle.
- Tackle one space at a time
- Organize your closets
- Change your sheets
- Clean, clear out, and organize your drawers
- Wash and clean accessories such as makeup brushes
- Clean your shoes and switch out shoes for the new month
- Clean and organize your purse
9. Declutter Your Inbox
If you’re yet to include achieving inbox zero as one of the things to do at the beginning of the month, then you should.
Clearing out your inbox will help you start the month without inbox clutter, and a clear inbox increases productivity.
I create folders and categorize my inbox accordingly, and I regularly unsubscribe from newsletters that no longer serve me.
While on social media, I try to keep my inbox at zero; this is not always easy, but spending a few minutes at the start of the month to keep my inbox at zero helps me stay organized and control my inbox “instead of inbox controlling my life.”
10. Choose Podcasts and Books to Read
Pick at least one book to read at the beginning of the month and follow through.
While we set every other daily goal, we often forget to set goals to feed our minds with the “right” information; especially in this age of social media, we constantly consume information voluntarily or involuntarily.
Hence, consciously feeding your mind the right information for personal growth, mindset building, and areas of your life that need improvement is crucial.
Incorporating reading for 30 minutes to 1 Hour daily into my morning routine helps me read more and intentionally take care of my mind.
Right now, I’m reading Atomic Habits, taking it slowly because it’s not a book you read in a hurry.
Up next, for next month, I’ll read, “I want to die, but I want to Tteokbokki.”
At the start of every new month, find good podcast episodes and books and include them in your monthly to-do list.
11. Plan Your Meals
Before shopping, I sit down with a planner and plan my meals for the rest of the month.
Now, this is tricky; I don’t know everything I’ll eat for the 30-31 days of the month, as the case may be.
However, I try to simplify my life and meals, so I have a list of meals I eat monthly.
First, I plan traditional meals and soups because I cook all of them daily, store them in the fridge, and consume them throughout the month (I usually eat them for lunch or dinner).
Then, I have other regular meals I eat daily, maybe for breakfast, sometimes lunch, and dinner.
I plan for these meals, go grocery shopping, and stock up, so cooking is never a problem.
I’m super strict on my meals, and I rarely eat out.
12. Organize Your Desk and Workspace
If you work from home like me, your workspace can help you stay productive or be a source of distraction.
At the beginning of the month, while doing your monthly reset, clean your workspace, organize it, and keep it clutter-free.
Also, Invest in a desk with lockers – this helps you to have a space for your tools such as planners, pens, sticky notes, note pads, stationery supplies, etc.
Supposing your desk doesn’t have compartments and drawers, consider getting a desk organizer and an additional storage box for keeping your office supplies; this will help you have a place for everything.
And when you have a place for everything, you can return things to their home after using them, helping you maintain a clutter-free workspace.
PS: After every work day, I clean and organize my desk; by doing this, I always start my day with a clear, clutter-free desk that promotes my productivity.
13. Plan Family Time
Do you schedule time for your loved ones at the beginning of the month, like date nights with your partner, call times with your family, visiting days if you live close by, dates with the girls, etc.?
While everyone may be busy, regularly checking up on each other is one way to get through life together, knowing we’re loved and cared for.
When planning family time with loved ones, involve everyone in the process; this ensures you’re considering everyone’s interest.
And if it’s just you and your partner, you can create a spreadsheet where you brainstorm ideas for your date nights.
14. Connect Spiritually and Set Your Prayers
First, I’m a believer; I never start a new month without praying because praying connects us to our source.
So, I set time aside for every new month to pray about my month and everything I want to see.
Do note that this may not be applicable for everyone because to each and their own, but scheduling prayers into the list of things to do at the beginning of the month is a game changer.
I also have my list of prayers, chapters of the Bible, and things I want to study and listen to strengthen my faith.
Regardless of your spiritual background, align yourself with it monthly.
15. Journal
Journaling is a powerful life-changing tool.
In fact, if you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know I gush endlessly about how powerful intentionally journaling your thoughts can be.
Not only can journaling help you explore your inner depths, but It’s also a tool for tracking your growth and progress, especially when forming new habits for self-improvement.
At the start of the new month, I always track my growth in different aspects of my life.
16. Relax and Unwind
After setting your new month for productivity and success, it’s time to relax and do nothing if possible.
Or if you must do something, engage in leisure activities that bring you joy. It could be meditation, exercising, walking, watching your favorite show, or going on a self-care date.
The goal is to relax, slow down, allow your body to recharge, and be ready to take on a new month.
For instance, I schedule all these and get them done on the last day of the previous month during my monthly reset routine or on the 1st day of the new month before starting my activities for the new month.
So, consider your reward for doing such an excellent job at the beginning of the month. Schedule a quality “me” time and build positive energy.
Finally, what you do at the beginning of the month influences your mood for the month.
But if you didn’t do any of these at the beginning of the month, pick up from where you are and organize your month.
Remember that “done” is better than waiting to perfect.
How do you like to Start Each New Month?
What do you do at the beginning of the month for your month to feel right? Do you have monthly rituals, or are you winging it and trying to learn how to change that? Do let me know in the comments.
Read More Blog Posts to Help You Set Your Month Right
- How To Simplify Your Life and Be Happy (+Things to Get Rid of)
- 15 Easy Monthly Reset Routine Steps to Take Charge of Your Life
- 25 Deep Weekly Reflection Questions to Ask Yourself (+Ultimate Guide)
- 20 Powerful Ways to Have a Lifestyle Makeover and Reinvent Yourself
- 85 Fun Things to Do Alone on Friday Night At Home & Outside
- 12 Things I Do Before 8 am (Morning Routine) for a Productive Day
PS: Did you find this blog post helpful? Share this goodness with others to change how they go about their new month.
