There are times when the month ahead makes me feel overwhelmed. There’s either a lot going on or a lot that I need to manage, and it can make me feel like I am already behind. Yes, even if it’s only the first of the month!
To ease some stress, I make a plan of attack!
Brain dump!
First, brain dump all the things you need to manage or do for the month – whether that’s birthday party plans, vacation plans, registration for extra curriculars, or simply tasks that you want to accomplish by the end of the month. Write it all down on a piece of paper – it doesn’t need to be pretty! You don’t even need to write it as a list! Just get everything out of your brain! You will immediately feel a sense of relief. There is just something magical about writing it all down, on paper!! If the things on your list require a separate list or some thinking ahead, use a few minutes to jot down some extra notes about it. Go into as much detail here as you need to be able to recall your thoughts!
Dates, times, and locations!
Next, double check dates on the calendar. If you have a family calendar and let’s say a digital calendar on your phone too, double check that the same information is on each calendar. Double check times and locations for new activities happening through the month. Double check either calendar for dates like appointments, parties, special events at school like March break and PA days, or special events or out of the ordinary events at work. Bonus tip for your digital calendar: Set a default reminder for any future created events! Set a default reminder for the day before the event. (You can always change the reminder for events that need a different timeline) There have been so many times where I have received a reminder on my phone for my calendar, just to say to myself, “oh ya! I forgot we had that on!” (As a secret bonus, when adding birthdays to your digital calendar, set the reminder for a week before or even two weeks to give you enough time to get and wrap a gift!)
Add some colour!
Colour code your monthly calendar! This was a game changer for me once the kids started to have their own activities. I still need a colour for the activities we do together, but each person also gets their own colour. That way, instead of writing out, “Bob has karate at 6pm,” you can write “Karate 6pm” in the appropriate colour for Bob! It saves a TON of space on the calendar. If you are also using a digital calendar, try to match up the colours as best as possible for easy recognition of what event belongs to what person. Bonus tip: If I am making notes on the white board close to the calendar, I will also use that person’s colour if I am trying to remind them of something or remind myself to talk to that person about something important.
Doing just these three little steps – which will likely only take you 20 minutes or less – is more than enough for you to be able to relax your shoulders and create a real plan for how you can successfully attack the month, and hopefully, not forget to do something important!
Good luck in March! Spring time is almost here!!!
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