We are officially in March, people! The third month of the year is upon us and while you might be thinking “wasn’t New Year just yesterday??”, a whole new realm of possibilities opens up on the first of every month. If your 2018 resolutions have slipped out of reach over the past few months in favour of countless hours watching Netflix, don’t panic! A brand new month can be the boost you need to kick your goals into high gear. Here’s how to plan your best month ever:

Give yourself space and time for ideas to flow

You’re not only planning what you want to do for the month, you’re planning how you want to tackle it which requires some creative thinking. Giving yourself dedicated space and time in your day to map out what the month ahead will look like is crucial, as it gives your brain the freedom to think about what you want to achieve and how you’re going to make it happen. Trying to cram a month of planning into a few spare hours will only result in a sloppy calendar, but focusing for a day on creating a detailed plan for your goals means you’ll be ready to hit the ground running. Make today that day!

Use the motivational power of stationery

It’s no lie that a new notebook can be the difference between a wasted day and your most productive day ever. Opening up fresh stationery fills your mind with possibilities and makes you want to create, to list, to conquer goals every day and tick off boxes. You don’t need to use a new notebook every month, but perhaps finding a planner with a clean calendar page will inspire you to fill its dates with exciting projects.

Set daily and weekly tasks

Achieving your monthly goals can seem like a gigantic undertaking, especially on the 1st of the month when you know there are around 30 days ahead of you to make those goals happen, so instead you end up procrastinating for the first 2 weeks. We’ve all fallen into that trap too many times! While you’re making plans for what you want to achieve every month, don’t forget to break each goal down into weekly and daily tasks that you need to be ticking off to make sure you’re achieving the bigger things in time. Don’t make mountains out of what could be simply a few molehills.

Focus on one thing

Many of us have several goals that we’re attempting to concentrate on all at once, which inevitably leads to each goal being merely partially completed. Give each month a focus and work on the one project that’s presently most important to you. You don’t need to be working exclusively on that project and ignore all else, but give it your focus to see the best results at the end of the month.

Put your map of the month on the wall

…or the fridge, or your bedside table. Anywhere that means you’ll see it every day and can check in with your larger goals as well as your smaller daily tasks. Having a sense of your overall goal every day gives you a reminder of why you started in the first place and what you need to be doing to get back on track if you have veered from the path you set out for yourself. It also allows those you live with to know your goals and encourage you when you’re not sticking to the plan.

Tell your accountability partner your goals

We all get so caught up in our own projects that we forget to check in with our accountability partner. These are the friends who support us in our time of need, and keep us on the right track when it comes to work projects. Show them your calendar so they are aware of what you’re working on each day, and schedule in work sessions together at relevant intervals throughout the month so you can work towards your goals together, with a helping hand should you need it.

Don’t forget about the fun things

It’s easy to see a whole new monthly calendar as a challenge, but remember you don’t need to fill up every single day with tasks. Whether you’re hustling alongside your 9-5 or you’re working on your business full-time, don’t feel the need to fill up your evenings and weekends with work. A few properly planned, strategic hours of work can be so much more beneficial than days and days of mindless laptop tapping!

Are you planning an awesome month in March? Tell us your tips and share your goals with the Desk Life community in the comments. We’ll also be bringing you exciting planning tools very soon, so keep your eyes peeled!