July Plan With Me: Goals and 6 Month Reflection

July 1st, 2020. Yes, today is the first day of July. Why do the days keep going faster and faster? No clue. How is 2020 half way done? No idea. Is the next 6 months going to be crazier? At this point, you got to expect the unexpected.

The only way to keep me from losing track of life is by planning at the start of each month. Since my planner has been a little bit dry these past 3 months, I have been going deeper with my planning and goal setting.

There are 3 main steps for planning that I do each month:

1. Write down one to three main goals
2. Break the goal down into smaller goals = mini goals
3. Assign a mini goal for each week of July

I was inspired to write a post about this because Lavendaire, a lifestyle YouTuber, posted a video where she plans out her month by setting goals as well.

Before I start, I look at my notebook/planner and review the month of June. What went well? What goals did I or did not accomplish? How did I spend my time? What could I improve on to make my month better for myself?

✨ Step 1 ✨ Goal Setting

After my quick review/self reflection of June, I will start by planning my big goals for July. I like to plan a maximum of three big goals. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself because you will be less likely to accomplish them.

By big goals, I mean goals that I can break down into smaller chucks by the end of July. That way I have (hopefully) accomplished a goal without overwhelming myself. For example, my goal to complete a website project is a goal that will need mini goals in order to accomplish the big goal by the end of July.

I found that by doing this, I accomplished my big goal for once rather than “forgetting” about it and then feeling bad about myself. It is a fact: you will LOSE MOTIVATION.
I’m sorry for yelling at you but it was an important point to make. I used to brush off setting goals as waste of time. See I am a person who likes to do rather than plan. But I wasn’t even making an effort to reach my goals that I set in my head because…I had no motivation. It was overwhelming!

✨ Step 2 ✨ Mini Goals

Next, you need to break down each big goal into small tasks that are achievable. Make a bullet point list under the big goal and list those small tasks. The small tasks are now your mini goals!

✨ Step 3 ✨ Weekly Plan

• Assign one or more mini goals for each week
• Schedule one fun activity to look forward to each week

Once you have done that, use a calendar (on your phone or a physical one), and for each week write down a mini task you will do in that week. It can be one mini task or a few. This depends on your big goal entirely and how small you want your tasks to be.

For example, for the first week of July (the 1st – 8th), I will do these mini tasks: plan layout of the website, create a sitemap/navigation design, design the homepage, and get feedback.

Also, I like to plan fun activities in my weekly plan! So each week for July I have a fun activity that is different from my daily routine. For me my 4 fun activities are: Virtual Brunch video call with family, painting with my sister, cook a new recipe from a different culture, and go watch the sunset (where it is quiet and no people are around me).

✓Helpful Tip✓

Make sure you have the mini goals written down in a notebook or planner that you use often. This helps to keep on track to reach the big goals!! I like to set alerts on my phone using the reminders app if you have an iPhone or use the calendar app and add an event for the mini goal.

That is how I like to plan my month! Be proud because you have now set the intention to reach your goals and you will. No more thinking about it since you have just planned it out. Now go crush your dreams!

Half of 2020 Review/Reflection

I think it is important to reflect on the past, but not to dwell or regret on what has happened. We can’t change the past, so it’s important to reflect and mentally note how you want the rest of the year to go.

Here are some questions that can help you as you journal/think about the year so far:

• 📝 List the most memorable events and happy moments so far.
• 📝 What are you looking forward to?
• 📝 What lessons have you learned so far that 2020 has taught you?
• 📝 Think of one word to describe how you want the next half of 2020 to be like? Ex: positive, healthy, love, growth, abundance.
• 📝 List the things you are most grateful for so far in 2020?

For me, some lessons that 2020 has taught me is to be open to the infinite possibilities that life has to offer, to never be caught up in the future, the importance of family for me, and that self care is a daily habit because a healthy mind/body equals a healthy life. I am so so grateful for my life and wouldn’t want to trade it for anything else in the world. I think I have created a life that I want to live in and that makes me happy. The pandemic, black live matter movement, and other things happening are happening for a reason. We can’t change or control some things, but we can decide/control how we act/think/feel. Focus on what you CAN do rather than can’t.

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Thank you for reading and until next time don’t forget to stay Chic Neat and Sweet!

Sincerely, Aditi