My Monthly Reset Routine: 8 Things I Do to Start Every Month Focused
There's no better time for a fresh start than the beginning of a new month, right?!
I LOVE the start of a new month because it means I get to start over... especially with a new plan of action.
And here's the deal... a simple monthly reset routine is one of the easiest ways to walk into a new month feeling refreshed, refocused, and actually READY to grow your business (instead of just reacting to it).
Because you already know how it goes…
The month starts and you have big plans. Then life happens. The kids need something. A client emails. You blink and it's the 20th and you're not sure what you even accomplished.
So before the days run away from you, I want to show you the exact monthly reset I do every single month to set myself up for a focused month.
Some of these are business. Some are life. All of them help me stop spinning my wheels and start the month with a plan.
You don't have to do all 8. Try 1, try 2, or steal the whole thing.
What a monthly reset routine actually does for your business
Real quick, before we get into the list.
A monthly reset routine isn't about doing MORE. (We're not adding to your plate here, I promise.)
It's about taking an hour at the start of the month to look back, look ahead, and decide what actually matters... so you're not white-knuckling your way through 30 days hoping it works out.
It's the difference between "busy" and "productive." And busy is not a badge of honor.
Ok. Let's get into it.
ONE || Reflect on last month
This is one of my favorite things to do, and it's the one I think we skip the most.
Because who wants to look backward... especially after a crappy or sub-par month?
But when you take time to look at what went well AND what you'd change, you actually learn from it. And then you can move forward instead of repeating the same stuff.
So I ask myself 2 questions:
What went well last month?
This could be sticking with a focus goal, staying consistent with my content, or just keeping a level head during a busy week. It can be the tiniest little win... but because I'm intentionally taking time to CELEBRATE it, it makes a world of difference.
What can I improve on?
Notice I'm not asking what I "failed" at or "did poorly." I'm looking for the stuff that didn't go how I hoped and how I'd tweak it.
Maybe you felt overwhelmed because you said yes to too many things. Maybe you ghosted your email list for 3 weeks.
Write it down... then write ONE (yup, just one) way you can improve on it this month.
TWO || Check your numbers
You might not know this about me, but I am a big data nerd.
There's something about tracking a few key numbers that keeps me on track. And when you do it consistently (aka the start of every single month), you get to actually SEE your growth over time.
What you track is up to you and your goals. Here's what I look at:
My email list growth + open/click rates
My blog + Pinterest analytics (bc that's where my traffic comes from)
My sales numbers for the month
My business finances (profit + loss)
Other things you could track:
✔️ Social media growth✔️ Membership numbers✔️ Your focus habit or goal✔️ Sales page conversion rate
You can't fix what you're not paying attention to. So pay attention.
THREE || Pick ONE focus goal for the month
Here's what I want you to STOP doing... setting 17 goals for the month and then feeling like a failure when you hit two of them.
Instead, pick ONE thing to focus on for the next 30 days.
One habit. One needle-mover. One thing that would actually move your business forward if you did it consistently.
Some examples:
Send one email to your list every week
Post 3 times a week (and actually stick to it)
Follow up with every lead within 24 hours
Show up on stories daily
That's it. One thing. Because consistency with ONE thing beats half-doing five things every time.
FOUR || Loosely map out your month
If you've been around here for any amount of time, you KNOW I'm a planner. (I might have a slight planner problem... but we won't talk about that.)
One thing I know about myself is that I need to see the big picture. I want my whole month mapped out, start to finish, so I can spot where things are gonna get crazy.
Does that mean it's all set in stone? Absolutely not... which is why we write in PENCIL, friends.
But as someone who gets overwhelmed VERY easily, I need an outline of what's happening in every area of my life. So a few days before the month starts, I get EVERYTHING down:
Family events + trips
Business events + launches
Content + blog outline
Client calls + deadlines
Now I can see where I'll be busier... and plan ahead instead of falling down the overwhelm spiral.
FIVE || Plan your content for the month
This one is a game-changer, especially if you struggle to show up consistently (and let's be honest, most of us do).
Trying to figure out what to post every single day is EXHAUSTING. It's one of the biggest reasons people ghost their content for weeks at a time.
So I don't leave it up to my mood.
At the start of the month, I map out my content... what emails I'm sending, what blog I'm writing, what I'm posting and roughly when.
I don't have to write it all right now. I just need to know the plan so that when I sit down to work, I'm not staring at a blinking cursor wondering what to say.
Structure creates freedom. And nowhere is that truer than with your content.
SIX || Review your money
If you read the numbers step above, you know I'm already peeking at my finances. But this one deserves its own moment.
At the start of the month, I sit down with my business money... what came in, what went out, and what I need to bring in this month to hit my goal.
It's not fancy. It's not fun. (I'd rather be planning my content, honestly.)
But knowing your numbers takes the anxiety OUT of it. You stop guessing and start knowing. And that little bit of knowing lets me go to bed without the 11pm money-math spiral.
SEVEN || Declutter your workspace
I don't know about you, but for me... a cluttered space = a cluttered mind.
And with kids home more in the summer, my "high traffic" spots pile up FAST.
My high-traffic zones are my kitchen, the kitchen table, and my desk. These are where I spend the most time and where I get the most overwhelmed.
But I know if I dedicate 20 minutes a day for a week, I can get those areas feeling a whole lot lighter.
You don't need a Pinterest-perfect office. You just need a desk you can actually sit down at without wanting to clean it first.
EIGHT || Put something on the calendar to look forward to
This is the one I want you to actually DO, ok?
I always want something on the calendar I'm looking forward to. Something that makes all the working days feel a little more worth it.
A date night. A coffee with a friend. A day trip. A "I'm closing my laptop at noon on Friday and I'm not sorry" afternoon.
In the summer we almost always have a trip on the books. But the months we don't have anything (looking at you, winter)... it's SO nice to have one fun thing to look forward to.
Because rest is productive. You don't have to earn it. And white space is just as valuable as your work time.
This is your permission slip to put something fun on the calendar. 💛
Your fresh start starts now
The beginning of a new month is the perfect time for a fresh start.
You don't need to overhaul your entire life. You just need to be a little more intentional... look back, look ahead, and pick a few things to focus on.
Try 1, try 2, or try all 8. Any of them will give you a jumpstart on your month (and help you keep that momentum going through the end of it).
Want to make your monthly reset ridiculously simple?
The SYS Planner is built for exactly this... it walks you through planning your goals, prioritizing what actually moves your business forward, and protecting your time so you stay productive (not just busy).
Not ready for the planner yet? Start with my free CEO Weekly Reset... it's the mini version you can do every Friday to stay on track all month long. >> Grab it here
