The first of the month is always my favorite. Closing out, and reflecting on the month that passed, and beginning new for the month ahead. I figured I'd walk you through my end of the month ritual that helps set me up for success, and makes my mind feel at ease with a new beginning.
First let's begin with my journaling routine
As I’ve stated before while blogging, I love writing (obviously) and I find journaling to be therapeutic and clearing. So I like to begin my month ahead, and close out the month last with a good journaling sesh. I’ve curated some prompts that I always use if you’re struggling on where to start.
I also like to include my intention of this month, and my action of the month. By writing the intention, it puts my prayer out to God for things to unfold for the month ahead, however, writing an action plan of how to get there is also necessary. So think intention, vs action.
I like to do this in quiet, when I have time to truly reflect - so either the night before a new month, the morning of a new month, or more than likely, the evening of the new month with a glass of wine.
Now, let's social detox!
As much as I wish I could throw my phone in the ocean and not worry about the nitty gritty of daily life, let's admit it...we're all addicts to our phones. Whether it's work related, or the endless TikTok doom scroll. So if we're going to be indulgent in our phone usage, we can atleast purge the unnecessary. What does this exactly mean? Unloading your phone.
Deleting apps that you no longer use
Curating a new vision board for my iPhone to look at for inspo
Changing the wallpaper, and home screen (hello, new month, new vibes)
Reviewing photos, and deleting any repeat photos, screenshots that aren't needed, etc.
Deleting old text threads that aren't needed
Junking any old emails that I've been hoarding
Vision boards, and scripting, let's discuss!
I personally find that curating vision boards, go hand in hand with scripting. Scripting is the act of writing out your goals, as if you've lived them. I like to write out a day in my life to script my new month. So I'll write the whole thing as if it already happened - for example, instead of writing "In June I will be successful in business," I write, "June was a very successful business month for me. I reached and exceeded my sales goals, and gained new clients." I've attatched an article here to read more about the specifics of scripting if you're interested!
Vision boards, are an addition to scripting. I find that by writing out your life, and painting a picture of your life, helps to attract what energy to bring in. By curating a vision board, you are calling that energy into your life. Vision boards can be made as simply as cutting out pictures from magazines and using a poster board to visually display it to view every day as a reminder. For me, I find that curating a new vision board on Canva, and displaying it on my phone through a photo widget is something more attainable. I see it daily, it brings me joy, and subconsciously I am manifesting the energy I am trying to call in. I've curated some vision boards for my month of June, that I figured I'd share with you all.
Adulting, and the "have to's"
More than likely, you’re an adult who is reading this - even if you don’t always feel like an adult, the adulting responsibilities never end. With the beginning of a new month, comes new adulting tasks. Sit down for a moment and spend time dedicated to the to do’s of the month, bills, and responsibilities. I personally use Google Calendar religiously, but here is typically how I plan out my month ahead…
Budgeting - I spend time to review all outgoing expenses (ie, bills), mark them in my calendar, plan that out around my pay days. tip! If you use GCal, I use to "tasks" and reoccur my bills monthly so I easily know what's going out.
Planning - I'm pretty religious to my calendar. In fact, if you know me, you know that if it's not on my calendar, odds are I'm not going. So even if there’s events marked, I take 5-10 minutes to review the obligations I have for the month ahead, and make note of anything that has changed/plans that need to be added to the calendar.
To do’s - The lists of tasks to complete are seemingly never endless. Keeping the apartment clean, maintaining a social life, blogging, maintaining clients, and the list goes on. Utilizing a form of a to do list is crucial. Typically, I’ll just jot down what needs to be completed in a day via the iPhone reminder apps that I have a widget for on my Home Screen - but when planning for the month, if there’s anything crucial to be completed I’ll mark it on the calendar. If it’s not super important, but needs to be done in June, I’ll write a list of things to be completed by the end of the month.
Self care, and wellness.
In taking care of our adulting tasks, our work schedule, and prioritizing social interaction, often we forget to check in with ourselves. I suggest taking an hour or two at the beginning of the month to just BE. To be present, to become aware, and to be yourself. What this looks like to everyone is different. At the beginning of every month, I typically use the first as a "spa day" (even if it's just at home, which 99.9% of the time, is). For you, this may be watching your favorite show, taking a walk, but for me, it's taking a nice bubble bath with a shitty reality TV show, and putting my phone on DND while I soak for about an hour. With this simple act in action, what you're prioritizing is your own mental stability. You are choosing yourself, over any other activity in the world, which I always think is the most important.
On a personal side note, I fly quite often, my boyfriend and I do long distance from New York to Tennessee, and I get asked a lot "how do you do all the traveling?" The simple answer, aside from the fact I want to be with my boyfriend, is that I adore flying. It is the only time where I am completely free from obligations. Want to talk? I can't, I'm flying. A proposal for a client needs to be revised? It can wait, I'm in the air. Flying liberates me.
So, similarly to my story and reasoning, I encourage you to "fly" once a month - and let go of all your to do's, all your stresses, and just be you.
I hope June brings you nothing but success, joy, and happiness - here's to an amazing Summer.
Until next time friends,
