Guides › Planning & Productivity
Look back on your month and plan the next
Answer five quick questions and get a short monthly review: what went well, what didn't and three focus points for next month.
When to use it
Last Sunday of every month
Step by step
Scroll back through your month
Look at your calendar, photos and to-do lists from the last four weeks to jog your memory.
Talk it through with AI
Paste this prompt and answer the questions it asks, one at a time.
Prompt to copyRun a monthly review with me. Ask me these questions one at a time and wait for each answer: 1) What went well this month? 2) What didn't go to plan, and why? 3) What drained my energy? 4) What gave me energy? 5) What do I want more of next month? Then write a summary with: 3 wins, 2 lessons, and 3 specific focus points for [next month], each with one small action I can put in my calendar. Keep it encouraging and honest.Schedule the focus points
Add each small action to your calendar for next month, and save the summary in a 'Monthly reviews' note.
Make it recurring
Create a monthly repeating calendar event so the review happens without you having to remember.
What you get
Wins: Finished the website refresh; ran 3 times a week; booked summer holiday. Lessons: Saying yes to Saturday work wore me out. Focus for December: Protect weekends (block Saturdays); finish online course (2 x 30 min a week); call Gran fortnightly.
Tips
- Read last month's summary before you start, so you can see whether last month's focus points happened.