The start of a brand new month is the perfect time to reflect, plan and set new goals to help you and your home be more organised. There is no magic here to being organised… simply some habits that give some structure and clarity for the month ahead.

Sound good? Here are the ten things that I do at the start of each month that help me to be more organised.

1. Review the past month

I often get to the end of a month and feel that I haven’t achieved as much as I wanted to. When that happens, a quick flick through my daily to-do lists from the past month reminds me how much I’ve managed to get done in the last 30 days. Add on the 30 days of cooking, laundry, work, gardening, etc etc. and wow! We’re all superwomen! Give yourself credit for how far you’ve come in the past month!

2. Set some goals

I don’t mean big scary ones – unless you want to! (In which case, have a look at this post!) I’m talking about which books you’re going to read this month, who you are going to call, which cupboard you are going to clear out… having a goal gives us something to focus on. So plan out a few things at the start of each month and start setting some goals… don’t forget self-care and fun things too!

3. Check your diary

To get the best out of your month, plan ahead. Remember those goals you set in point 2 above? Write down when you are going to work towards them, essentially transforming your to-do list into a “this-is-when” list. You’ll find that you are more likely to do things if you allocate the time for them.

4.  Organise your photos

How many photos do you have on your phone? What would happen if you lost it? Take some time at the beginning of each month to keep your precious photos safe, by deleting the images you don’t want to keep, and backing up the rest to your computer. Once your photos are organised and backed up (see the next point!) you’ll be confident that your memories are safe, and ready to take more photos of your next amazing month!

5. Back up your computer

Once your photos are on your computer, back everything up! Documents as well as photos. Invest in a good external hard drive (I use this one for my own backups and my clients‘*) or a cloud service (I use OneDrive and Amazon Photos) and get into the habit of backing up every month. Every. Single. Month.

6. Clean out your bag

When was the last time you cleaned out your bag? At the beginning of each month, empty your purse and bag and give them a good clean. Check receipts, keep what you need to and destroy the rest. Return anything that doesn’t belong in your bag to its proper place, then have fun restocking your bag with helpful things. Fill a pretty zip-up bag with essentials – lip salve, mini perfume atomiser, paracetamol, tampon, etc) so you’re ready for anything!

7. Check your bank statement

It’s important to check your bank statements for errors and oversights. Keeping a close eye on expenditure every month will also help you to identify unused memberships, as well as any banking errors (they do happen) or simply bad habits that are wasting your money.

8. Make a budget

Once you’ve checked your bank statement, it’s time to look at your spending for the coming month. Plan it out by telling your money where it needs to go to. Pay yourself first by putting money into savings, anticipate your regular outgoings, and then you’ll know exactly how much money you have for spending this month.

9. Birthdays and correspondence

Call me old-fashioned, but I love a bit of happy mail! Keeping in touch with friends and family is so important, but often be pushed to the bottom of the to-do list when you’re busy. So simple note or longer, newsy letter is the perfect way to let people know you are thinking of them. Check birthdays, anniversaries and other events too, and have your cards and gifts ready to post when you pop out for your weekly shop or daily exercise.

10. Declutter one area of your home

You didn’t think I’d leave decluttering off the list, did you?! Keep your home tidy and organised by working on at least one space per month. It could be a drawer, a cupboard, a category of items, or a whole room, depending on your energy levels and plans for the space. Planning your decluttering and setting it as a goal each month will turn the task into a habit!

What tasks do you do each month to help you be more organised? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

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