In the Passion Planner, each month ends with a monthly reflection page. I have struggled with this for some time, but for April and May, I have used these pages each week to review the week and plan for the next one. This has been great but it then doesn’t leave much space for the review at the end of the month which is also crucial. This is where my bullet journal also comes into play and I record the monthly responses in that.
For May, I thought I would share my overall responses for the month here as many people have asked me for advice on how to fill it out. Here is my honest response to how this month has gone using the reflection questions (in bold). This is me being brave sharing this so please be kind if you decide to leave a comment.
What was the most memorable part of the month?
It may sound simple, but honestly, I think the most memorable part of the month has been the fact that I have made enough progress with my health to be able to do things around the house. Its something I have struggled with for a long time and longer than I would probably like to admit. But in one of the therapy sessions, we were talking about things we had tried to do and I realised that I was actually being more committed with maintaining the house. Yes it exhausted me, but I had started doing it again
What were the three biggest lesson you have learned in this past month?
- I am making really good progress with my health.
- It is not a quick thing to recover from this, it takes time and you need to make sure that you are not overdoing it in a bid to hurry the process.
- Making healthy choices can be hard but it is important to help you on the road to recover.
Review your planner for the past month and assess your priorities. Are you happy with how you spent your time? If not what steps can you take next month to adjust them.
Looking at the last month, I am happy that: there are regular blocks of time within the weeks where I am focusing on things around the house and keeping on top of things; there are times when I have blocked some time for me but not all of them are stuck to; some appointments have been cancelled and things changed – not always for the positive.
For next month, I will adjust: the time I spend on me and actually see it through, prioritising self-care; only add appointments that I will stick to and that have a positive impact on my day to day life.
How are you different between this month and the month before it?
I am in a better state of health. It’s that simple. I am better than I was even though I have a long way to go. I am starting to put more focus on me. I am starting to enjoy things again and I am aware of things around me again.
What or who are you especially grateful for in this month?
My husband – he is unbelievable supportive and is there. He lets me do things and intervenes when he thinks I need it without being intrusive. Planner friends – they send lovely messages, listen and offer support as well as listening when you need to offload. My friend who is my personal cheerleader! My family for being there and helping out when things are tough. My bullet journal – it’s been really useful for getting back on track.
Name three things you can improve on this upcoming month. What concrete actions can you take to work these improvement?
- Physical self-care – keep tracking eating and drinking to make sure there are healthy choices. Also ensure that medical things are kept to (medication, eczema cream, eye care).
- Each day, do something in the house to keep on top of it, maintaining what you have been able to achieve so far and making further improvements to the environment around you.
- Do the things you enjoy. Make sure that time you have scheduled for you, is actually stuck to with the time being used in the way you have planned.
My Life Planned Out 