Current monthly reset routine

This essay appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 4/13/26. Subscribe here! 

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Before we dive into a new week, let’s pause and ask ourselves some simple questions to reflect on where we’ve been, get excited about something today and set an intention for the week ahead.

GRATITUDE: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend? 

TODAY: What’s one thing I can be excited about today?

INTENTION: What is my intention for this week? 

For me, I’m thankful for a dinner out with Matt Friday, beautiful weather Saturday and fun celebrations! Today, I’m most excited to see my parents before and after work (so excited they are in Indy!!). And my intention for the week is to focus on being present in each part of my day. 

Okay, your turn! And if you want to share, I am all ears. 🙂

Monday Musings: A Monthly Reset Routine

One of my goals for 2026 is to start a “monthly reset” practice. Knowing our schedules would get busier (with both Matt and I back at work), I wanted something that would help life feel more manageable and reduce mental clutter. 

I’ve tried versions of a monthly reset or a planning day before, but I’ve never quite stuck with it. 

But this year – three months in – I’m happy to report what I’m doing is working for me! 

I think there are a few things have made the difference:

At the end of last year, I read Best Laid Plans, and found myself feeling motivated by the planning rhythms the author shared, especially her approach to monthly planning. It made me want to formalize something of my own.

I also made one simple but important change: I moved my attempt at a planning day to a weekend day. In the past, I’d try to fit this into a weekday morning, an evening after work or the last day of the month. But every time, something else would take priority.

This year, I added “Monthly Planning Day!” to my calendar for the last Sundayof every month. It sounds simple, but that small shift has been making it stick. 

My favorite version of this day is coordinating Ben coverage with Matt and heading to a coffee shop for an hour or two. I almost always leave feeling clearer, calmer and more grounded in what the month ahead holds.

Because I love hearing about other people’s systems (and talking about my own), I wanted to share what I do during a planning Sunday:

1) First, I look back at the month that’s ending. I review my goals from the past month, celebrate what worked and either carry forward or let go of anything unfinished.

2) Then, I look ahead. I map out the upcoming month – noting busy weeks, travel, appointments and anything that might require extra support or margin. I also add in meaningful personal dates so they don’t get lost.

3) From there, I set a few intentions for the month. Now that I know what’s coming, I ask: what do I want to focus on this month? How do I want to feel? What needs a little extra care? I draft a handful of goals to guide the month. I love writing these every month & sharing them in this newsletter!

4) And then comes one of my favorite parts – the practical reset. I spend the rest of the time on what I think of as “life maintenance”:

• I review our budget and upcoming expenses.
• I take stock of household essentials and place an order from Target or Costco.  
• I scroll through photos from the past month and save my favorites in a dedicated album (my plan is to turn these into a photo book at the end of the year) 
• Sometimes I add or swap things depending on what’s needed, like cleaning out my email inbox, planning dinners for the month or finally tackling a task that’s been lingering.

In the end, this dedicated session saves me so much time – and mental energy – in the weeks that follow.

And while the process itself is simple, the impact feels bigger than that.

I’ve noticed that when I don’t take time to step back and reset, everything starts to live in my head – the to-dos, the plans, the things I don’t want to forget. 

This practice helps me take all of that out of my head and put it somewhere I can actually see and work with.

To me, having clear systems means less chaos.

    >> Less chaos creates more emotional bandwidth.

        >> And more bandwidth makes room for presence, joy and intention.

It’s not about having everything perfectly planned or things going according to plan (that’s never going to happen!). It’s more about creating just enough structure so that I can move through the month feeling steady instead of scattered.

What do you think? Do you have a monthly reset or a planning system that helps you feel steady? I’d love to hear about it.