July 25, 2025

Why You Shouldn’t Set Goals at the Beginning of the Month

The first of the month isn’t magic.
You are. And lovely—you don’t need a calendar to give you permission to change your life.

The 1st of the Month Hype... and the Crash That Follows

Let me guess.

You cracked open your planner, lit a candle, pulled out a pastel highlighter, and said:

"This is it. New month. New me."

Fast forward 10 days and...

  • You’ve forgotten what you wrote.
  • You’ve moved the same 3 tasks down the to-do list.
  • You’re wondering if you’re lazy, broken, or just allergic to structure.

Here’s the real tea:
The beginning of the month is one of the worst times to set goals—if you haven’t grounded yourself first.

Why We Default to “New Month Energy”

The first of the month gives us a psychological clean slate.
A fresh start. A do-over.

But too often, we:

  • Set goals from pressure, not peace.
  • Choose priorities from comparison, not calling.
  • Build systems around fantasy, not function.

You don’t need a fresh start—you need a faithful one.

What Happens When You Set Goals From the Wrong Place

Here’s the pattern I see over and over in coaching calls:

  1. Woman sets ambitious, perfectly formatted goals.
  2. Week two hits. Life gets lifey.
  3. She starts slipping.
  4. Shame creeps in.
  5. She either gives up or overcorrects with a new strategy.

It’s not that you can’t follow through.
It’s that you’re planning from a false version of you.

3 Reasons the Start of the Month Is NOT the Best Time to Plan

1. You're Still Emotionally Processing the Last Month

You need time to reflect.
To sit with what actually happened.
To ask:

  • What drained me?
  • What filled me?
  • What surprised me?
  • What does God want me to release?

Jumping into new goals without reviewing your last season is like buying new groceries without checking your fridge—you’ll end up overwhelmed and wasteful.

2. Your Hormonal and Energetic Cycle Doesn’t Align With the Calendar

This is especially true for women.

You might be setting “goals” during your premenstrual week, when you’re naturally inward-focused, reflective, and low energy.

Then you beat yourself up when you’re not “productive.”

Lovely, you’re not disorganized. You’re misaligned.

Plan with your biology, not just your bullet journal.

3. You're Operating From a Performance Mindset, Not a Purpose Mindset

The calendar says "go," but God might be saying "wait."
The internet says "launch," but your spirit says "heal."
The guru says "scale," but your heart says "simplify."

Goals without discernment become distractions.

What to Do Instead: The CLARITY Check-In

This is your antidote to calendar guilt.

Instead of defaulting to the first of the month, try this rhythm:

1. Calibrate

Ask: What’s God showing me in this season?
Am I in a season of sowing, scaling, or stillness?

2. Layout

Look at your life’s actual landscape.
What do you have capacity for? What needs to move?

3. Align

What tools or systems feel heavy right now?
What routines can be simplified?

4. Refine

What message is on your heart?
Where do you need to show up more clearly in your life or work?

5. Yield

What worked last month?
What didn’t?
What do you need to release?

Permission to Plan Whenever the Holy Spirit Nudges

You are not behind if you set your goals on the 7th.

Or the 13th.

Or—brace yourself—not at all for a month because you're in a recovery season.

You don’t need the 1st. You need clarity.

And sometimes, clarity comes on a random Tuesday afternoon.

This Shift Changes Everything

When you stop worshipping the calendar and start honoring your capacity, you’ll notice:

  • Less guilt
  • More follow-through
  • Gentler expectations
  • Better results

Not because you’re doing less—but because you’re doing what’s aligned.

Want a New Way to Plan Without the Pressure?

Let go of the forced "new month" energy.
And instead? Try this:

"God, what is still true this month?"
"What matters now?"
"What do You want me to tend to?"

That’s a planner you’ll actually use.
That’s a rhythm you’ll actually keep.

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