Monthly Reviews & Overviews

There is a quiet kind of wisdom that only emerges when we pause long enough to notice.

Many of us move from one month into the next without marking the threshold. We carry experiences, emotions, questions, and even small griefs forward, unexamined and unnamed.

But what if, once a month, you paused to allow yourself to breathe, pay attention, and recalibrate?

This is the invitation of a monthly review and overview: a gentle rhythm of reflection that helps you notice where you’ve been, discern what matters, and step more intentionally into what’s ahead.

A month is long enough to hold real life—relationships, work, surprises, disappointments, small joys. But it’s short enough that we can still remember how it felt to live it.

Well, hopefully we can still remember. As I write this, I am aware that there are times I can barely recall what happened last week! I personally do a brief weekly review and overview, as well as a more in-depth monthly version.

When you pause monthly to reflect, you begin to:

• Recognize patterns instead of reacting to isolated moments

• Honor growth that would otherwise go unnoticed

• Tend to your inner life before extreme burnout or disconnection sets in

• Make small, meaningful adjustments instead of drastic overhauls

Iʻll share what I do each month. Youʻre invited to use whatever feels helpful and resonant to you, or create your own version.

Set aside 30–60 minutes at the end (or beginning) of each month. Light a candle, make a cup of tea, sit somewhere quiet with a notebook or note-taking app. Let this be a sacred appointment with your own life.

You might begin with a simple prayer or intention: “God, help me to see clearly and gently.”

Then, reflect on these questions:

1. Where did I feel most alive this month?
What moments held energy, connection, or joy?

2. Where did I feel drained?
What moments depleted or diminished my energy or joy?

3. What felt meaningful or important?
What lingered with me or affected me?

4. What was difficult?
What did it ask of me?

5. What am I carrying that I need to release?
Stress, resentment, pressure, expectations?

You’re not trying to analyze your life perfectly. You’re simply bearing witness to it, perhaps coming to a deeper awareness of yourself.

After looking back, turn your attention forward.

1. What feels like it’s asking for my attention next month?
A relationship? A decision? my own rest?

2. What is one intention I want to carry?
A word, a posture, a way of being.

3. What would it look like to care for my soul this month?
Think simple and doable.

4. What rhythms or boundaries might support me?
Where do I need structure or spaciousness?

This is not about setting ten goals or extreme overhauling. It’s about choosing one or two anchors that help you live with greater intention.

Over time, this monthly rhythm becomes a foundational practice that is grounding. You begin to live your days knowing you will return to them. You notice things in real time because you’ve trained your attention. You hold your life with more compassion and less urgency.

Instead of rushing through your months, you start to inhabit them with awareness and presence.

If this feels like a lot, start here:

At the end of the month, ask yourself just two questions:

• What stayed with me?

• What do I need moving forward?

That’s enough. You can always broaden the practice later.

Consider setting a recurring date with yourself. It might be the last day of the month, or the first morning of the new one. Put it on your calendar. Treat it as you would any meaningful commitment.

If you try a monthly review/overview, I’d love to hear what you notice.

What surprised you? What felt meaningful? What shifted, even slightly? You can share in the comments or send me a direct message.

With you on the journey,

Larissa