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May 5th

Your monthly reset is not working.

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Hey Reader,

I want to share something that might feel a little uncomfortable, but it will also be really freeing.

Your monthly reset is not working.

Not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because the way we’ve been taught to “start fresh” every month can pull us into a cycle that feels like this over and over again:

• You start the month motivated
• Life gets busy halfway through
• Goals go untouched
• You avoid looking back at the month
• Then you copy the same goals into the next one

This cycle cause you to begin each month with quiet guilt; not a fresh start. Listen, you are not the only one who has done this. I have done in more often that I care to admit. So much so, I recently made a YouTube about it.

Check out that video here.

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The part no one talks about

Skipping your monthly review isn’t laziness. You are actually trying to protect yourself because looking back means facing what didn’t happen and that doesn’t feel good. So you avoid looking back which is completely normal.

When you skip that step, you also skip learning why things didn’t work, then nothing changes.

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A small shift that changes everything

Instead of a “monthly reset,” I want you to try something more gentle as you know I am all about gentle productivity:

A monthly refinement.

You are going to adjust to what’s already real in your life.

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Try this: a simple “grace-first” review

No pressure. No overthinking. Just clarity.

1. Do a quick audit

• Look at your goals from the past 1–3 months
• Circle anything that hasn’t happened at all

Here’s the key:

👉 If it hasn’t happened in 3 months, it’s likely not a discipline problem
👉 It’s an alignment problem

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2. Ask why (without judgment)

• Was there no time?
• No energy?
• No real interest?

Sometimes the truth is that you don’t actually want the goal anymore.

You just feel like you should because it was a goal.

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3. Give yourself permission to delete​
Do not skip this. You are allowed to let a goal go. Do not move it. Do not “try again next month.” Just delete it.

If you keep holding onto that goal, that will keep the guilt going.

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Starting your month in a way that actually works

Once you’ve cleared the pressure, here’s how to move forward:

Keep it simple:

• Pick one focus area (not 10 goals)
• Plan for your real-life days (not your best-case days)
• Do a brain dump before setting anything new

You don’t need a full life overhaul.
You need something that fits the current season you are in.

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A different way to think about productivity

Instead of asking, “What should I get done?”
Try asking:

👉 “Where is my focus going?”

• What part of your day feels the most draining?
• Where do you feel rushed or overwhelmed?

Start by answering these questions.

Refine one thing.

And also leave space for life happening and for something we don’t plan for:

Unplanned joy.

An open hour.
A quiet moment.
A walk you almost didn’t take. I have a video about that too.

Let me know if you try this monthly revision. Respond to this email and let me know.

Be well, be focused, be you,
Shanna
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