Plan a month on one printed page
The month planning I described in a 2016 talk on planning with OneNote. The tool doesn't matter; the printout does.
1. Goals for the month
A few SMART ones: "read a chapter a night", "cook from scratch three times a week". If you don't have a goals list, block out an hour: list blue-sky things you'd love to do, pick three and write next actions for each. Optionally, list what you're unhappy with and pick the 20 percent causing 80 percent of it.
One new habit a month. Some months it's last month's again. That's fine.
2. Projects and next actions
Go through your task list and write down a reasonable amount for the month, grouped under projects (work, personal, or just "small tasks"). Don't worry if it's too much yet. Put rough timings on each.
3. A blank calendar, on paper
Hide every calendar feed and print a blank month. In pencil, block out known appointments. Not in detail: two blocks a day, morning and afternoon. Count the half-day slots left in each week.
4. Fill the weeks
For each week, note what's already happening and how many slots are free, then pull tasks in by rough priority. Don't forget the goal tasks.
5. The Avoid list
When the month is full, whatever didn't fit goes on a new list: Avoid. Things you must not do this month. Juggle if something really must get done, then forget the rest.
If you do them, things you wanted to get done definitely won't.
Expect less
Don't plan the whole month in weekly detail; things change. It would be amazing if 75 percent of the month's list got done. 40 to 50 percent is more likely.
The plan is a frame to fit things into loosely. Each week gets planned properly nearer the time, in two-hour slots of deep work, with one slot left free for emergencies.
The ideal week behind it
A template week if you had full control: frontstage (what I'm hired to do), backstage (email, research, learning, writing) and off time, with a start-up ritual and a close-down window. Batch similar things together.
Write-up from the time: life planning and journaling with OneNote, and manage your week with timeboxing. Related: three worry removers, and the yearly version, a solo annual retreat.