Planning ahead is imperative if you want to live a life of intention. I think Winston Churchill said it best when he said, “He who fails to plan, is planning to fail.” When life gets busy it is easy to fall into a reactive mindset and begin to live life as it happens to you rather than living a life full of purpose and meaning. Continuing on this path can lead to anxiety and depression as a result of your inability to focus on what matters most. You can change all of that by starting your week off right with a simple Sunday routine.
No one outside of yourself can tell you how to spend your time, and time is not an infinite resource. Are you making good use of your time or are you using time as an excuse not to focus on the things that truly matter to you? If you feel as though you cannot spend quality time on the things that matter without feeling distracted by all of the other things vying for your time, evaluate your current schedule and make an effort to simplify.
If you followed along with my Simplify Your Summer Challenge, you know that I am a big proponent of simplifying anything I can in order to live life with purpose and intention. It is a good place to start, so click here to check it out if that is something that interests you.
Our summer was full of social commitments that could not be turned down because of the importance of each and every one. You cannot always avoid packed schedules, but you can simplify the day-to-day and have systems in place that you can fall back on when life gets inevitably busy.
I gave my best effort to simplifying my schedule this summer so that we could fully enjoy all of the fun things we had planned. Now that things have slowed down a bit, I am continuing my journey to living more simply. It is my hope that focusing my efforts toward living this way when things are not busy will make it easier to stay on track when life gets hectic.
One way to kick-start productivity is to implement rhythms and routines into your daily life and change the way you approach everyday tasks. There are things on your to-do list that must be checked off each week in order to keep your household functioning properly.
Certain tasks are necessary, but it is possible to reduce the burden caused by the weight of these things by dedicating some of your time to planning ahead. Reducing the number of decisions you have to make during the week will free up space in your brain to focus on other things that are more important.
SUNDAY ROUTINE
Use this super simple Sunday routine to maximize your time and increase productivity throughout the week. Set yourself up for the most amazing week ever in five easy steps:
1 // PLAN YOUR WEEK
Take some time to sit down with your calendar and plan for the week ahead. Take note of any appointments you have scheduled and map out what you need to accomplish before the week is over. This is also a good time to review your goals and determine any action steps you can take to help you progress toward the finish line. Waiting until Monday to do this will leave you feeling behind, which is not how you want to start your week. Instead, you will wake up Monday morning ready to tackle the day with purpose.
2 // GET A JUMP START ON THE LAUNDRY
If you are able to get all of your laundry done in one day, I applaud you. If you are like me and work on your laundry throughout the week, I encourage you to get a jump start on the laundry by throwing a couple of loads in on Sunday. This will ensure that everyone in your family has what they need Monday morning, reducing chaos and allowing your morning to run more smoothly. Click here for eight tips to help you conquer your laundry quickly, plus a sample schedule.
3 // PICK OUT YOUR CLOTHES
How often do you stand in your closet staring at the sea of clothing in front of you feeling as though you have nothing to wear? Choosing what you will wear ahead of time allows you to reduce those last minute decisions that come with failing to prepare. It also gives you the foresight to know which clothing items you need to have available to you before you are crunched for time. Aim to select what you will wear each day of the week on Sunday. If you have school-aged kids, encourage them to do the same.
4 // CREATE A MEAL PLAN
Getting dinner on the table each night is difficult if you do not plan ahead. A well-crafted meal plan keeps you from grabbing a pizza last minute because you forgot to determine what you were going to feed your family. If you desire to eat healthy foods and relax at the end of the day with a home-cooked meal, determine what you will eat for the entire week on Sunday. Whether you work inside or outside of the home, you can greatly reduce weeknight stress by knowing what you will eat for dinner. Click here for three simple steps to getting a home-cooked meal on the table every single night.
5 // REST
With all of the things women have on their plates these days, it is so important to carve out time for rest. Make sure you take an hour or two on Sunday to enjoy some downtime. Curl up on the couch with a good book. Watch a movie. Take a nap. Relax in a bubble bath. Spend some time outdoors. Whatever it is that revives your spirit and soothes your soul — make time for it before the week starts up again. Giving yourself permission to take a break will increase your productivity throughout the week.
Are you tired of starting your week feeling behind? Stop dreading Monday and have the most amazing week ever by implementing this super simple Sunday routine! I would love to hear from you as you implement these ideas in your home.
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