Do you feel like you’re spinning in circles trying to do all the things? Do you end every week feeling like you just didn’t get enough done? Maybe you want to start reaching for new goals, but you can’t possibly add anything else to your plate? I’m with you sis. But we don’t have to feel like this. There are ways we can ensure we have a productive week that we feel proud and in control of. I know this because I’ve tried them out myself and it’s been a game changer.
Ways To Have A Productive Week:
I started instituting these tips on Monday mornings and they’ve been super helpful. However, planning my week on Monday still puts me behind the 8 ball and leaves me open to unnecessary stress. We have to learn to be proactive, rather than reactive. Execute the day, don’t just let the day happen to you. So, let’s do this Sunday right!
These tips to have a productive week need to become your new Sunday habit!
Fit them in right after Sunday brunch and right before football if you have to, but make it happen! However you have to do it, it’s crucial to set yourself up for success before the week actually starts.
1. PLAN
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. I am so serious about this one… if you couldn’t tell by all the capital letters. All of the tips I am about to give you come back to proper planning. I’ll tell you what my dad always said, “Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.” And it has never rang more true than it does now in this season of life. Thanks for the advice dad… LOL.
Look at your week as a whole, including the upcoming Saturday and Sunday. Assess your calendar and break up your to-dos in to categories. You need to plan everything, no matter how small or habitual it feels to you and write it down. I feel like the best way to explain this is to give you guys examples of the way Matt and I plan for a productive week so you can get an idea of the things that we account for.
Appointments
These are going to be non-negotiables that are already on your calendar for the week. It’s important to write these out in a list or on a calendar so you can plan all the other things around them! For example, my nail appointment next Thursday needs to be considered and written down because it is scheduled for a time when I would normally be at the gym.
Chores
Planning for a productive week must include chores. Otherwise, they get pushed to the back of your mind until they’re too overwhelming to tackle. You know when you put off cleaning the house or laundry and then all of a sudden you’ve got so much to do you can barely catch up… yeah, lets try to avoid that. Our routine weekend chores include picking up dog poop/mowing the lawn and a grocery trip. We plan which day works best for the both of us so that we make sure it gets done. You may think your routine chores don’t need planned but they absolutely do. If you don’t get to the grocery store because you forgot to plan time for it, your week will suffer. Now you’ll have to eat out one night, and then go to the store after work which will make you inevitably skip the gym, etc.
Prioritize whatever chores need to be done that week and plan them out for specific days so that you don’t have to spend an entire day cleaning. Also, when you’re planning these chore related to-dos, think ahead to things that are not routine. For example, if the dogs are getting low on food, I’ll need to plan for a Petco trip.
Workouts
I cannot emphasize this one enough. If you do not plan exactly what days and times you will be going to the gym, you will not get there. Especially if working out is not quite a habit for you yet. I have kept the same workout/rest day schedule since I started making my health a priority so I don’t have to plan the actual days anymore. However, I always assess the to-dos for the week and make sure nothing interrupts my workout time. I don’t mean the gym always comes first. I mean, if I know I am going out of town for the weekend, I will move my rest days around to accommodate my plans. Like work or a doctors appointment, the gym is non negotiable.
Fun
Plan around fun. Plan your to-dos listed above around any fun thats already on the calendar. For instance, we have to plan around family Bunco night once a month. We meet up at 6:30pm and Matt has to come straight from work which means he doesn’t have time for the gym after work like normal. So he will move his rest days around accordingly. If you’ve got date night scheduled, make sure you’re planning around fun so you can really enjoy it without feeling guilty or stressed for the things that probably should be getting done in its place.
Plan for fun. You’re not your best you if your life is all work and no play. To ensure you have a productive week, plan for daily “fun” to look forward to. For me, it’s setting aside time to read or watch Grey’s.
2. Meal Prep
Okay listen, if true meal prep for the whole week is not your jam, I understand. On Sundays, I will usually make one protein for the week that Matt and I can use for lunches. You don’t have to go crazy and plan breakfast, lunch , and dinner and have them all prepared in their respective tupperware to get ahead of the game. My go to is crockpot chicken breast. You can read my recipe right here. I cook it on Sunday so that way when Matt makes his lunch the night before, that part is done and all he has to do is microwave a veggie/rice side.
It’s also helpful to prepare any produce you want to eat. For us, it’s strawberries. We both will eat them… as long as they are cut up. But if I leave them in the fridge not prepared, they won’t get eaten and we will end up wasting them.
Because I work from home, I have the luxury of being available to thaw meat out and cook it the day of. Because that is not the case for most people, at least plan what main protein you’re going to have on what days to make sure it’s thawed and/or cooked in time!
3. Set Goals
Set weekly goals y’all. They are so important. You’ll never be any better than last week if you do not do some weekly goal setting. Again, I break mine up in to categories. Mine are work related, personal, and home! Once you’ve determined what they are, you can plan how to split them up over the week to get them done. Mine usually look something like:
Work: Schedule Facebook content out for the week. Engage on Instagram every single day. Or make a visit to a location for content, etc.
Personal: Write 2 blogs this week. Create pins for all drafted blogs. Write Instagram captions. Figure out how to do xyz for blogging…. I am still learning so there’s almost always a “figure out how to” on my list.
Home: Wash bedding. Trim the dogs nails. Pull weeds. My “home” goals tend to be things that can get put off easily. But if I list them out, I am so much more likely to actually accomplish them. 1. I won’t forget about them and 2. When they’re written out, you can prioritize them into order of importance and then split them up over the week so they’re not so overwhelming.
Calling out your goals for the week prevents excuses that’ll keep you from actually getting your crap done.
It sounds silly but, I am not going to get all sweaty pulling weeds if I just washed my hair. So I will schedule that task for a day that my hair is going to need washed. Having “wash bedding” written out reminds me to get it started in the morning so it’ll be dry in time to make the bed before going to sleep.
Your goals will likely look a lot different than mine but it’s important that you set them and plan for how to achieve them. When I was first starting with fitness, my goal would be to go to the gym 5 times and stay within my calorie guidelines for the whole week. When I was a leasing agent, my goal would be to close on X amount of leases for the week. Sometimes my goal is as simple as working through my to-do list without getting overwhelmed.
4. Little Chores
I am absolutely here for brunch, football, and Sunday self care. Sunday is the perfect day to relax and get refreshed for the week ahead. But I don’t recommend doing nothing productive the entire day. Set yourself up for a smooth, stress free Monday morning and a productive week ahead. Try to go to bed with an empty sink, wiped down counters, and laundry put away and tell me your Monday isn’t already leaps and bounds better than normal! Don’t put off a task that takes less than 15 minutes. Get it done before bed and you’ll start your Monday ahead of the game.
5. Go To Bed Early
Just try it once. Actually closing your eyes at the time you said you were going to…. Crazy, I know. When I feel like watching another show or scrolling my Instagram, I think about how absolutely cozy my bed seems in the morning when I don’t want get up. And then I will myself to make it seem that cozy right now.
6. Stop Snoozing
I know, I know. This is technically for Monday morning but bear with me. Not snoozing your alarm will fundamentally better your day and week. If you have to put your phone across the room or change your alarm sound to Taylor Swift, do it. And on top of not snoozing the alarm, get up at least 15 minutes before you absolutely have to. I really recommend 30 minutes but baby steps. Give yourself YOU time, whether that’s scrolling Instagram in silence, prayer, or daily gratitude. This is especially helpful for any mommas reading. Give yourself a little bit of time to wake up slowly, enjoy that coffee, and mentally prepare yourself to crush it before the day even has a chance to get hectic. Snoozing 100% makes you feel sleepier. And being sleepy and running late is a recipe for a stressful Monday.
If you don’t do any of these things already, it may seem like an overwhelming change. So, start small! This Sunday, just plan your to-do list for the week. Or just do some of those little chores before bed. You’ll feel more in control of yourself and what you are able to get done. You may not always be able to stick to your plans or crush all your goals but that’s okay! That’s the beauty of these tips. They set you up for the most successful week you can have when life inevitably throws obstacles your way.
Do you have a Sunday routine that you swear by for a productive week? Leave me a comment and let me know!
If you enjoyed this blog or felt that it was helpful to you, would you mind sharing it on your social for your friends to read too? Thanks girl!
