The best way to start the week is to live it before it even happens.
Those who fail to plan, plan to fail, right?
If you’re like me, you seem to lose track of time and struggle to check everything off your to-do list throughout the week.
All it takes is my baby taking an extra long nap, forgetting something at the store, or a quick visit with a friend to throw my daily schedule out of whack.
These things are going to happen – there’s no way out of life’s suprises.
The best way to have a productive week is to have a solid Sunday night routine.
Having a Sunday night routine will get you ready for the week ahead, mentally and physically. I love starting the week with a plan because I get a great deal of satisfaction out of checking off my to-do list.
When I have a plan and a list I simply have more time. For example, taking 20 minutes to go through my pantry and fridge to create a meal plan means I only have to go to the store once, instead of 3 times. I’m saving literal hours or my time by taking an extra 20 minutes before the week starts to get organized.
It sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, like any normal human I’m prone to exhaustion, procrastination and pure laziness. I always think that planning ahead is for those type-A people, the ones who took neat notes in school and have color coded binders, the ones who carry little bags within their purses to organize all their stuff. I am not one of those people!
But, I do love my free time. I need time now to work on my blog and do all the things I like to do. I like to max-out my daughter’s nap time with working. Planning ahead with a Sunday routine is a way that I can ensure that I can use nap time to write.
So, let’s get into the components of a super helpful Sunday routine!
Meal Plan and/or Meal Prep
If you’re going to do one thing on this list, sit down and plan out your meals on Sunday. Go through your fridge and pantry and figure out what needs to be used up first. If you work or prefer to just reach into the fridge and have a precooked meal, meal prep for the week ahead! After you have your list of foods that are near expiration, create a menu. After that, you can create a shopping list based on what other ingredients you need.
Errands Plan
This takes us to our next item on the list: an errands plan! Bonus points for actually completing it on a Sunday. Writing an errands plan can help condense the amount of times you leave your house. If you’re like me, you feel like you’re leaving the house every single day to run another errand. My basic list always consists of the gas station, the grocery store, and Target. When I have my Sunday list made, I can remember to hit all those places in one fell swoop, rather then spreading them out across the week.
Laundry/Housekeeping List
The next component of the Sunday routine is writing out what laundry needs to be washed and what housekeeping needs to be done. Having it written down on paper or in your phone means it’s no longer rattling around inside your head, taking up space. You can check out my post with Kind Laundry to see how you can master your non-toxic, waste-free laundry game!
Review Weekly Calendar
Remember to review your weekly calendar! This is something my husband and I automatically do at the beginning of the week. We kind of verbally go through everything that’s happening that week and what nights we plan to be out of the house. Making sure we’re on the same page about caring for the baby is super important for us!
ABC List
The last item on this list is an ABC list. I learned about these years ago and they are so helpful if you get easily overwhelmed or find your to-do list is endless. I know I could sit and write on my to-do list for hours. An ABC list sorts items based on their importance.
A- Most Important. These are the things that have to get done, like going to the grocery store, feeding the cat, etc.
B- Important – these are things you have to do, but are not hard necessities. These could be catching up on laundry, dropping in on a friend, or answering non-pertinent emails.
C- Somewhat important or “If I Get Around to It” – this usually includes working on my WIP, cleaning some obscure kitchen appliance, or getting ahead on the next week.
So, what do you think of this list?
Do you have a Sunday routine? If not, do you think implementing one would make your life any easier? Let me know below!
O.