Sunday Routines for a Productive Week

Sunday Routines for a Productive Week

Sunday.

Most people have a love/hate relationship with Sunday, because while it’s typically a day of rest, the workweek looms ahead.

But I see Sunday as a day of clarity.

A day to affirm what my goals and priorities are for the coming week, and to map out my schedule.

Sunday has become my favorite day of the week because of the supportive routine I’ve created around it.

Let’s talk about Sunday routines you can create to set yourself up for a productive week.

Sunday Routines for a Productive Week

Wake Up at the Same Time

I personally recommend waking up at the same time every day of the week.

Even on weekends.

But for some people, waking up on Sunday as early as they wake up Monday through Friday is brutal.

If waking up at the same time every day Sunday through Saturday is too much for you, at least wake up at the same time on weekends.

And don’t over-sleep.

You’ll waste half the day, and have a harder time going to bed that night, which then will carry over to you struggling to get up with your alarm the following morning.

Set an alarm if you need to.

I’m up by 6:30 am any given day of the week and I find this to be beneficial for me, but you may be different.

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to wake up and go to bed at the same times as often as possible, regardless of the day of the week, because your body adjusts to your sleep schedule.

It makes it much easier to get up and go to bed when you’re on a set schedule.

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Review Goals, Priorities & Schedule

Do this first thing in the morning.

I spend time first thing every morning reviewing my goals, journaling, looking at the day’s schedule, etc.

But on Sundays, I do this to start, and then focus on scheduling out my week.

If you don’t already use Google Calendar or a paper planner, I recommend getting one asap.

Then, schedule out tasks and priorities as results, not mindless to-dos.

A lot of people make to-do lists and wind up busy, but unproductive.

Being busy does not always equal being productive.

A good example of this is being busy with someone else’s agenda.

If you look at your schedule for the coming week and discover you’re saying “yes” to other people’s agendas, leaving little time for yourself, it’s time to put a stop to it.

If you’re asked to do something that does not support your goals, it’s ok to say “no.”

In fact, I highly recommend it.

A few years ago, I realized I was consistently gone in the evenings serving someone else’s agenda and had no time for myself or my family.

I put a stop to that and now am seldom gone on work week nights.

As a result, I have much more time for myself and my family.

When you schedule your time as results, it brings clarity to how your time is spent.

That’s why I consider Sunday to be a day of clarity.

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Meal Prep & Clothes Prep

This is especially important if you work outside the home, but it’s still helpful even if you work from home.

Taking the time to prep your meals during working hours and laying out your clothes the night before saves so much time during the work day.

Meal Prep

If you struggle to eat a balanced, nutritious diet, this is a great way to succeed at it.

Get what you need at the store in advance (pick a day of the week and time to grocery shop on a weekly basis) and pack healthy fare such as salads, soups, light sandwiches and healthy snacks such as nuts or fruit.

When I still worked in an office, I’d have my salad, sandwiches, etc. ready to go in the fridge come Monday morning, and I’d store healthy snacks and K-cups for the Keurig in my desk drawer.

I used glass containers similar to these to pack and store my food in.

This way, I could completely bypass Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts in the morning, as well as going out to lunch and spending money.

Not only do you set yourself up to eat well on the job, you avoid spending money on eating out.

If you’re trying to cut back on spending, pack your food for work and stop eating out.

All those $5 Frappuccino’s from Starbucks add up over time.

Once you start the habit of packing your meals for work, it gets easier to turn down Dunkin’ Donuts breakfasts and lunches out.

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Clothes Prep

Another way to get ahead for the coming week is to lay out your clothes in advance.

When I worked in an office, I would pull out clothes for all five work days, including jewelry and shoes.

I would lay my clothes out in neat piles on the bed in my spare bedroom. You may not have that kind of room in your house, but even picking out your clothes one night in advance for the following day and setting them on your dresser is a time-saver.

Mornings were made so much easier for me because I didn’t have to figure out what to wear. I could just grab the clothes and get dressed.

You can still do this even if you work from home. It still saves you time in the mornings.

I swear by meal prepping and clothes prepping to save time in the mornings and make the coming workday that much easier.

Resources:

How to Show Up as Your Best Self Daily

Relax

It’s important to schedule a block of time for Sundays where you can just relax and do what you enjoy.

I spend the first part of my day doing weekly reports for my business and also clients’ businesses, as well as some other work. Once that’s done, I preserve the rest of the day to spend time with family and essentially do what I want.

When you’re scheduling out results for the coming week, don’t forget to schedule time to relax and do the things you enjoy.

Just be mindful of how much time you’re spending doing those things.

It’s important to track how many hours you’re spending consuming content that doesn’t increase your value.

For example, I love Nintendo, fiction novels, and watching football.

I set aside time on Sunday to indulge in these activities, but I also partake very little or not at all in these activities during the work week.

Also, I spend just as much time consuming and creating value-enhancing content to offset the low-quality content I consume on Sundays.

As a whole, allowing yourself time to enjoy the things you love will leave you heading into the work week with a feeling of fulfillment.

I keep a full, purpose-driven schedule, so the down-time on Sundays leaves me feeling fulfilled, like I not only achieved what I set out to do from a career-standpoint, but also had downtime to offset my hard work.