Sunday Check-In: How to Spend Your Sunday to Set Yourself Up for Success
When you think about how you spend your Sundays, do you think about how you can set yourself up for next week’s success?
What steps do you take on Sunday to prepare yourself for the week ahead?
It’s important to take some time on Sunday to relax. However, by taking a bit of time to tie up loose ends from the week before and prepare for the week ahead, you can go into this new week with confidence and poise, knowing you are ready for whatever life throws at you.
Here are some great tips on small ways you can set yourself up for success for the following week with just a bit of preparation on Sunday.
1. Check Your Calendar
Whether you use a physical copy or keep everything in your Google account, go over your calendar and mentally prepare for the week ahead. Don’t rely on notifications; you might have set up a call with someone weeks ago and it’s slipped your mind. If you didn’t set a notification or you just don’t see it pop up on your phone, you’ve missed the call and disrespected the other person’s time.
Make sure all the verbal agreements you’ve made with people about future plans don’t contradict anything on the calendar. Go ahead and add those plans to the calendar so you don’t forget. Seeing your week laid out in this format can give you ideas on when you can relax and when you can fit in errands.
Once you have a handle on what your week is going to look like, take the time to prepare and plan ahead.
- Do you have your outfit planned for that dinner party?
- Is your PowerPoint for that important presentation finished up?
- Do you have your talking points written out for what you want to discuss during your meeting?
- Do you have a reservation on the books for date night?
- Did you book a dog sitter for your overnight trip?
Tie up all your loose ends so you don’t have any uncertainties going into the week.
2. Review Last Week’s To-Do List
What did you need to accomplish last week? What is still on the list that needs attention?
Cross off whatever you accomplished. The satisfaction of marking tasks off your list is important gratification for your brain. If there are still tasks left, evaluate them.
- Are they still relevant?
- Do they have a hard deadline?
- Is this still something I need to complete?
- What do I need to prioritize?
- Does this really belong on my list?
Start your to-do list for the next week. Write down the important tasks from last week at the top of the list. Write down their due dates at the front of the task, so you know what you need to focus on and what you can just fit in when you have time.
Let go of tasks that are no longer important. As you transfer over the tasks, cross them off the old to-do list; you’re letting go of the thoughts about how you “should” have finished them last week. Crumple up the old list and throw it away.
Finish up your to-do list with this week’s task and display it on the fridge or somewhere else prominent to keep yourself focused and centered. Make sure you build in time for yourself on the list. “Self-care” and “me time” should always be something on your to-do list.
3. Meal Plan
Ever scramble in the morning trying to put together a meal to pack for lunch, only to just give up and grab fast food for the third time that week?
We’re all guilty of this at some point or another.
Knowing ahead of time what your meals will look like for the week will remove a lot of last-minute stress that comes from not knowing what to pack for lunch.
A good tip is to make a big dinner on Sunday night so you can bring the leftovers to work for the next few days. Make a list of meals you can make, write down the ingredients you need, and go to the grocery store on Sunday. That way you don’t have to spend any of your precious alone time after work going to the grocery store.
If you’re looking for exciting meal ideas to try, check out our recipe section!
4. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Sleep is so essential for your physical health and mental wellness. Starting off the week on a poor night’s rest?
It’s a recipe for disaster.
Getting yourself to go to bed can be tough. Going to bed means it’s the end of the weekend and when you wake up, it’s time for work.
But just think about how much better your week will be if you start off well-rested, rather than groggy and grumpy.
If you lose track of time easily, set an alarm to remind yourself to start the process of going to bed. If you get to sleep early, you can get up a bit earlier so you have a less hectic morning.
Starting the day with a bit of time to yourself to just sit and drink coffee or maybe journal will give you the peace of mind and clarity to move through the rest of your week with strength.
A Bit of Preparation Can Lead to a Week of Success
Taking the time to plan and process the week before it begins can do wonders for your mental health. Having a sense of preparedness gives you the confidence to hit your productivity goals and do your best to make the week great.
The best way to end a productive Sunday? Treat yourself to some rest and relaxation. Before you go to bed, take a bath, read a book, practice skincare, or cook a delicious meal.
Try to stay off your phone and just focus on you. Savor the last part of your weekend and prepare yourself for what the next week has in store for you.
Author, Artist, Photographer.
Sarah Margaret is an artist who expresses her love for feminism, equality, and justice through a variety of mediums: photography, filmmaking, poetry, illustration, song, acting, and of course, writing.
She owns Still Poetry Photography, a company that showcases her passion for capturing poetic moments in time. Instead of poetry in motion, she captures visual poetry in fractions of a second, making cherished keepsakes of unforgettable moments.
She is the artist behind the Still Poetry Etsy shop, which houses her illustrations and bespoke, handmade items. She is the author of intricacies are just cracks in the wall, a narrative poetry anthology that follows a young woman discovering herself as she emerges from an abusive relationship.
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