Hello lovelies,
I hope you all had a wonderful start to the year 🙂
I had to go to the office on Thursday and Friday, unfortunately, to get some work done – it is indeed a very weird time period of the year as clients are either too eager to start new projects (which most probably they have forgotten before their Christmas holidays and are now urgent) or they are still away and my email inbox is still relatively quiet. There is simply no in between.
It is the weekend now and we have spent it at home getting the much needed sleep after the festivities and enjoying each other’s company. I also found some time to prepare for the week ahead by doing my favourite Sunday routine. I came up with this routine after numerous weekends in which I felt that I had completely wasted my time doing nothing. One of the things that I learned the past year or so is the importance of having productive weekends. Yes, it is very tempting to just relax and do nothing after a tiresome week juggling all work and personal commitments, but it will be even more tiresome on Monday when you find out that you are behind on some of your errands. For this reason I came up with a short list of 7 things that I try to do every Sunday to prepare for the week ahead.
Create a to-do list
I usually dedicate at least half an hour on Sundays to brainstorm what I will be doing next week taking into consideration not only work-related tasks but also personal and home matters (like when I will be cleaning our apartment). By writing down everything you need to get accomplished during the upcoming week, you will be able to better plan each day and won’t be surprised by any deadlines.
Prioritize
I have been trying to apply the subtle art of prioritizing for the past 2 years – pretty much since I became a Project Manager and all project details started to be solely my responsibility. If you have an urgent deadline coming up, make sure you schedule enough time to finish that project first even if it means pushing off other tasks. I know it can feel a bit stressful to leave some tasks to the side for the time being, but by focusing on just the urgent project you will gain a much clearer perspective which in the long run is the better option.
Prioritizing for the week has become a lot easier since I started using the gorgeous planner from Remindart. This is a Bulgarian brand that specializes in all things stationary and their latest portfolio addition has been this beautiful planner. I can now plan not only my year goals but also separate them in clear actionable steps each 90 days, each month and even each week. This will definitely help me be even more organized and keep track of everything that I need to do this year. Keep your eyes pilled as I plan on writing a full blog post on how I use the planner and why it has become my favourite planner I have ever used.
Go grocery shopping
To be perfectly honest, I am still trying to perfect this one – we cannot do this every weekend but we can definitely see some progress over the past 2 years. By doing your grocery shopping during the weekend you 1) will be sure that you have enough food at home and won’t need to spend that extra money out, and 2) will be able to cook much more at home during the upcoming week.
Do laundry
Take some time this Sunday and do your laundry. In this way, everything you might need next week will be fresh and clean, ready to be used within arm’s reach. Another huge advantage of this little habit is the fact that you can plan your outfits for the whole week ahead in advance and get some extra sleep in the mornings.
Take a look at your budget
This is literally my favourite part of my Sunday routine and I try to do it absolutely every weekend. By reviewing your finances you can decide on how much you can spend the upcoming week. If you have gone a bit overboard, you can plan to take any leftover food for your lunches and balance your financial spreadsheet. On the other hand, if you have been good at keeping your budget within limits, you can treat yourself to something more lavish.
Get enough sleep
It’s important to give yourself a proper night of sleep before tackling Monday! Don’t forget to go to bed a bit earlier and set your alarm. I am using my new favourite app, Sleep Cycle and I will soon share all my thoughts on it and why I started using it exclusively.
Enjoy your time off
No matter how busy your upcoming week will be, don’t forget to enjoy your time off, disconnect for a moment and be truly present. Watching reruns of your favourite TV show, lounging in a bubble bath or enjoying a walk in the park. It’s simpler than you think.
How do you prepare yourself for the week ahead? I would love to hear any new suggestions from you.
Love,
Chrisy
