Sunday Routine

Lately, I have come to enjoy my Sunday because I feel so productive. Sundays are the day where I get my life organized again and plan the week ahead. I am EXTREMELY Type A, so doing this actually brings me a lot of joy.

Preparing on Sundays allows me to feel less stressed throughout the week, which helps me to stay focused on work. I also feel that I have extra free time throughout the week when I do more preparation on Sundays.

I wanted to share 10 things I typically do on any given Sunday. Obviously, this doesn’t happen every Sunday, but when we are home and not traveling, this is the plan I like to stick to.

Meal Plan

• This is where I actually sit down and decide what we are going to eat for the week. I do this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Whether it is going to a happy hour or cooking a meal at home, I write it down in my planner and commit to it!
• Meal Planning has become a priority in my life for several reasons. It helps me to save money by not over-buying on groceries and it forces me to eat healthier because I actually have to write what I am going to eat for the week (and I would feel guilty if I wrote down Pizza or Nachos).
• It also helps us to control the number of days we are going out to eat. We are trying to only go out a few times a week now, so I like to write those days down, so we can look forward to them!

Grocery Shop

• Once you have meal planned, you should know exactly what you need to get for the week! Try not to over-buy – if you REALLY need something else, you can probably go back to the store later in the week.
• I ALWAYS eat a pretty hefty meal before grocery shopping so I don’t over-buy. If I go to the store even slightly hungry, I know I will end up with 10 bags of chips.

Meal Prep

• Wait what? But, I already meal planned?! That’s the key word: planned. You planned, but didn’t prep. Prepping your meals is different from planning your meals.
• I usually take things a step further and actually prep my meals ahead of time, so I am not cooking every day of the week. This past week, I prepped egg muffins for breakfast so I didn’t have to waste 10-15 minutes cooking breakfast each day. The time saved goes a long way.
• Meal Prepping can be a HUGE time saver, and I would recommend doing it for at least half of your meals throughout the week!

Plan Work-Outs for the Week

• This one is BIG for me. I absolutely, 100% need to plan my work-outs for the week or I won’t do them.
• Once I know what I am going to do each day (whether it be a group class or a run), I write it down on my planner and put it in my Outlook calendar. It seems like overkill, but it works for me.
  • I use the Emily Ley Weekly Edition Planner.
• I also schedule the specific time I am going to work out if I am doing my work-out alone. Just saying I am going to run 4 miles tomorrow isn’t enough for me. I have to say, “I am going to run 4 miles at 6 AM tomorrow.” You have to be specific, or it won’t happen.
• Another thing I started doing was laying out my work out outfits the night before – that is yet another helpful reminder for me.

Plan Errands for the Week

• It seems like errands can really pile up. There are weeks where you find yourself with 20+ errands to run and it can be crazy! Doctor appointments, car maintenance, dry cleaning, etc. It all adds up.
• I first write a list of EVERYTHING I know I need to do that week in terms of errands.
• Once I have the list made, I schedule them into my calendar (both my planner and my Outlook calendar).
• Sometimes, I don’t end up getting around to certain things because let’s be real, life happens! However, I do find that I end up getting 90% or more of my errands done if I use this method.

Clean-Up Calendar (and sometimes work e-mails)

• Okay, some people are going to hate this, but yes, I do work on weekends. Depending on how much I have going on, I don’t always work much, but I usually spend 30 minutes – 3 hours of my weekend working.
  • This is actually much improved from the past when I would spend 12-14 hours of each weekend working – don’t do that!
• At a minimum, I like to review my calendar for the week, decline meetings I don’t need to attend and catch-up on a few weekend e-mails. I love having an idea of what is to come that week. I hate going into the week blind.
• Sometimes, I end up doing more work, but it really just depends on the week and how crazy it is.

Set Goals for the Week

• I kind of do this one alongside Number 6, but I really like to sit down and figure out what I need to accomplish for the week.
• For me, this includes work goals, personal goals and goals for my blog. It could be anything from finishing a big work project to completing a DIY project within our house.
• I think it is important to have a birds-eye view of your work and what you want to accomplish.

Make your Monday To-Do List

• You probably think I am list-crazy by now, and I am. I am obsessed with making lists.
• I try to make my Monday to-do list on Sunday night. I ask myself, “What do I need to get done on Monday, specifically?”
• Once I have my list, I write it down on my planer AND my Outlook calendar (notice a theme?).
• There are times I don’t get around to this on Sunday night. If i don’t do this on Sunday night, I do it first thing Monday morning before 7 AM!

Clean Clean Clean

• We keep our house pretty tidy in the first place, so I don’t feel like I have to spend too much time on Sunday cleaning.
• The things I always make sure to clean are: the kitchen, living room and bedroom. I absolutely cannot have dirty dishes in the sink – it will throw off my entire week. There is something about having a clean kitchen that makes me feel so good.
• Something else I do every Sunday is wash our sheets and towels. I think sheets and towels get so gross, so I am religious about washing them on a weekly basis.
• From time-to-time, I clean other parts of the house, but it depends on the week and how much time I have.
• If you have a maid or housekeeper than does all of this for you…..I am very jealous 🙂

Relax!!

• This is the most important. Out of all the things I talked about, make sure you relax.
• You are going to have a long week ahead, so make sure you take some time for yourself. Pour yourself a glass of wine, take a bath, read a book, watch a show, etc. Do whatever makes you feel relaxed and ready for the week.
• Personally, I like to sit down with a glass of Cabernet and talk to my husband. We like to catch-up, talk about our weeks ahead and just relax together. I also use this time to catch-up on reading my favorite magazine – Wine Spectator!

Phew! That was a lot 🙂

I wanted to give everyone an overview of my Sunday Routine in case you were looking to get more organized going into your week. I truly believe this helps me to stay focused! When I don’t follow my routine on Sunday, I tend to feel like a chicken with its head cut off.

Obviously, there are weeks I don’t follow this at all (travel) or weeks I miss certain steps. That is okay. I think the most important thing is that you are doing your best to try to get as organized as possible!

What are some of your Sunday traditions and routines? Do you follow a similar schedule? Do you ever find it to be difficult to get it all done? Please leave a comment down below!

-Catheryn