We all dread Sundays, as they are reminders that our work week and all of its hustle will start over soon. So in an effort to try to extend the weekend, many of us lounge around as long as possible on Sunday to ensure that we obtain as much rest as possible before the madness restarts. But what if you spent that time planning instead?
But when the work week starts, we sometimes feel like the wind is knocked out of our wings, and we are pretty much dragging ourselves through the rest of the week. Many times, this is due to a lack of planning which results in us doing damage control rather than checking things off of our list. Instead of looking at Sundays as a depressing day where you lament the loss of the weekend, with these seven planning tips, you will start looking at Sundays as your prep day for the week. From here on out, on Sundays:
1. You Will Do Your Laundry
Use that day to ensure that all of your clothes, especially the ones for work, school, and any other activities are all clean. This will help you avoid surprises on Wednesday night when you are planning for the big presentation for work.
2. You Will Plan Out Your Wardrobe
You do not need to be a fashionista to appreciate this convenience. Having all of your clothes clean, you are able to then prepare your outfits for the week. For the super organized personalities, you can even coordinate them ahead of time, and thus will save a good fifteen minutes in the morning hence, fifteen more minutes of sleep.
3.You Will Prepare Your Meals
This is especially important if you are on any particular diet plans or are simply budgeting. Preparing a few meals for lunch and dinner ahead of time will remove that “what’s for lunch/dinner?” question. You can simply season your protein, cook some items in bulk such as the grains, or simply pre-package your snacks and have them readily available in the refrigerator or pantry.
4.You Will Take Care of Your Finances
There is nothing worse than late fees! To easily avoid these, make Sundays your financial planning day. Look at the week ahead and cross-reference your bills to ensure that you plan ahead for anything due during that week. This will avoid the last minute trips to the bank and thus save you some time.
5.You Will Take Care of Your Car
Most of us make use of a personal vehicle on a daily basis and no one likes to turn on the key and see the low fuel indicator appear on the dashboard. Make Sundays the designated day to handle all of the small details for the car: fill up your tank, get a quick car wash and/ or vacuum. Ensuring that your car is ready for the week means one less stop during the week and thus one less stressor.
6.You Will Create a Checklist For The Week
As much as we would like to rely on our keen memory, sometimes we are so busy that something slips out. A checklist is a sure way to ensure that all important items for the week will be taken care of. Use your Sunday as your planning day and outline everything that will need to be taken care of during the week. Smart phone users can even make use of the calendar on the phone for quick access and easy reminders.
7.You Will Get a Good Night Sleep
This might be the easiest part of the day, but some of us fail to realize its importance. Making sure that you get a good night sleep and the average 7-9 hours suggested by the National Sleep Foundation is key in helping you get the rest that your body needs in order to take on the week’s challenges. More rest will also put you in a much better mood.
While Sundays still mark the end of your weekend and the beginning of the new work week, with these quick planning tips, you can make the most of the day and prepare as much as possible for the week ahead. This will also make each day a little less stressful and by the time the next weekend comes, you won’t feel as tired.
Featured photo credit: Lazy Sunday/ Rodolfo Parulan via flickr.com
