I’ve always struggled in finding the balance between relaxing + getting stuff done on a Sunday afternoon. Part of me always wants to just veg out… or enjoy a beautiful day outside… yet another part of me knows that if I do a little bit of prep work for the week ahead, I really set myself, and our family, up for success. I guess the saying that “A Sunday well spent brings a week of content” holds some merit. I’ve tried the whole “Sunday Funday” mentality and all it gets me is a whole bunch of anxiety come Monday morning. That being said, over the years I’ve come to find a partial balance…. leave room for some play + relaxation… while at the same time making sure I do five simple things to set a good tone for the week ahead. Today I thought I’d share what those five steps are with you…..

1. Meal Plan: TJ + I have this conversation every Sunday morning…. what sounds good for dinner the following week. Sometimes we turn to tried + true favorites, and other times we venture out…. I peruse Pinterest or some favorite websites and we put together a list of 5 meals (Sunday-Thursday) that are healthy, nutritious, and simple to prepare (I prefer 25 minutes or less start to finish). I do a little meal prep, such as cutting up some fruits + veggies to freeze for smoothies…. making a batch of quinoa (if I don’t buy it frozen from Trader Joe’s), and sometimes we will make some ground turkey so we can easily toss it in a salad for lunch. A few quick and easy make ahead breakfast options include my oatmeal bake, egg muffins, chia seed pudding (leave out spirulina if you want), and muesli. Having dinner planned out before the craziness of the week sets in really ensures that we’re able to eat clean + healthy.

2. Grocery Shop: Once we have a general idea of the meals we will be having, heading to the store and stocking up eliminate any need to go to the store during the week… and having all the healthy ingredients on hand pretty much ensures that we eat clean during the week. While it’s sometimes a burden to have to go to the store, I know that it ultimately sets us all up for success… and if I’m really feeling lazy that day I’ll use Amazon Prime Whole Foods delivery or instacart… although Trader Joe’s isn’t on there, so a trip there is typically always on the agenda.

3. Workout Plan: On Sunday evening, I’ll put together a tentative workout plan in my head. Since being pregnant, I’ve been more lenient with this based on how I feel each morning, but I can still typically modify it if I need to. I basically pick a cardio + strength training routine for each day + allot an approximate amount of time for each. For example, Monday is usually a morning run (30 minutes) followed by a 15 minute booty routine…. Tuesday is typically a spin class (no strength)… Wednesday I make the cardio section lighter (maybe just a morning walk) and a longer total body strength routine, etc….. Since I use the Tone It Up app (mainly the on demand section) I can also go in and pre-select the workouts I want to complete to eliminate wasted time in the morning. Having a loose schedule helps me to stay accountable.

4. The List: Then I create my “list” of everything that needs to get done for the week…. from posts + photos to scheduling appointments, going to appointments, and following up with lingering issues…. if it’s something on my mind it gets written down. This always helps me to see what I am dealing with, prioritize each “thing,” and then create a plan from there that allows me to slowly cross items off the list…..

5. Schedule: After I create the list, I schedule everything into my planner (yes, I still use a paper planner…. it’s just so much easier for me….). Each “thing” gets an allotted day, with those top priority items being scheduled in first. This week I had 8 must have items scheduled in on Monday and I completed 7 of them. I moved the item that didn’t get completed to top priority on Tuesday…. and then as the week has progressed, have added a few more items here and there. So while it’s always my goal to cross everything off in a day, if it doesn’t happen I just move it to the next. By the end of the week it’s so rewarding to see a book full of “to do’s” crossed off!

That’s it…. super simple, but when I do those five things on a Sunday it really sets me up for success during the week…. and minimizes (as much as possible) mid-week stressors (or at least stressors that I can control).
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