So, work weeks are hectic, right? I mean, you are constantly rushing from one place to another through out the week. And you are always trying to get things checked off your to-do list. Then you get a little break over on the weekends before you have to do it all over again.
I hear you.
I know what busy looks like. And I am glad I have found a system that works and helps me be more productive. And here is how you can plan for a productive week as well:
We will go over it in 3 steps.
- Organise your space
- Organise your Week Ahead
- Get ready for Monday
Organise your space:
A clean organised space helps you in organising your thoughts better. Believe it or not, a messy room or a messy work space often results in unclear thoughts that seem to go in all directions. And I find that cleaning my workspace allows me to start the new week on a fresh note.
For organising my work space:
I clean out my work desk
And toss away any trash papers etc. Then I go ahead and give everything a wipe using a wet tissue and rearrange the things on my desk. I keep changing it up every now and then so that I don’t get bored.
I have a weekly do list check list white board that I wipe clean. And if there are any tasks that I didn’t get done, I will add them to the new week’s to-do list.
Clean my Macbook
At this point I also go ahead and give my Mac book Pro a good clean. And quite honestly, I think it deserves it after those long work weeks as well. I use a silicone keypad cover to protect the keyboard from dust etc. So on weekends, usually on a Sunday, I give the silicone cover a wash as well.
I got mine from Amazon.
RELATED: SUNDAY RESET ROUTINE
CLEAN & ORGANISE HOME:
I also deep clean some areas of my home each weekend. I don’t have the time to get into deep cleaning on weekdays, so weekends are reserved for whatever needs deep cleaning. For the weekdays I have my “EVERY DAMN DAY LIST” that helps me sail through. But getting everything clean on the weekends allow me to start the new week on a fresh note. having your space organised is such a big plus.
Organise your week ahead:
This is the part where I organise my upcoming week. So on a Sunday night, I usually fill in all the important tasks that I have to get done in the coming week.
I also go over my last week and do a WEEKLY REVIEW. So, I look at the things that went well and then the things that did not go well. The weekly review helps me understand where I need to be putting in more efforts. It helps me keep a check on whether my actions are aligned with my goals or not. And if not, then I can refocus in the coming week.
SEtting top 3 priorities:
For each week, I like setting my top 3 priorities for the week. These are all tasks that I NEED to get done in my work week. These top priority tasks are the ones that are super important for me to achieve my goals.
Because life can be very busy and sometimes unpredictable. I have 2 little ones at home and with kids, it’s even more chaotic. And there are weeks when I end up not working at all. But I will somehow try to find the time to get my top priority tasks done.
It essentially means that even if I have a pretty shitty week, I know I will be on the right track as long as I am finishing these 3 prioritised tasks. And that gives me peace of mind, knowing that I will reach my goals, even if my pace is slower right now.
To-do list for the week:
I often plan a rough to-do list for the week on Sunday night. I do not like planning out my entire day-wise schedule. But having a rough idea oh how busy the week is going to be, doesn’t hurt either.
Most of the weeks I keep this running to-do list or a master to-do list and in the morning I will look at the list and see what all I can fit in my day. And whatever doesn’t get done, gets migrated to the next day.
I find a running to-do list is so much better than over scheduling and over planning.
Because things always come up. Not everything will go according to your plan and for any planning to be successful, you have to be a bit flexible as well. And having a to-do list that I can add things to or delete things from, helps me do that.
Get ready for Monday:
Mondays are usually the hardest. Getting back into the grind, you know? But then, they don’t have to be.
I like preparing for Mondays and starting the week on a productive note. And this usually has a few steps:
STEP 1: Meal Prep
Meal prepping takes a load off my shoulders. And meal planning and prepping for Monday, if not for the week, is such a life saver. Mondays are generally already very busy and I like not having the additional chore.
I often do some basic meal prep on Sundays. Sometimes I will prepare the entire dish on Sunday evening or night. But most of the times, I do the prep; which involves chopping up veggies, preparing the dough etc.
Step 2: Set out clothes
I used to do this back when I was working in corporate and it used to be such a time saver. I used to set out clothes on Sunday night, that I want to wear on Monday. And this used to allow me more time to have breakfast and not be rushed to head to office.
Now that I work from home, I set out workout clothes for the morning. So that I am reminded to workout in the morning and I don’t make any excuses. Preparing the environment helps me make following good habits a lot easier for myself.
STEp 3: Relax & brain dump:
Relaxing and organising your thoughts is super important to have a productive week. And Sunday nights are reserved for exactly that.
I take my bullet journal and write in it for 30 minutes without any interruptions. This allows me to put every thought that comes to my mind in my journal. And when you go through these journal entries later on, you find that you can make sense of your thoughts with ease.
It’s amazing how sometimes putting our thoughts on paper
So if you struggle with organising your thoughts as well, do give journalling a try. It’s definitely under-rated.
I often also take a long relaxing shower and catch up on some reading on Sunday night. This puts me in a good mood as I go to bed and ready to tackle the week on a Monday morning.
IF you need a detailed post on how I RESET on SUNDAYS, checkout this SUNDAY RESET POST.
And that’s it. Everything you need to have a productive week.
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