I absolutely love MONDAYS. Here’s a statement I thought I’d never say. Back when I was working in a corporate job, I used to hate Mondays. Yes “hate” is a very strong work but yes, I used to hate Mondays.
Fast forward to now, when I look forward to Monday mornings and getting productive for the week ahead. It has not been an overnight change.
I realised I used to hate Mondays partly because I didn’t like the job I had, and partly because I used to do absolutely nothing to prepare me for the upcoming week. The entire week felt like something I had to get through to be able to enjoy my life on the weekend.
So sad right?
A lot has changed in the last couple of years and one thing that has made the biggest difference in this shift has been MY SUNDAY RESET ROUTINE.
Sunday reset routine is exactly what it sounds like.
A routine that allows you to reset your life every Sunday so that you are more aligned with your goals and feeling more inspired to take on the upcoming week and work towards your goals.
You know that feeling that you get at the beginning of a new year? Like you can change your life and you have all the control over your narrative? Sunday reset routine allows you to have a mini version of that energy every week.
WHY YOU NEED A RESET ROUTINE?
Do you often feel like you set goals but never actually end up hitting those goals?
Sometimes life gets in the way. I know.
I have 2 little ones and life gets in the way almost every single week lol. But Sunday reset allows me to refocus my energy and work towards my goals.
You see, Goals setting works only when you’re constantly tracking your progress too. Setting goals once and then forgetting about them for the rest of the month/year won’t do you any good. And that’s where this RESET and a MONTHLY RESET comes in.
Do you feel like your house is always a mess & it gets overwhelming?
A Sunday RESET also allows you to put your home back into a decent condition. When my home is looking organised and decluttered and I know things are in place, my week goes by more smoothly.
And a Sunday Reset means the home is in a tip top shape for the beginning of a new week. It’s another story that it still gets messy by the end of the week (with 2 little ones and no full time help). But that’s what next Sunday is for lol 😛
Do you end up ordering food or eating out more often than you’d like?
Sunday Reset will help you eat healthy home cooked food too. Eating healthy and home cooked food becomes easy when you have already done some meal planning and prepping and you have groceries already stocked in the fridge.
I know it sounds like a solution to all the problems.
And it kind of is.
Doing these “house keeping” tasks on a Sunday means you’re thinking about the future you, who’s going to sail through the new week, while also working towards your goals. Win-win!
WHAT to include in RESET ROUTINE?
The best part about the routines is that there is no one size fits all and you can customise it according to what your life looks like right now. But I believe that information is helpful, so here’s everything that I do:
#1:TO-DO LIST:
Every Sunday I make a Master to-do list of all the things I need to get done in the upcoming week. How you write your to-do lists is totally upto you, but I like dividing mine into different categories. So I’ll write all the work related tasks, home related tasks and kids related tasks in different lists. As the week progresses, I keep revisiting this master to-do list and then deciding what I can do a daily basis.
I used to plan my days in advance but I no longer do that because life with kids is pretty unpredictable. And I don’t like the idea of not getting my to-do list for the day done. So I make one for the week instead. That allows me more flexibility on a day to day basis. I also make a priority list for the important tasks like vaccines etc. so that we can get those done at the beginning of the week.
#2: BRAIN DUMP:
I will also take my journal and write whatever comes to my mind as a brain dump. Sit down with your journal in a quiet space and a beverage for 15-20 minutes and write down whatever is weighing your mind.
You’d be surprised to see what goes on in your mind, once you start journalling daily. I highly recommend it if you haven’t tried it. Here are some Journal prompts of you find free journalling confusing.
Reading back your brain dump will sometimes tell you a few more things that need to be on your to-do list. For me, it’s usually things related to home like hanging a picture, moving a plant. I always find these little tasks weighing down my subconscious when it really just takes a few minutes to get it done.
#3: MEAL PLANNING:
I always meal plan on Sundays. Trying to have home cooked meals with kids and especially one BLW baby is not an easy task. We cook a lot. And if it wasn’t for meal planning, I’d end up making the same daal rice everyday. Meal planning allows me to plan ahead so that we can add in more variety in our weekly menu.
#4: MEAL PREPPING:
Meal prepping on Sundays is such a time saver on the weekdays. All of the veggies are already chopped and fruits are all ready to be consumed.
I don’t like batch cooking and we love having fresh home cooked everyday. I can’t eat the same thing for breakfast/lunch or dinner everyday for the entire week. But a little bit of meal prepping in advance saves a lot of time on the daily and it ensures that I am not spending more than 20 minutes in the kitchen per meal. And that feels like a healthy balance that I can manage without getting drenched in sweat in the kitchen.
#5: GROCERY SHOPPING:
We always do one big grocery shopping every month and then on the weekend we just need to get the fresh produce for the week. I usually plan for leafy green veggies at the start of the week so that nothing goes bad. And then we buy them again on a Wednesday or Thursday depending on what’s on the menu
. And then there are vegetables like cabbage or bottle gourd that you can have in the fridge for a couple of days before you cook them. The idea is to have the veggies and fruit stocked so that there are less excuses to order food from outside. This also helps us avoid eating things like breads/ maggi etc.
#6: CLEAN & ORGANISE:
This one is a non negotiable because by the end of the week, the house ends up looking messy (no matter how much I try). So I like taking some time on the weekend to get the house in order and also, get through all the remaining laundry (it’s a lot with kids 😛 )
But this helps us start the new week on a fresh note. There is no laundry that needs to be done and the house is in order. All the toys are in their place and all the books are organised too.
I don’t usually deep clean on the weekends though. Because there’s already a lot going on and when I get into a deep cleaning mode it can take several hours. So that usually happens once a month and also we take up different areas of the home to deep clean every now and then whenever we have the time.
We also have daily cleaning lists( AM & PM) that helps us manage the house on a daily basis. And one of us, usually cleans the home post dinner while the other one puts the kids to bed. If you want a detailed post on the different cleaning lists that help us manage the home with 2 little ones, check out this post.
# 7: GARDENING:
On the weekdays, we usually just water the plants(as needed) and weekends are reserved for some extra TLC. Any plants that need repotting, trimming etc, it all happens on the weekends.
All the indoor plants also come out for their dose of sunshine and to get washed down.
The balcony also gets deep cleaned on the weekends. That involves moving all the pots from their place and washing the entire balcony.
#8: Cleaning & Wiping down baby carriers and Cycles etc:
This one is such a task, UGH! Especially cleaning the pram. Especially when your little BLW baby wanted to eat a banana the minute you got it from the shop!! hahaha!
But, doing it all on a Sunday means worrying a “little” less about the germs. Of course your toddler will still roll in the sand in the sand park. But there is so much you can control as a parent lol. Sooooo, everything gets cleaned or wiped down on the weekends.
The high chair also gets deep cleaned every weekend. And that’s always so much fun yay!
#9: Clean TOYS etc:
Speaking of kids stuff, there are a lot of things that get boiled/washed and/or cleaned on a weekly basis. Our play mat for example gets washed on a weekly basis. Daily we usually just wipe it down.
Then there are toys and rattles that the little one plays with. They also get boiled every weekend.
And then there are bottles and sippers and straw cups and what not. Although they get cleaned and boiled everyday, weekends we usually double clean and boil them twice for the peace of mind.
#10: Nightstands & DESKS:
I end up accumulating a lot of books/journals and skin care products on my side table and I’d usually clean it all on the weekends. I put back the books I am done reading and get new ones that I want to start with. I will also usually change my candle if I feel like it.
I also deep clean my work desk on the weekend and manage with a quick clean on a daily basis. I used to clean it almost daily but ever since having kids, a lot of my priorities have changed.
#11: PLAN OUT CONTENT:
A lot of the content gets planned at the end of the month or the beginning of a new month, but there is still something that’s left for the weekend. And I usually plan it out on a Sunday so that I am more organised for the week.
I use Pinterest a lot and usually make all my pins for the week on a Sunday as well. It doesn’t take that long when you are using templates to make the pins. So I usually end up making all the pins and getting everything ready for the week in about 15 minutes.
#12: SELF CARE:
Self Care Sundays have been a thing since years and I like keeping it that way. A little pampering on a Sunday keeps so good. Whether it is getting your hair done, or simply doing a little spa at home. Sundays are for hair masks, face masks and taking that extra long shower too.
Sometimes, I will also plan all my self care things for the week in advance. Because with kids, self care sometimes takes a back seat. But with a little planning, it’s totally possible to include it in your daily routine.
#13: READING:
Although I read almost daily, but sometimes I like taking out some extra time on a Sunday, especially when I am reading fiction and if the book is at a really interesting chapter. Nothing beats sitting down in your balcony with a warm drink and a book (while the kids are at the park with their grandparents 😛 )
I also usually take about an hour every Sunday to study. I am currently getting a certification and I like learning new things, so I end up catching up on my studies, when the kids nap in the afternoons.
#14: Plan Workouts:
This is something I have recently started doing. I like trying new workouts, so I search youtube for workout videos and plan out my week’s workouts in advance. This eliminates the possibility of using this excuse and also saves me more time on a day to day basis.
If I’m trying any new workouts, I will make sure to add the ones that I love to my list that I can refer back on the weekends when I am planning next week.
#15: Plan Outfits:
Getting out of the house with kids is a task in itself and takes a minimum of one hour when you have to dress everyone and then also yourself. So I usually like planning our outfits in advance, especially if we have any gatherings or playdates to go to.
I have also recently started dressing up while working from home too, and that makes such a big difference in my overall mood and productivity. So I will plan my week’s outfits too along with my workout outfits. Having workout outfits planned also means I am less likely to skip my workouts. It’s all about having a prepared environment that supports your healthy habits and lifestyle.
Planning my outfits helps me wear more things from my closet and not keep repeating the same outfit every two days lol.
That’s about it. That’s every thing I usually do on Sundays when we’re at home. Doing these things on a Sunday allow me to RESET my life and get everything in order for the new week ahead. I like being prepared and organised and this little reset routine helps me feel more in control and makes me excited for the upcoming week.
What do you do on Sundays that helps your week go by more smoothly, tell me in the comments below!
Leave a Reply