Monday morning is a moment in time to approach with great anticipation—a fresh beginning full of opportunities and abundance for the week ahead. So here’s how you can create a nice sunday to-do list to start your week organized.
This anticipation starts hours prior—intentionally setting aside a few moments before the hustle and bustle of a new week to prepare—yourself, your environment and your agenda.
We set out to answer the question: “How can I make Monday (and the days that follow) better—more productive, calm and fun?”
The answer: intentionally prepare your Sunday to do list!
< Download your free Sunday Prep Ritual: a roadmap to approaching each week with purpose, peace and productivity. >
The Sunday Prep flow is a weekly ritual to help you intentionally plan out your week so you can
approach each day with focus and reap rewards of abundance!
Why prepare on Sundays for the week ahead
Have you ever sat down on Monday morning and spent half the day trying to figure out WHAT exactly you need to do?
Taking a few moments before your week begins to plan out your week will help you approach each day with a clear plan for what needs and wants to get done. We often face an unending mountain of to-do list items, but it is our responsibility to recalibrate and choose how we spend our time.
The Sunday Prep Ritual encompasses both your personal and work life so that you thoughtfully prioritize what matters most in each moment.
Creating your Sunday to do list to mentally + physically prepare for the week ahead
Use the Sunday Prep Ritual as a framework to prepare what matters most to you, your responsibilities and season of life. Some Sundays you may have 10 minutes and other Sundays you may have 1 hour—even just a few minutes to prepare will help your week go smoothly.
Here are the top things to do on Sundays that make the biggest difference in my upcoming week:
- Intentionally Plan: Set aside 30 minutes where you can sit down and plan out your week. You may need to ask for help in order to make this planning session quiet and productive but it will totally transform your entire week!
- Schedule Rest First: We have to prioritize rest just as much as we prioritize our work meetings and household tasks. Reality is that rest won’t happen unless we schedule it into our rituals! Start small by planning weekly rest. Treasure this. Prioritize this. Reflect on how rest impacts your relationships, responsibilities, clarity of mind, productivity, sense of calm and so much more. Take a look at your week and carve out 30 minutes when you can actually make rest happen.
- ‘Brain Dump’: If you can’t sleep at night because you have so many thoughts whirling in your head, this is for you. Doing a brain dump allows you to get all your ideas, thoughts, dreams and even stressors out of your head and gathered in one space. That way they are organized and you can go back and reference when you need to. I always make this a priority for my Sunday prep ritual even if I only have a few minutes because it is so liberating!
- Plan your ‘big’ 3 tasks of the day: These are the big tasks that are needed to move your business or life forward. These typically will take at least an hour each or even more, or may be tackling a section of a bigger project or responsibility. You will end your day with so much confidence and satisfaction when you can cross these essential tasks off your list.
- Plan out 3 meals: For our family and season of life, 3 is the perfect number. Maybe you need to plan more or less, do what works for you. I’ll take a quick look at our pantry and freezer, see what we have on hand, plan out those meals and then update our shopping list. Personally, meal prepping isn’t my style (if you are, virtual high five), but this simple system has saved so much time and stress throughout the week.
How to prep on Sundays as a family or ‘team’
Miscommunication is often the biggest source of stress, arguments and lack of productivity. What if you could decrease miscommunication by taking a few minutes each week to sit down as a family unit or team and make sure you are all on the same page?
How can you help support each other this upcoming week? Who needs to be where and at what time? Are your days overbooked and if so what can be eliminated?
The Sunday Prep Ritual also gives to do list items that you could check off as a family, like preparing snacks (my daughter helps me with this every week), making a grocery shopping list or planning out what appointments need to be made and when.
If you have children, even little ones, they love knowing what the plan is and what comes next!
How to make Mondays exciting and fun
You may be the person that dreads Monday or loves Monday, either way you want to enter the week with both a clear roadmap of what needs to be done and excitement for the week ahead!
Here’s 2 simple tips:
Have a perspective change // View Mondays as a fresh start. Rather than focusing on everything that needs to get done and getting overwhelmed, focus on everything you get to do! That’s a great way
What impact can you have this week? What legacy can you leave behind this week? What can you accomplish with confidence? Start with this thinking when you are about to build your sunday to-do list.
Make it fun // What are you looking forward to about this week? One approach is to start with the hardest or most dreaded task first and get it out of the day—personally I love to start with what I am looking forward to most that way you start your week on a positive note. Remember this when you’re building your sunday to-do list!
Does a certain beverage or playlist that puts you in the mood to be productive, focused and creative? You could even make an extra special beverage on Mondays or light a candle at your desk.
When you view Mondays as a fresh start with opportunities for impact and productivity, you will approach Monday and the days that follow with joy and anticipation!
Tools to get organized for the week ahead
When I sit down to plan out my week, I simultaneously open up my calendars and these apps so that I can swiftly reference tasks and make sure my calendar is good to go for the week.
Golden Coil planner // This planner is entirely customizable and totally amazing! It’s changed everything for me and so beautifully designed too. They have options for meal prep, school, health habits, goals and so much more! This is a great way to start your own sunday to-do list.
Timer cube// This is a great way to stay accountable and productive with your time rather than getting distracted.
Sticky notes// These are so helpful for any little reminders, thoughts or questions that need to be asked. I love the old fashioned way of pen to paper.
Click Up // We use this for task management and staying organized as a team and I just LOVE it. It’s beautifully designed and has so many features including checklists and documents. If you are looking for one place to organize all your tasks and thoughts this is the program. It would work great for school or homeschool too and their mobile app is a great and simple way for you to start building your sunday to-do list!
Reminder app // I use this for tasks that need to get done at a certain time, otherwise I’ll forget them. I even have a reminder to take the trash out before trash day!
Calendar app // I love the simplicity of the basic Apple calendar app and that it integrates with all my devices. This is great for time specific events, meetings, appointments, birthdays or tasks. Set a reminder the day prior, or 5 minutes prior. If it’s a zoom call attach the link to the calendar event. You can add people or to a shared calendar to stay organized with your family or teammates.
Planoly // If consistency posting to social media is any part of your job or life, this is a great way to plan, schedule and stay organized.
Toggl // this is a time tracking tool that can help you keep track of time spend on projects. Its a great way to keep track of billable hours or see where your time is being spent.
Whimsical // A great place to keep all your ideas, virtual sticky notes, flow charts, and so much more. It’s a creative and very visual way to organize your ideas.
Do you have a Sunday prep flow?
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