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 Sunday reset habit to start your week organized.

This approach to a Sunday reset habit weaves together your nutritional needs with productivity.

Start your Sunday reset or planning out your week first by taking inventory of your energy, your emotions, your physical and mental needs. Plan the week accordingly.

• What intentions, what emotions, what goals do you have?
• What is your energy and mental capacity heading into this week?

Match your physical and mental capacity with how you fill your calendar.

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 plan out week with a Sunday to do list!

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? Then, anxiety and overwhelm creeps in because you want to be productive but you are spinning trying to figure out how to put the next foot forward.

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. This is how you embrace ‘FULL Not Busy‘ days.

Your brain and energy love a roadmap, they crave predictability. A clear plan gives your brain and body that safety net and shifts your body out of fight, flight or fear mode.

Creating your Sunday to do list to mentally + physically prepare for the week ahead

For an in-depth approach to creating sustainable habits, explore Full Not Busy.

*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:

1. Get a fun treat: Make yourself something fun—usually for me it’s an iced vanilla matcha with a few squares of chocolate. Enjoy this process.
2. 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!
3. 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.
4. ‘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!
5. Plan your ‘big’ 3 tasks of the day: These are the big tasks that are needed to move your business or life forward—pivot this to fit your responsibilities, whether motherhood, homeschool, work from home or a traditional 9-5 setting. 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 FULLY off your list.
6. Outline 3-4 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 Meal Plan NOT Meal Prep >

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?

Take some time each week to sit down and intentionally be on the same page!

How a Sunday plan sets up your week for success

As with anything holistic, we aren’t going for just in-the-moment benefits. We are looking big picture— how can 20-30 minutes on Sunday set your whole week up for success? How can a Sunday reset set your energy, your patience, your capacity, your sleep, your interactions with your loved ones up for success?

With a clear plan you’ll have more brain power and physical energy to focus on what you get to do rather than being overwhelmed by all that needs to get done.

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.

With a clear plan, you will approach Monday and the days that follow with joy, productivity 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.

Full Not Busy // Where nutrition meets productivity. Creating sustainable habits for more energy, calm and joy.

Mind Bloom // This functional mushroom blend helps with in the moment focus and regenerates the brain and neurons big picture. It’s the ultimate “get stuff done” button. Clear focus is possible.

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! I am FAR more productive and organized with this system.

Timer cube// This is a great way to stay accountable and productive with your time rather than getting distracted.

Be Present app // I have actually LOVED this app for accountability and training my brain to be on my phone less. I love that you can set a daily limit for how often you open certain apps, hey looking at you Instagram.

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!

Digital Calendar // 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.

Do you have a Sunday prep flow?