I love Sundays. I love the time I get to spend with my babe in the morning drinking coffee, I love the “no rush” feel of the day and I love the intentional time I spend preparing for the week. If you should know one thing about me it is that I love routine and I love a game plan. I understand that you have to leave some room for spontaneity and unplanned circumstances but I like to have an idea of what I am getting into. A few years ago, I started a Sunday routine that allows me to “game plan” the week ahead, it overall helps me be more proactive than reactive heading into the week.

My weekly prep routine

1. The very first thing that I do is grab my Blue Sky Planner / iPhone and open up my work and personal calendars. I try to write everything that is “set in stone” on both calendars in my planner so that I can have all things in one place. I like this planner because not only does it have a monthly calendar but it is sectioned into weekly pages also so I can focus one week at a time.
2. The next thing I do is start filling in dinner/lunch ideas while making a grocery list. I like trying one or two new things a week to keep dinners exciting, so I will look through cookbooks and Pinterest to find new ideas. I love making grocery lists and try to organize it in the same way I walk through the store (I know I am not the only person that goes through the store the same way every-time). I will group all produce items together, snacks, frozen items, etc. that way I can walk through the store and not scramble at the end. I also always make sure to consult with my better half to make sure that I get all the snacks and things he wants for the week.
3. After the weekly to-dos and meals are planned, I like to plan what my workout schedule for the week will be. I have found that with scheduling this part of my week it takes the pressure off of having to figure it out the night before or at the crack of dawn in the morning. I try to balance between riding my Peloton/running/interval and strength training and make sure to plan a rest or light day(s) to keep my body fresh. I like going into the week with my workouts planned because I am way more likely to follow through with them that way!
4. Lastly, I like to meal prep my lunches/snacks for the week and this is probably my favorite part of the routine! I like getting to have lunches prepped and snacks ready to go so that I don’t have to stress about lunch if I have a busy work day or find myself grazing on snacks mindlessly.

I know that this can seem daunting for some but I honestly can’t imagine starting a week without my weekend prep. I am a firm believe that having a plan not only allows you to be more intentional with your time but it also holds you accountable for the things that you want to accomplish. In my planner, I also have a section where I can outline any “goals” that I have for the week which further helps me envision what I want to accomplish for the week and not just have to.

In addition to the above prep, a few other things I like to do on the weekend that makes a big difference for me heading into the week are:

• Do laundry and fold/put it up (yes, I am still working on the latter part of this task)
• Clean up around the house/office
• Get any blog related tasks done (I try to stay 5-7 days ahead on content so that during the evenings my time isn’t monopolized with blog stuff)

What is your weekend prep routine? Do you have a similar routine?

XO, Ashton

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