How to Make Sunday Your Most Productive Day of the Week

Photo by Sebastian Mantel on Unsplash

Do you have a single most highly productive day of the week?  Are you a Monday go-getter that fades towards the Friday bell?  Or are you the end-of-the-week-oh-crap-get-it-done type?  For me, its Sundays. WHAT???!!!  Sunday Funday????!!!  How can it be????!!!  Yup!  Sundays! And I still manage some time for fun so I’m sharing with you how I make Sundays my most productive day of the week below!

Sundays.  The holy day.  The Sabath.  The “fun day.”  Call it whatever you want.  I’m here to share with you how you can make Sunday your most productive day of the week.  While Monday through Friday will consist of many to-do’s, Sunday is where it is at to make stuff really happen for the rest of your week.

Here is how I make Sunday my most productive day of the week and how you can too:

1. Meal planning and grocery shopping

I start my Sundays with a yummy cup of coffee and my Momtrepreneur Planner Meal Planner page.  I plan out our meals for the week and after checking my cupboards, fridge and freezer, I write out my grocery list using my pre-sorted Momtrepreneur Planner Grocery List page.  I then set out to order my groceries.  More recently I started using Instacart, so immediately after, I place my grocery order for delivery later on in the day.  There are many grocery pick-up and delivery services, like Walmart’s new pick-up option, so you can definitely use these to
your advantage. 

I am actually an Instacart affiliate so please feel free to click HERE for a free 14-day trial.  I do get paid a small amount if you do decide to stick with it, but I’m telling you, it’s soooo worth it!  Doing your grocery shopping this way saves you

• Time,
• Money (from all those extra cart add-ins), and
• Headaches (from not having to deal with lugging
  crying screaming babies down each aisle with you. I know you know what I’m
  talking about!)

If this is not an option for you, or you are one of the few who actually enjoys this ritual, then more power to you, but schedule your trip later in the day.

2. Chore charts

I live in a household with two amazing boys, my husband and my son, yet, every Sunday I would find myself cleaning and running around alone trying to get it all done by myself!  Not any more, because on Sundays, we chore! 

I create a list of chores for each of us, usually 10 items each for my husband and myself, and about 3 for our son (he’s 4 years old).  I hang them up with magnets and give everyone the whistle to get started (figuratively speaking…I don’t actually have a whistle…I’m not that crazy…but that is an idea!).  My boys truly are amazing though, and begrudgingly or not, they always pitch in and do their part.

We usually give ourselves a time period of about 2 hours and the goal is to get it all done during that time.  Anything left, gets pushed off.  The key is to prioritize everyone’s chores before you start, so the important stuff actually gets taken care of.

3. Have some fun!

What is a Sunday without a little fun??  Believe it or not a little fun in your day will make you a ton more productive. We like to treat ourselves to breakfast or lunch out and we usually take the scenic route around.  Sometimes we’ll meet up with a couple of friends or some family and enjoy a lunch or dinner
instead. 

Other options would include:

• a matinee movie or show,
• a family hike,
• a trip to the local playground (indoor or
  outdoor),
• a bike ride,
• an afternoon swim,
• an ice cream break, or
• a visit with family

The point is, a break in your day will keep your mind more invigorated and ready to work when you get back home.

4. Plan out your week

I grab my handy dandy Momtrepreneur Planner once again and I check my plan for the week. I start with any appointments or special occasions, meetings (phone or in person), practices, games, meals, etc. 
I then start filling in my action items starting with Monday.  I include enough not to overwhelm myself, but to keep me on my toes.  Keep in mind that all of my action items are goal driven and follow Stephen Covey’s time management quadrants.  (See my last post on overcoming Momtrepreneur overwhelm under the prioritize section for more information on this.) 

Planning out your week in advance gives you insight and guidance to get through your week efficiently and effectively, making you the most productive!  You know what to expect and can prepare accordingly. 
Of course, there will always be hiccups, but just do what you gotta do, brush yourself off and keep on chugging!

5. Baby bedtime and weekly prep

Every Sunday I prepare my son’s clothes for school, my Monday outfit and our lunches and snacks as well.  This takes so much stress away from having to decide on what to wear or eat in the early morning rush.  I then give my little dude a bath, interjected with a little play time, get him out and ready for bed, we read a book, say our prayers and then I put him down.  (The audio recording of the book The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep by Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin usually puts him out fairly quickly and he loves it!)

6. Practice gratitude

After my little dude is out, one exercise I complete every Sunday night is a little exercise I call Peaks, Pitfalls and Plans.  In the notes section at the end of each week in my Momtrepreneur Planner, I like to take some time to write the things I’m grateful for by way of any peaks I experienced that week.  I also take time to write out any perceived pitfalls, and rebut each one with a positive note to self, and I end the exercise with my plans for positivity for the week to follow.

By practicing gratitude completely opens your mind to accepting positivity in your life.  Not to mention that we quite often tend to harp on the pitfalls of each week, but when you take the time to do this exercise, you realize how much more abundant the peaks of each week are and how truly small the pitfalls are.

7. Social media planning

One of my final tasks for the night is to prep my social media posts for the following week. I set a timer for about an hour and I just go for it.  I write out each post in the Social Media Post planner in my Momtrepreneur Planner. From there, I gather my photos and setup any other post graphics.  Lastly, using The Preview App, I start writing out my descriptions and hashtags and schedule it out for my week.  Anything left over gets pushed off. 

Social Media can be a huge burden to bear when you are knee deep in the hustle and bustle of school drop-offs, work, a ton of other to-dos, school pick-ups, sports, dinner, homework and the various other weekday tasks that are required.  Knock it all out in one sitting if you can, and if you do need to make changes during the week, that’s ok, but at least you have something to start with.

8. 20 minutes or 20 pages of reading

Last but not least, just like every other night, my final task of the night is to get some reading in.  20 minutes or 20 pages of reading is all it takes to propel your mind and spirit towards greatness.  You can check out my book recommendation list HERE and get some reading in to kick-start a great week ahead!

*****

What a Sunday!  Do you feel productive yet? Boosting your productivity on Sunday will make the rest of your week flow so much easier.  Since the house will be (relatively) clean, keeping it tidy will be easier.  Since your meals are planned and groceries are all purchased, cooking at home more will be easier.  Since clothes and lunches are ready, mornings will be easier.  Since your week and social media posts are planned, it’s easier to mark things off a list.  And practicing gratitude and opening your mind to a good book are positive influencers to make the rest-of-your-week simply easier.

Now get to it mommas!  And let’s kick our week off right by making Sundays our most productive day!