I’ll be the first to admit that starting a brand new fat loss goal, or a relatively new one, on a Monday can be really hard without some prior planning.
And we all start new goals… on a Monday.
If we’re totally straight up about things, Monday is hard enough without adding in any new eating or workout program. It’s generally the start of the work week for many of us – which translates into being one of our busiest days.
And there’s just something about the week that tends to follow a pattern. We…
- wake up
- rush out of the door
- work all day
- come home
- cook dinner
- clean up
- hit the sack
We barely have time to think – let alone plan out our new healthy life to achieve our fat loss goal.
That’s the magic of Sundays.
For most of us, Sunday serves as a day of relative calmness.
Now I’m not saying that your Sunday is filled with laying on the couch and reading a few good books while sipping on your favorite tea… wouldn’t that just be a dream? Sunday has commitments too. But for most of us, it is Sunday that serves as the slowest day of the week, and that is why Sunday is the perfect day to plan your week.
Whether you’re piecing your own healthy living plan together from magazine articles and random Internet programs or following one of LSFW’s plans, Sunday is the perfect day to spend a bit of time and focus in on yourself.
And it doesn’t take long. When I’m at my happiest, it’s because I spend 20-30 mins every Sunday to plan out my week.
I balance work, personal and family calendars, review budget and finances with Katja, plan out weekly meals, and prioritize my big goals for the week in my journal.
This has been immense for how much control we have over our weekends, and huge for giving us confidence going into the week which makes Mondays a great day.
By the time I close my computer Sunday mornings, I have everything in my calendar, big rocks in my journal, and all my workouts scheduled. Then, the rest of the day is care-free, which is wonderful!
Here Are 3 Things I Recommend You Do Every Sunday:
1. CONNECT TO YOUR GOALS FOR THE WEEK.
Whether you’re just starting a new plan or have been doing it for a while, one thing remains constant – your goals must be physically stated.
Think of your goals as a lighthouse. When the sea is throwing your boat all over the place – you always have a guide to reaching shore safely.
Knowing what your goal is AND feeling connected to the importance of it are key to staying on track,
Every Sunday, I review what I accomplished the week prior (which gets me an immediate win which feels good), and see what is coming from last week for this week.
Then I write down my ‘Big Rocks’ for the week – these are the action steps of my goals – in my journal. Then, I transfer them into my calendar. This way, I know when I am doing each thing – for instance, I write blogs and emails Tuesday mornings to give me routine.
2. SPEND SOME TIME DOING MEAL PREP.
Nothing is worse than coming home Monday night and realizing that you have to wash and chop a bunch of veggies and go back out to the grocery store for an ingredient.
One way to increase the chances of sticking to your fat loss goal is to do some prep work. Wash and cut all veggies, make a slow-cooker meal that will serve as a healthy meal several times over during the week, and plan out your weekly menu and go grocery shopping so that you have what you need on hand. When you’ve done this a few times, meal prep for the week can be quite easy (you could throw something in the oven or slow-cooker while you do your planning Sunday mornings!).
Personally, Katja and I lay out what we are going to do for dinners for the week on the whiteboard, then make sure we have the right groceries in the house for it. And if we don’t, we brave the Sunday crowds at the grocery store and go buy them.
I used to cook ALL my lunches in one go for a 2 week period. I made a few different options and spent about 2.5 hours on a Sunday doing this twice a month.I don’t do that now, but it’s still a go-to for clients who have downtime on weekends but crazy busy weeks.
3. SCHEDULE YOUR PERSONAL TIME – INCLUDING YOUR WORKOUTS.
Personal time is at a premium.
We give, give and give to everyone else, but don’t take the time to work on us. Even though we KNOW that if we took some time to recharge our batteries the quality of the giving we do to others would increase.
That family night would be fully engaging. Walking the dog would be 30 minutes not just once around the block. That project at work would get done in 20% less time because you aren’t exhausted. We all know this stuff, but putting it into action is the tough part.
The key here – and you probably see the trend – is to schedule it!
Workouts are a key part of personal time, and whether you like to work out at the same time each day or mix it up… make sure your workouts are actually scheduled in your calendar. Schedule it just like you would a work meeting or parent-teacher conference – Leaving your workout up to chance is code for not meeting your goal.
In fact, it’s arguable that your workouts should be more important than many other things, so it makes sense to put them in. Then, if something is rescheduled, it’s easy for you to say “I’ve got a meeting that time, how about X day at Y time instead?” and you can keep your workout, or your lunchtime walk or that evening time slot open to working on what matters most – You.
On my calendar, I block off four 45-minute workouts each week. Now, my goal is only to get four 30-minute workouts, so I know that if one gets cancelled or moved or something goes late I have a buffer. And if things go great and I get in 5, it’s a nice little bonus
SUNDAY IS A TIME FOR REFLECTION FOR SO MANY OF US. BE SURE PART OF THAT TIME IS FOCUSED ON YOU AND YOUR GOALS FOR LIVING A FULL AND HEALTHY LIFE.
And most of all, even if it seems impossible, take a bit of time to lay all this out at the start of your week. It makes the rest of the week go by smoothly.
As always, if you ever want help with this, this is what we’re here for. Click here to reach out and we’ll see if we’re a good fit to help you reach your goals.
