The Sunday Set Up – Set yourself up for success by taking some time on Sunday.
-Clark Hibbs
I think being “busy” is a choice. It’s become the societal norm to chat about our crazy schedules and try to cram our calendar from sun up to sun down with things we feel like we NEED to do. Granted, there are some things that we HAVE to do… but we should balance out the things we have to do with things that are a true priority for us. These things enrich our lives and make us feel genuinely good…. but we’ll dive into that in a different post.
For now, I want to help you handle the “busy” using a system/strategy that Rachel and I have been using for sometime now.
It’s called the Sunday Setup.
Basically, we take little bit of time on Sunday to make sure we’re set up for the rest of the week.
If everything is set up appropriately, then it’s remarkably easy to get everything accomplished, complete all tasks, and not have to stress out every hour of the day.
Now, if you’re an extremely type A person that already has their life in order, this post probably won’t be that helpful for you… But if you’re like me, someone who struggles executing tasks, keeping up with a schedule, and time management, I think this post will be extremely helpful.
Let’s use our Sundays as a day to really plan out our week… and by REALLY plan out our week, I mean in a very detailed and thorough way.
Before starting Yellow Rose, I would take everything one day at a time. I’d wake up and just kind of fly by the seat of my pants and hope that I didn’t forget anything. I mean, it got me to this point… couldn’t be all that bad, right?
After getting a lot more responsibilities (and consequently forgetting a lot of things), I knew something had to change. I was missing appointments, forgetting phone calls, leaving tasks undone…
It wasn’t a good look for a business owner.
Luckily, I’m married to the world’s most organized person, so I got some great tips from her. Here’s how Rachel helped me execute a strong Sunday Set Up that made my weeks much more successful. Fun fact – this Sunday Set Up takes me 10-15 minutes tops.
Write down your entire schedule… the WHOLE THING.
At first, I scoffed at this one. “Why do I need to write it down? I literally do this every day. I’m pretty sure I know my schedule.” Which to some extent is true… but everyday isn’t the same. There are different tasks, different appointments, and different intricacies of the schedule. So while everyday has the same basic outline, not everyday is the same. By going into my google calendar and actually setting up my entire schedule, things are much more organized and easy to follow each day.
I even schedule things in my google calendar like, “go home” or “eat lunch” or “do nothing.”
These things probably don’t *need* to be scheduled per say… But for me, it’s important that I recognize when I need to be at home to either let the dogs out and exercise them, do my household tasks, or just to eat lunch and relax for a bit. It’s pretty liberating when you give yourself permission to chill out for a bit.
Make a daily to-do list with top priorities
This little tip has been, by far, the best thing for me. On Sunday, I make a to-do list for each day that week in a little notebook (called a Panda Planner. I’ll show it to you at the gym sometime if you’d like. I love it!). I try to keep that list to a maximum 3-5 things so I won’t get overwhelmed. This way each day has a manageable and reasonable amount of things I can do. Also, if I don’t get one of those things done, I can easily add it to the next day.
It’s really important for me to prioritize the tasks on the to-do list, so I put top priority items FIRST (like Payroll, paying a bill, getting out an email etc.). After those top priority items are done, I can move on. I don’t do anything else until that big task has been completed. It feels really good to knock out items on a to-do list. Something about physically crossing off that item and feeling that gratification of a task accomplished is fantastic. If you struggle with getting tasks done in a timely manner like I do, I would definitely recommend this. One of my to-do lists might look like this:
- Write a blog post about how hinge patterns carry over into everyday life
- Send a text to members who haven’t been into the gym in 7 days
- Mop the floors (#MopLife)
- Talk to the landlord about XYZ
These to-do lists are a huge game change for anyone, no matter what line of work you’re in. Set a manageable to-do list, and you’ll dominate each day with ease.
Have a separate idea list/future to-do list
In my Panda Planner, I also have an area towards the back where I write ideas. My mind is always racing around with different ways to improve the business, or a trip Rachel and I can take, or a new program we can add, or a new equipment upgrade we can do, and so on and so forth. If I try to act on all of these when they pop into my head, I’ll NEVER get anything done. Things will get started, but things won’t get finished, and that’s a problem. The idea list/future list is a really great tool for me. On some days when I’ve accomplished my to-do list and have some extra time, I can take a look at that list and see what I can get started on, or how I can fit it into future to-do lists. It keeps my head on straight and moves me in the right direction!
Schedule in your leisure time/escape time
I kind of touched on this above with my “go home” time in my schedule, but it’s really important for me to schedule in my time away from the gym. Recently, I’ve been able to play a lot of golf. Prioritizing that “me time” on the schedule has not only been great for my stress levels, but it’s also helped me stay energetic about the business, CrossFit, and everything else I have going on. It’s a way for me to recharge every week, and I love it! I’m very fortunate to be in the position I am today where I get to build our own business and work with amazing members each and every day, but it’s a demanding schedule and a lot of hard work. Having that little escape time each week makes me appreciate each minute at the gym more and more, especially when I have to do things that aren’t the most fun in the world but are absolutely necessary (like uploading expenditure receipts and what not zzZZzzZZzzZZZzzz).
All in all, the Sunday Set Up has improved and optimized my weekly routines and habits. It’s made me a more reliable person. It’s kept me focused and sane by having to-do lists and scheduling my leisure time. It’s made me appreciate my job more.
I am by nature, a pretty disorganized person (I’m more of a creative/idea kind of guy), but I’ve found something that works for me, and I hope it can work for you too!
Take some time to set up your week, and then dominate the week with a sense of calm you’ve never had before.
-Clark Hibbs
