Sunday Reset: How to Prep for a Successful Week

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Sundays are the ultimate reset days to put us on the right path for the week ahead. If we want a successful week, this is where it starts, on day one of seven. God created a day of rest for a reason, and if we’re not utilizing it fully, we’re missing the point. Here’s how to prep for the perfect week!

A Rest Day

It’s important to note that Sundays aren’t for us to catch up on the work that we didn’t get done the week before. I know that’s difficult to do as a mom. Our jobs never end, and I know that. However, I do think there’s something to be said about doing the most minimal work possible.

What does that look like for me? Yes, I need to cook for my family on Sundays, especially since we’re reducing our unnecessary spending, so things like eating out are reserved for special occasions, not just Sunday lunch because mom doesn’t feel like cooking.

However, am I gonna be doing the dishes after the meal? Aside from a quick rinse of them, probably not. Dishes put me in a bad mood anyways (seriously, I’d rather go scrub a toilet), so I will avoid them at all costs on Sundays. I’m also not likely to do any laundry or deep clean a closet on a Sunday.

What To Do Instead

So, how do we prepare for the week ahead when we’re wanting to embrace Sunday as a true rest day? Here’s what I focus on accomplishing each week.

Go To Church

If you truly want to set up your week the perfect way, you need to start by going to church. In my opinion, if you can’t get that right, you’re going to fall short in every other area.

Church is our opportunity to connect with like-minded fellow Christians who can encourage us and inspire us in practically every area of our lives. It’s where we can reset our focus on what truly matters—furthering God’s kingdom.

We become convicted at church, motivated at church, and encouraged at church. We get our hearts right at church and allow the Spirit to guide and direct our lives.

I understand that not all of us have the privilege of attending church every Sunday. Some of us have health problems that inhibit us in being able to attend church regularly. For the rest of us, though, who are able-bodied, there’s simply no excuse to not be in a church service on a regular weekly basis.

Write Out Your Weekly Goals

If Sundays are the reset day of the week, we want to make sure that the Monday through Saturday we have a goal in mind. I write out my goals for each area of my life that I have my goals set in. For me, this looks like financial budget, fitness goals and meal prep, spiritual goals/quiet time, and family goals/time spent together.

I actually heard this from my husband’s mentor recently, and have been implementing it ever since: a yearly goal gives you too much time for procrastination. Set Daily, Weekly, and Monthly goals, and you’ll give yourself a plan to achieve what you want to achieve.

There Are Always Going To Be Rough Weeks

All of us have those weeks where we just feel like we’re struggling every day of it. Our busy schedules demand so much out of us. As we reflect on the week and how it got away from us we realize we spent too much time on our phone, a lot of time shuffling kids to various activities, and very little time accomplishing the baby steps towards our goals.

I just don’t have enough time, I hear over and over again. The cold, hard truth is, there is always time, but it comes down to how well you prepared for the week before.

Push Through

Obviously, there are external circumstances that you simply cannot control. On those weeks though, you’ll realize how much better of a week you had than what you expected.

So each week, write down each big goal you have, and give yourself a slot for each day and week underneath it. When you’re actively writing down these goals each week and re-evaluating how your week went at the end, you’re going to surprise yourself by how much time you dedicated towards it and how much further you came in accomplishing those goals.

Plan Your Week

This is typically where the hubsters becomes involved. Our week goes so much better if we’re both on the same page from the get-go. This is when hair appointments, golf outings, music lessons and t-ball practice are all outlined between us. Honestly, it’s so important to be sure you’re both on the same page on a lot of things. But planning your week together is crucial.

Meal Prep

I’ll be honest, I don’t do this every week. But on the weeks that I do, oh man, do I have so much of a better week. Let’s call it a habit I’m working on.

When I meal prep, I write out all of the meals I’m planning on making for the week. This includes ladies meeting dishes, party food, or anything else we’ve got going on. This is why planning your week should be done first. You also now know how many quick and easy meals you need to make or when a simple frozen pizza is gonna have to do the trick.

If you stay consistent at this, you’re not going to find yourself staring at the refrigerator at 430 trying to figure out what you’re going to make. If you want more help trying to add variety to your meals, check out this post about meal planning.

Quiet Time/Catch Up On Bible Reading

I am tragically behind on my Bible reading always. One of these days, I will make it a full year of reading my Bible every day and reading my Bible through in a year.

 I will say I have done better with my Bible reading than I ever have before. I have the Wholehearted Quiet Time to thank for that. This isn’t an affiliate endorsement, by the way, this is just a shoutout. Her companion guides have been such a game changer for me, and I tell almost everyone about them. Worth the price, easily.

But, I still tend to miss 1-2 days a week of reading my Bible. I also have some days where I end up reading about half of what I’m supposed to for that day. So, Sundays turn into my catch up days. I’ve had some Sundays where I’ve read six to twelve chapters and really gotten myself back to where I need to be.

Spend Time With Your Family

I think a lot of times I struggle with taking my boys for granted. They’re always here and they play together well. Honestly, they don’t need a whole lot of mommy time. It’s not until I look at old pictures or videos do I realize that I’ve missed out on some precious moments with them.

Because I’m wanting to be more proactive, I set aside time on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons for family activities. These are as simple as a fun game of uno and a giant bowl of homemade popcorn. One Sunday, we all piled onto mommy and daddy’s bed to watch a documentary about tiger sharks. They still talk about doing that.

I share that to say these activities can be minimal effort, and have lasting impact. Take time away from the chores and the plans and see what life is truly about—the small moments with the people we care about the most.

That One Thing You Never Have Time For

“I would love to do that, but I just don’t have the time”. “I’ve always wanted to learn that, but …”. C’mon, we’ve all heard ourselves say this before. The truth is, we make time for what’s a priority for us. We only get one life to learn and experience all that we can. There’s really nothing holding you back from doing what you’ve always wanted to do.

Sitting down every Sunday, even for an hour, and doing what inspires or motivates you can really boost your mood for the whole rest of the week. Be it jigsaw puzzles, that book you have saved on your Kindle, the crochet project (or six) in your closet, go do it on a Sunday afternoon.

One Self Care Activity

Lastly, don’t forget to pamper yourself. The week can get away from you so fast, and doing one thing for yourself once a week isn’t too much to ask for. Personally, this is when I do my nails, and force myself to sit still while they dry. Sometimes, that turns into me reading that book I never have time for (number 7) and kill two birds with one stone.

This is the time to do your nails, try out a face mask, or take a warm bath by yourself. Or, you can journal, do some light yoga, or listen to your favorite encouraging audio. Sometimes, even just sipping a warm cup of tea in silence on Sunday morning before the chaos ensues is going to set your day and week ahead. Whatever that activity that recharges your batteries is, this is your encouragement to do it.

Sound Like A Lot?

Sometimes I get to the end of a post and think to myself, oh my goodness. I’m supposed to do 8 things every Sunday consistently? Yea right. So, I get it. I’m for sure not saying you should be able to check off every single one from now on.

If you’re truly serious about wanting to turn your Sundays into a productive time to set yourself up for weeks that are next level, take your time. Focus on one or two of these each week. Consistency will breed stability and success. See how productive your week is going to be as you start to implement each step.