SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!
In my last post I promised I would share my Sunday planning process. I plan as a wife, mother and a professional who leads people. You certainly can modify based on your lifestyle and responsibilities. If you commit to these processes each Sunday, you will notice marked improvement in your success throughout your work week.
*Look at the week’s calendar. (5 minutes) What are my kids and spouse/significant other up to? Who will be home what nights? What are my meetings, events and deadlines at work? Are there after-hour obligations or nights I know I’ll bring work home with me? What bills are due? What are my personal commitments? You get the idea.
*Create a menu. (10 minutes) This alleviates the panic of “WHAT’S FOR DINNER??!” while stuck in traffic. Know it’s going to be a busy day? Make a simple dinner plan or know you’re heading to the local Mexican restaurant. BAM! Stress-free. *Special shout out to whomever invented rotisserie chickens in the deli section!* And before you think this doesn’t relate to a successful work week, let me remind you that eating is an essential activity for a little thing like staying alive, not to mention what you eat has a tremendous impact on your health, mood and productivity.
*Create a shopping list and go to the store. (60 minutes) Guess what, if you didn’t get it on my list by Sunday, you are on your own. I’m not going to the store every day. REPEAT: I AM NOT GOING TO THE STORE EVERY DAY. Add to the list as you think of items throughout the week by getting everyone in your house down with an app like Out of Milk or share a Google Drive spreadsheet. Even my single friends with no kids have raved about how much my meal planning/shopping process has helped them streamline their personal time, so non-family professionals, don’t hate.
*Make a list of the most important work-related projects for the week . (30 minutes) Prioritize and distribute tasks to each work day. I happen to be a die-hard Franklin Covey system junkie, who lives and dies by her Google Calendar. Click HERE for a great eTech blog post that is similar to how I operate.
*Create loose agendas for key meetings. (30 minutes)Flesh out, if needed when appropriate during the week. Approach each agenda considering the past, present and future.
Past: What do I need to recap or debrief with this person or group? What am I accountable for?
Present: What needs to be done in the week for the week? What do I need to approve? What do I need to delegate? What paths do I need cleared? What resources do I need?
Future: HERE is where you shine. This is where you get ahead of future projects with your team or show your superior(s) that you are already thinking ahead to the future. If you are a leader, you should always be thinking 90 days out.
There you have it. For less than a two hour commitment you will have MUCH more sanity, as well as measured accomplishment throughout the remaining days of your week. Talk about a return on your investment! What tools, apps or other resources do you use to keep your poop in a group? Please share in the comments!