Tips to Set-up for a Successful Week
If you find yourself “falling off” week after week or not being able to stick to a routine, this could be largely due to lack of planning and preparing.
And you’re not alone.
If you’re a busy person (or even if you aren’t), the best thing you can do for yourself is to plan ahead.
Look at it this way…
You could spend a few hours on Sunday (or any day really) planning out meals for the week, grocery shopping, meal prepping, and scheduling out everything for the week (workout times, etc) and make the week ahead way easier for yourself.
Or on the flip side of that coin, you could tell yourself that planning ahead is too time consuming and tedious. Then when the week comes, you’re running around with your head cut off and once again, falling off the weekend.
Now, I’m not saying that grocery shopping, meal prepping, etc. is quick and easy. But I am saying that sacrificing a few hours once a week can save hours of time throughout the week, when you’re busier.
If you’re ready to ditch the hectic plan as you go lifestyle, then here are some tips to get you on your way:
1. PLAN AHEAD
• Take one day a week to plan out your meals for the week, write them out, then create a grocery list off of that
• Go grocery shopping or place a pick-up/delivery order! You can definitely do this throughout the week, but one and done trips may be less stressful in the long run
• Look ahead at your week’s schedule. Do you have meetings, dinner plans, a busy week of work? Look at the days you may be busier than others and plan your rest days for that. From there, write your workouts into your schedule (and plan in time for commuting to & from the gym, if applicable). When things are written down/scheduled in, it’s a little harder to have the urge to skip out on it.
2. PREPARE
• Meal prep - it’s okay to keep this simple. You don’t have to cook everything you’re going to eat for the week. It could be as simple as pre-cutting veggies for the week and cooking up some protein sources.
• Lay out your gym outfit or pack your gym bag the night before. This way, you’re not taking time in the busy morning to do so.
• Think about anything you do throughout the week that is more time consuming than you’d like it to be. Ask yourself if there’s anything you can do to offload that task ahead of time and do what you can to prepare.
3. EXECUTE
Keep the promise to yourself. All of the planning & preparing only works if you hold yourself to it. If you aren’t used to all of this planning ahead, it may take time to get used to and it may not be the easiest thing to do initially. But like anything, it will get easier as you go and as it becomes a part of your weekly routine!
Remember, consistency is key. If you’re “falling off” or getting out of routine week after week, it’s time to stop overcomplicating things, implement in the tips above, and set yourself up for consistent success. As mentioned before, it may be hard at first, but as you stay consistent, it will get easier and will fit better into your life overtime!
