Wondering what to do this Sunday? How to recharge for the week ahead without exerting much effort? This Sunday Reset Routine can do wonders for you!
I have often been weighed down by the looming tasks of the upcoming week. Trust me, it got so bad that I’d spend Sunday evenings on my couch, thinking of some Harry Potter spell to delay Monday.
Soon enough, I realized I had enough, and started using this Sunday Reset routine. The purpose is simple – to regain control and set the tone for the week ahead.
So, if you’re also going through something similar, then this Sunday Reset routine post is a must-read for you!
This post is all about Sunday Reset.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.
Start Your Sunday Reset
Quick Introductory Exercise
Before I get into the holistic three-step Sunday reset routine, let’s start with a quick little exercise.
This exercise will help you gauge how far you have come or how much progress you have (or haven’t) made in the last year.
Even if you feel like a complete mess who ended up with more Instagram hours than actual productivity hours, don’t worry! This is a no-judgement zone, as we have all been that person at some point.
All you need for this exercise is a pen and paper. Then, just follow these steps:
1. Fold the Paper in Half
First, take a paper, preferably a huge one, if you had multiple goals for the previous year. Next, fold it into two halves.
2. List the Things You Did in November 2023 on the Left Side
This might sound a bit complicated, but all you need to do is write down the usual routine you had in November 2023 on the paper’s left side.
For example:
- What did you do when you woke up?
- How did you fill all the free time you had in between your classes or work?
- How did you spend the last two hours of your day?
- Also, what were you stressed about in November 2023?
- What did you try to accomplish that was overwhelming for you?
Even if the answer to all the above questions is doom-scrolling on TikTok or Instagram, just write it down. Self-honesty is super important to get meaningful insights from this exercise!
3. List the Yearly Goals You Had for 2023 on the Right Side
Now, on the right side of the page, mention all your significant goals you had for 2023. They can be anything – personal development goals, career goals, or even academic goals.
Don’t remember your last year’s goals?
Well, if you have a habit of scribbling down your New Year resolutions on your phone or a planner, try to find them. Even a rough idea would do!
4. Compare the Left Side With the Right Side
The last step might make you happy or a little anxious depending on the results.
You just have to compare the paper’s left side and the right side. This will help you know if everything you did on the left side aligned with your goals on the right side.
If the answer is a “not really” or an outright “NO” then this is exactly what I am going to help you with in this blog post!
For instance, one of my major yearly goals (on the right side) for 2023 was to apply to Mediavine which is a program where you can monetize your blog. They have quite a long list of requirements and I would have had to upload several new blog posts on my website to apply.
But what was on my left side of the list for November 2023? Well, scrolling on my phone right after waking up, watching Netflix in the evening and doing something random whenever I had a spare minute in between classes.
Sadly, this little exercise helped me realize exactly WHY I hadn’t achieved that goal by the end of 2023. It also made it crystal clear for me how I can radically change the outcome for 2024 – it all starts with my Sunday reset routine.
If you’re in a similar boat where you didn’t actually tackle your major goals for the last year, this Sunday Reset routine is all you need.
3 Steps: Your Sunday Reset Routine
While this Sunday Reset Routine is no Fairy Godmother that can turn your pumpkins into beautiful carriages, it is a step forward to streamlining and truly achieving your year’s goals.
After following this Sunday routine diligently since the year started, I can confidently say that it helped me with four important things:
- Recognizing all your big and small goals.
- Turning overwhelming to-do lists into achievable goals.
- Staying focused and setting realistic deadlines to achieve the goals.
- Doing or worrying less and achieving so much more!
And just if you are curious, yes, I started taking action towards my (reactivated) Mediavine goal and I have already been seeing incredible progress!
Wondering how this routine works? Well, let’s get into it.
Step 1: Celebrate Your Failures
Yes, I know this step sounds cliché and straight out of a self-help podcast (yes, it actually is).
But, trust me, it will help you get over past failures and regrets — which are sometimes harder than getting over a breakup!
While listening to the podcast, the host mentioned how successful people aren’t afraid of failure, and even believe it’s good to fail.
The reason?
Failure gives you an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and do better.
In this step, I want you to focus on three things:
- First, list down the things you failed to accomplish in the previous week.
For instance, I had aimed to write down three things I wanted to get done each day in my journal in the last week. But when I was on campus, I forgot to open my journal and ended up not doing that simple task!
- Then, find out and list down some realistic ways to avoid failing at those things again in the coming week.
To fix the above issue, I decided to write the three things on my phone whenever I got the time. This way, it was easier for me to remember!
- Finally, list down the things you achieved successfully in the previous week.
Sometimes, we end up overthinking about our failures and forget to focus on the positives. So, this step will help you recognize your wins, and keep you motivated to achieve more in the coming week!
Step 2: The Northstar Planning Approach
The Northstar Planning Approach is about focusing (hyperfixating) on your yearly goals.
Take a planner, and write down three types of goals in it.
Yearly Goals
First, mention all the major milestones and goals you want to hit this year. For instance, they could be “I want to lose X pounds this year.” or “I want to score an x GPA this year.”
If you are feeling clueless about how to figure out your yearly goals, I have a great YouTube video for that! It also comes with a FREE Reset Workbook to help you brainstorm and get clarity on your goal (without writer’s block!). You can enter your details below to download yours:
Just writing down your yearly goals can get overwhelming! I mean, how are you supposed to get them done with no clear plan?
The answer lies in focusing on the tiny goals instead. Break down each big yearly goal into smaller, actionable steps that can help you get there.
Let’s say you want to achieve a 4.0 GPA. Now, some ways to accomplish this goal include joining study groups, getting enough sleep, exploring new study strategies, and more.
Top 3 Tasks for This Week
Finally, every Sunday, you should list three main goals that you want to cross off the list in the coming week. If you feel like there’s a lot to do in a week to simply fit in three goals, have weekly or monthly themes.
Each week or month, focus on a particular area of your life or work that needs immediate attention.
For example, one week might be dedicated to improving productivity, while another might focus on personal development.
Pro tip: One thing I always suggest doing is sticking the paper (with all the listed goals) on the wall, near the bed, or your work/study table. This way, you remain aware of everything you have to do and can take a look at that list every Sunday as an inspiration for your Sunday reset.
Step 3: The Mt. Everest Test
The first two steps are all about planning and what you have to do. The last step in our Sunday reset routine is more about how you can realistically achieve these goals!
Just a few days ago, I was listening to the “The Diary of a CEO” podcast by Steven Bartlett. He talked about how tasks can feel overwhelming – as if you’re climbing Mt. Everest itself.
For example, when you think about exercising, your mind might throw a huge pile of questions at you. Where to exercise? How to exercise? Does your body even have the energy to do it? What if you can just do it tomorrow?
This mountain of questions simply leads to delaying the tasks, and eventually your goals. So how to avoid that overwhelm paralysis? Breaking it down into smaller chunks!
For that, the Mt. Everest Test requires you to do three simple things:
- Pick a Daily Task
First, you need to pick one of the three daily tasks that you have planned for the week. For example, let’s say you have a goal to exercise for an hour each day.
- Ask Yourself – Is It Realistic?
Next, you need to see if the daily goal passes the Mt. Everest Test. It helps gauge if your goal is even realistically achievable.
You must consider whether the chosen task is doable based on your schedule, resources, and capabilities.
For example, ask yourself questions…
- Do I have enough time to exercise for an hour each day?
- Do I have the resources to exercise?
- What if I have time on some days only?
If you feel like exercising for an hour each day isn’t realistically possible, it’s failing the test and your tasks need to be adjusted.
- If it is Unrealistic, How to Make it More Realistic?
Now, what to do once your chosen daily task fails the Mt. Everest test?
It’s quite simple. You just need to think of ways to make it more realistic for your circumstances.
Some ways to do it include:
- Check your schedule to see where you can fit the task.
- Recognize and let go of poor habits, like excessive social media usage, that take away productive hours of the day.
- Collecting all the required resources before starting the task, this could be an additional task in itself.
- Break it down into smaller tasks, e.g. first starting with just 10 minutes of exercise vs. already trying to hit that full hour (especially if you are starting from scratch).
- Find ways to minimize time for tiny tasks that affect the big tasks. For example, prepare your meals beforehand, so it doesn’t eat away your time on busy days! You can use this new free time for your goals and tasks (eg. exercising) instead.
I know it from my own experience, I am likely to procrastinate if my schedule says “create Youtube video”. But once I break it into small realistic chunks (e.g. brainstorm ideas, write a script, select the title, shoot the thumbnail), create a time slot to align it with my schedule and make sure I have everything I need before getting started – it’s sooo much easier to actually reach this weekly goal.
One of the books that have been a great inspiration and guidance for my daily habits and productive strategies is The Power of Habit. If you want to dive deeper into these topics, I highly recommend to check this out!
Final Thoughts
I hope this Sunday Reset routine helps you gain clarity about your weekly and yearly goals! Perhaps next Sunday, instead of feeling dreadful, you’ll eagerly anticipate the upcoming week with energy and enthusiasm.
You can also read more such blog posts if you want this year to become a complete game-changer.
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