Do you ever find yourself in the middle of the week, with your face buried in your desk, wondering what is really going on? You’re hoping that someone out there has the amazing ability of modifying time, so they can gift you with a few more hours to accomplish your to do list. Maybe they can even start your week over so you can try it again? But would this extra time do you any good? Being intentional is a surefire way to guide your work week in a positive direction.
As a working woman, I’ve found that if I start preparing for my work week on Sunday, I actually have a more productive, organized, and energized week. Below, I have some tips on how to position yourself to have a better work week!
1. Lunch Decisions Made Easy: Meal Prepping Saves Lives and Your Pockets Too!
Planning ahead is a vital part of successfully accomplishing goals. When it comes to our health and nutrition, it is no different. Our careers can often nudge a wedge in between our health and success. As your work schedule becomes increasingly busy juggling meetings, projects, and new initiatives, are you making time for nutrition? It’s so easy to go pick up some fast food for both breakfast and lunch. I mean, it is called fast food for a reason. But not only do the calories and carbs add up…so does the bill! That six dollar breakfast and twelve dollar lunch will easily turn into 90 dollars for food during the course of the week…and 360 dollars for the month. Meal prepping can serve as an alternative, that can offer you health benefits and lower expenses. Try using Sundays to plan out all of your meals throughout the week, and alleviate some unnecessary stress.
2. Plan Your Outfits Ahead of Time
Who really needs extra things to complete in the morning? For some of us who are not the most decisive when it comes to apparel, deciding what to wear can really exhaust you. You become frantic, arguing with yourself in the mirror about the fact you don’t have any shoes that will match your dress. Why not go ahead and take care of this ahead of time? Whether the night before, or at the start of the week, piece together your outfits, iron them, and accessorize. It’s like having your own personal assistant, but it’s you!
3. Journaling: The Compass to Progression
Journaling is very beneficial in gaining control of your life, as you are able to take inventory of the good, bad, and the ugly. Whether you have received a 10% raise or had a dispute with a coworker, be sure to write it down. Talk about how it made you feel, and the steps you will take to either refine or continue to progress. It’s no shocker that life at work can get a bit emotional, as we give much of ourselves away. Be open to journaling, as it will allow you to explore these emotions and you can work to control them. Every Sunday, I challenge you to write down the highs and lows of the previous week…then write three things you can change to make the upcoming week better.
4. Establish Weekly Goals
Clearly stated goals provide us with direction in our lives. It’s important to have both long term and short term goals. Establishing weekly goals helps us to not lose focus on the big picture, as they reinforce those long term goals in our life. Maybe you want to lose 30 pounds by next September, or maybe you want to get a big promotion in the next 6 months. Well, NEWS FLASH!!! There are actions that we must take in order to accomplish those goals. So why not create a weekly action plan/goal to make strides towards the greater goal. Reciting your goals to yourself every morning and every night will help to fortify your willingness to accomplish these goals!
5. Look Forward to things Outside of the Office
Positive anticipation helps to energize your life, and assists in drowning out some of the bitter moments in your day. Being able to have something of pleasure waiting for us at the end of a not so enjoyable day, can help us to build discipline as we learn how to face and deal with temporary moments of frustration or confusion. Because you are looking forward to something, that indignant email is no longer a wall. You don’t have to stay in that state of frustration. You understand that this is a temporary feeling, and you don’t have to lash out in a way that could put your job in jeopardy. Instead, anticipation creates a door that makes those annoying moments seem like something you just passed through for the day. Moving forward, I encourage you to plan something, big or small, at least 3 nights a week.
6. Meditation: Direct Your Energy for Good
Meditation is not something that becomes habit on the first try. Like any other habits, meditation takes patience and consistency. Practicing meditation and mindfulness help to keep you aligned with your purpose and sustaining positive energy. Doing both of these things help to settle your mind, offers fresh perspectives, and it even helps you to rest. Start your mornings with meditation, even if it’s just for 5 minutes. Being able to tap into your own thoughts and focus on your life, is just a little more beneficial than answering that email that could wait a couple of minutes. Sometimes, you just have to choose yourself.
Feel free to give your own tips below on how you maneuver the work week! Thank you for reading!