Morning boo <3 lately I’ve been sharing my weekly planning routine on my Instagram stories, and I’ve gotten SO many sweet compliments and engagement from ya’ll about it.
So… I thought why not walk ya’ll through my process, step by step, with links to the exact tools that I use?!
One thing that really helps keep my anxiety under control is planning ahead. I’ve gotten better at this with time, especially after my anxiety shifted from a day time thing to a night time thing.
There’s nothing worse than being up late at night with a million thoughts racing:
Did I pack a gym bag?
Do I have enough meetings scheduled to meet my sales goals next week?
What am I going to talk about on the blog this week?…
Is so and so mad at me?!
Why can’t I sleep, am I dying?!?
The questions never stop, literally. It’s overdramatic and totally 150% unnecessary. It’s also preventable in most cases, despite what some might say.
I’ve recently started a habit where I sit down every Friday morning at 7 AM (after my coffee and devotional) and plan for the upcoming week. It’s been a serious game changer, ya’ll. Today I’m sharing my exact process that usually takes under one hour.
Tools:
All Out Of (Grocery Shopping) Pad
Step 1: Plan Workouts
Some of you will probably think I’m crazy, but I actually plan my workouts a month at a time lol! I use this monthly calendar pad and write down the days and types of workouts I plan to do. This actually helps me meal prep (more on that below).
This process requires my Google calendar – I look at what meetings and events I have throughout each weekday and knowing myself, I choose 4-5 days out of the week that have flexibility. I always workout at least one day over the weekend, if not both.
Step 2: Plan Work Week
The Best Self Co. Journal has been a serious game changer in my time management skills. #NerdAlert I’m one of those people who just needs to write things down so I can cross them off. I like Google calendar for meetings and scheduling, but for actual “to-do’s” and tasks, this journal is my best friend.
I get to design my day with multiple colors, pens & markers, set intentions, reflect on what I’m thankful for, and honestly it just makes me feel good haha!
Using my Google calendar (again), I look at what dates I have meetings. From there, I write down a list of all my “to-dos” for the week and assign tasks on days and times where I know I’ll be able to sit down and knock out tasks.
For example, if I need to prospect and do some outreach, I’ll book an entire morning or afternoon where that’s my sole focus. If I need to sit down and write content for the blog, I will do the same.
It’s a process called “batching” and I treat it exactly like a meeting, but with just myself.
Step 3: Plan Meals
I compare my workout plan and my work week to decide which days I know I’ll have time to cook and which days there will literally be no way in hell.
Normally I can cook 2-3 nights a week (30-45 min meals, nothing crazy) and then plan for leftovers or some sort of pre-made meal option.
I also look at which days I have lunch meetings and which days I need lunch prepped. The last thing I want to do is trust myself to make good decisions on the fly #Chickfila4Life, so I plan my lunches ahead of time and bring it with me to work if I’m not meeting a client or partner.
Something I try to stick to (thanks to what I’ve learned this year on The Fitt Cycle) is on any strength training days, or days involving a heavy workout, I allow myself to eat carbs.
Which is why I try to do my workouts on the weekends when I know I’ll be eating all the things.
Then, on days I’m busy with work stuff and not extra time to hit the gym, I try to stick to low carbs. It helps my mental focus to stick to higher fat/lower carb foods, and if I’m not going to be super active that day, I don’t need to be eating a ton of carbs. It’s not necessary and I’m trying to avoid unnecessary weight gain!
I recently made a binder that has some of my favorite recipes from prior meal kit services I subscribe to (Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, etc..) along with recipes from magazines that show up at my door. I’d love to know how I got subscribed to 15 magazines that I never read? I started to feel guilty that I would just recycle them, so I started tearing out the recipes lol!
Step 4: Plan Grocery List
After I see what meals I’m going to be making, I pull out my “All Out Of” pad and make an ingredient list. From there, I’ll add essentials like eggs, milk, cheese, etc.. Sometimes I use Amazon Fresh if I have a pretty packed weekend.
If I’m free on time, I’ll look at the local ads for Central Market, Sprouts, Kroger, etc.. and see what items are on sale and then plan my grocery shopping trip around that.
Sundays are when I usually go grocery shopping, and sometimes I’ll plan to make two stops that consist of Sprouts and one other store.
I love Central Market but they definitely are not the cheapest, so I try to limit how much I buy from them weekly!
Side-note: I decided if I got the choice of where I’d like to end up if I died, I’d like my soul to live on forever at Central Market for the nice people, wine samples and freshly baked bread.
When I complete this process, my week goes so much smoother because I save SO much time and thought. It takes me about an hour, but it’s so worth it.
What’s your favorite way to plan ahead?!
XXXO ~Mary