5 Tips to set yourself up for successful week.
Updated: May 12, 2021
This marks my first blog on this new journey. I hope that something I say or do can bring some value to you.
As the new week approached I was contemplating my "dream" (that's what Ashlea and I have been calling our desired to-do list) for the coming week, I had a thought; "Always pushing to be better is exhausting. How do I do it? Why do I do it?" I really do like the daily grind of each day but what is it that keeps me going day after day, week after week. I mean, I've been really pushing for over a year now. What are those things that have helped? Well, I'm going to share some of them!
Let's remember, the title is 5 Tips to set yourself up for a successful week. Not How to get everything done and be perfect at it all. If that were the case, I would definitely be the wrong person for that. I'd be the first to tell you that too. But, I have been really pushing and focusing on my personal progression for quite a bit. It is a journey. Some days/weeks/months I'm feeling really good. Some of them I'm feeling burnt out, unmotivated, tired, insecure... you get the point. Somehow, though, I always seem to come back and push again.
Those are some of the things I'd like to share. See how they align with you.
1: Set goals!
Every year we set "New Year's Resolutions''. We take advantage of the brand new year and look forward to getting better by December 31st. Then January 12th comes along and our "commitment" has already been thrown out the window.
Why can't we take the New Year's Resolutions mindset into our daily lives? Could that benefit us more? Each month is a new month. Each week is a new week. Each day is a new day. So on and so forth. You can't look at the year as your whole goal. That's way too vague.
If you break those goals down into smaller increments you drastically increase your chances at success. As Will Smith says, “You don’t go out to build a wall. You lay brick by brick and sooner or later you have a wall.” The same can be said for our goals.
Here is a potential method, but do what works for you: Set a goal (or two) for the week. Write it down. Write down specific actions that you can do that will go into accomplishing that goal.
Example: Exercise 4 times this week: Tuesday/Thursday - go to the gym. Wednesday - Run. Saturday - Yoga. Monday/Friday - Rest.
Give it a shot. See how it helps.
2: Exercise
This one can be hard to do. Trust me, I know. But, if you want to achieve your goals, this is a great tool to use.
Getting up and moving your body just sends positive hormones through your body and brings motivated thoughts to your brain. You're showing your body that no matter how tired you may feel you can push and progress. That is a great message to send to yourself.
Sometimes you may even have to exercise as an obligation because you want to do other things. I know that I have been there. I’ve had some things on my plate to finish but I felt so unmotivated. I took a step back and realized that I should exercise. Once completed, I had far more motivation to finish my other tasks and probably did so at a more efficient level.
Maybe this will be one of your goals to set from tip #1?
3: Accomplish something early
Give yourself a “WIN” early in the week and early in the day. Completing a task tells yourself that you are capable of doing good things. Why not try some more?
This concept is replicated in the military. You hear all the time about how they wake up early and have to make their bed perfectly all the time. Want to know why? No matter what else happens the rest of the day, they completed the task. But, not only did they get it done, they did it at a high level. Perfectly. They cannot say that the whole day was a complete failure because they completed one task. (This example may or may not be true with today’s military but the sentiment is the same)
Whatever that accomplishment is for you make sure that it is celebrated. If you got 100% on a test, celebrate that. Did you complete the yard work you have been putting off? Give yourself a pat on the back. Sometimes your accomplishment is just getting out of bed that day. Thad can be really hard to do somedays and that can be celebrated.
Give yourself an early win.
4: Take a “pause”
Weeks can get busy. Days can get busy. Even hours can get hectic and chaotic. As the week goes on, no matter how many things you accomplish, it seems like more gets added on to your plate. That is both physically and mentally exhausting. Your body needs a break. Your brain needs a break.
Sometimes the most beneficial thing you can do is take a few steps back, pause and take a break from all the craziness going on in your day. That could be a nap or a meditation. Maybe you go out to lunch with a friend or on a quick hike. Do something that will take you away completely from the chaos. If you are fully able to disconnect, when it’s time to dive back into your daily tasks you will feel far more prepared and energized for the tasks you are about to take on.
5: Practice Self Love
So often we are giving, giving, giving. Complimenting others. Lending a helping hand so that others can succeed. What would it look like if you had that same mentality for yourself? What if you provided service, love, and admiration for yourself? Would you see yourself differently? Would you feel better about where and who you are?
It’s a great practice to do something everyday that shows you that you love yourself. That can look so different for everyone too. There is no cookie cutter mold for this. Maybe for you it is journaling your feelings every day. Perhaps it’s going to the gym or saying positive affirmations. It could be staying disciplined on your diet because eating fried foods makes you feel sick to your stomach. Maybe it’s all of those things. Whatever Self love looks like for you, be intentional with it. If you are completing an action of Self Love make sure you know why you’re doing it.
Sometimes this can feel awkward or uncomfortable but I promise you will get used to it and that feeling of self love will feel quite good.
Bonus Tip:
Some of these steps can overlap and be the same thing. You don’t need to rack your brain of 5 different things to do for all of these steps. One action or activity can overlap into another or even all of these tips. Pick one to commit to for a week and see what happens. Let me know your thoughts on the result.
SPREAD LOVE!