Kick-start your week with this “Reset Routine”
A weekly reset is a block of time (typically planned at the end of the week) dedicated to cleaning up any ‘loose ends’ from the week and completing tasks that will help you prepare for upcoming projects.
This could look like:
- food prep/meal planning
- tidying up clutter
- reviewing a to-do list
- journaling
When I start my week “fresh” I get this energy that makes me feel like I have space *aaahhhh* to accomplish anything.
By “fresh” I mean, I don’t have the looming presence of:
- a full email inbox
- unclear goals
- half-finished projects
- stacks of papers
- unorganized notes
I started a Weekly Reset after watching a youtube video by muchelleb and I’d love to share my weekly process with you (because it feels SO GOOD to invest time in clearing out the clutter).
Minimize Daily Decisions
There are two major decisions that I need to make each day: What to wear & What to eat.
By setting out my outfits, workout clothes, and meals in advance — I immediately create more time in my days. This takes about two hours to: chop veggies, cook foods, fold clothes, and make sure that every day of the week is taken care of.
Clean out my Email Inbox
As I go through my inbox, I take the opportunity to add tasks to my ‘to do’ list or give a quick response to whoever is waiting to hear from me.
I have folders in my email such as “Read and Recorded” or “New Client Questionnaire” Each email has a home when i’m done with it and occasionally… though rarely… I can get that inbox to ZERO.
Social Media Messages
I manage social media accounts for businesses in my area so this task can take some time for me. It involves scrubbing through the posts from the week and making sure that each comment got a response and each DM or tag was acknowledged as well.
File away Notes
I use Evernote and tiny scraps of loose paper to jot down… video ideas, articles I read, contact information… anything really… and these scraps can add up FAST.
Before I spill to much coffee on them or crush them at the bottom of my purse, I file them away in Google Keep.
Label Documents and Downloads
I have a confession: I don’t label my documents well.
It’s something I need to work on and my weekly reset is one way I “manage the chaos”.
I have an incredibly detailed file system in my dropbox but each meticulously named folder is filled with files called:
- DeleteThis
- UseForLater
- aa
- aab
- asdf
- file1
Anyone else do this?
Hopefully you’re all nodding your heads like ‘yes girl… me too’
During my weekly reset, I take the time to rename photos, recycle items I no longer need, and keep my desktop as clear as possible. Let’s see that wallpaper.
Review my Calendar
I put EVERYTHING in my google calendar. I have my workouts, appointments, meetings, important tasks, social activities, and timeblocks.
I look at the week ahead to make sure that I’ve blocked time for my clients, walking my dog, and this Weekly Reset : )
For those of you who still carry around your pen and paper agendas — keep doing what you love but I’m a digital girl through and through — Everything goes in one place and that’s my google calendar.
Brain Dump
Now’s the time to sit down with a stream of consciousness and “brain dump”.
I sit down and write down any thoughts that I might be holding on to.
- How something made me feel this week
- Goals I’d like to accomplish
- Changes I need to make in my life
- People i’d like to catch up with
Once I’ve taken my thoughts down, I go to my to-list and organize my tasks by priority.
What helps me get things done is categorizing my to-do list by: client, personal, and home.
I have to-do lists for clients like: schedule photo-soot, find website developers
I have to-do lists for home like: clean out fridge, donate unworn clothes
I have to-do lists for personal like: book massage, try new yoga studio
Journaling
Journaling is more of a daily practice for me but it can be incredibly helpful for weekly planning too. I’ve been using journal smarter to find prompts and inspiration in writing for myself.
How long does this really take?
My Weekly Reset usually takes 5 hours (though it depends on my week) and I like using my Sunday afternoons to lazily get this done with a hot cup of tea.
- Minimize Daily Distractions 2 hours (mostly cooking, and laying out clothes)
- Clean our my Email Inbox 30 minutes (quick responses and adding tasks)
- Social Media Messages 30 minutes (comments and DMs)
- File Away Notes 30 minutes (transform scraps of paper into actionable to-dos)
- Label Digital Files 15 minutes (rename files, upload phone photos to dropbox)
- Review my Calendar 15 minutes (to add any tasks or to-dos)
- Brain Dump 1 hour (journal, organize to-do list, prioritize)
The shorter way to do many things, is to do one thing at a time — Mozart
Like so many things in our life, progress come from consistency. You don’t learn to play an instrument by picking it up once. The dedication to continuous practice is where the skill is built.
Enjoy some of these suggested tasks and have fun making it your own. You can use trial and error to find the activities that work best for you.
