THE Productivity Series: Sunday GYST

Hey Honey!
Welcome to the first blog post in our new Productivity Series! Considering that the 'Lively Lifestyle' is all about living with intention, efficiency and wellbeing, it was super important for us to have an entire series dedicated to how to live productively. And no, productivity isn't always about getting more done. For us, productivity is all about making time for the things that are important in our lives. 

​Prior to our Lively Launch, I shared on the blog my Meal Prepping process. There is no denying that having the week ahead of you sorted allows you to start it off with a win. It’s clears your head, keeps you focused on the current and allows you to begin the week with focus and intention. However, I’m come to realise that really getting my shit together for the upcoming week isn’t just about making sure all my events are in my calendar or that my meals are pre-prepared, it’s more than that. Enter the Sunday GYST. GYST standing for ‘Get Your Shit Together’. Sunday’s are really the perfect day for GYSTing for me, however perhaps a Monday works well in your calendar. Either way, it’s important to gift yourself the time to really just reset after the weekend and get ahead. 

Sunday’s are like my day just for me. I’ll be sharing my Sunday Routine very soon in an upcoming blog post, however the key principles to my Sunday’s are: refresh, reorganise and reset. My Sunday in it’s entirety has evolved into my GYST day, however, maybe you’re only able to carve out a few hours! Whatever your limits, you won’t regret it.

How to GYST in 3 Easy Steps:

1. REFRESH -
Begin your day getting your environment clean and organised. I love to spend my Sunday morning changing my sheets, airing my bedding while also cleaning and tidying my space. This doesn’t have to be a deep clean either! More like just 20 minutes covering the essentials, however it’s amazing the difference this makes to how your environment makes you feel. As I clean and organise my space I always record what household essentials I need to top up on. I also have a check through the fridge and become aware of what I am able to use in my upcoming meal prep while also inspiring me to clean the fridge out too! 

I love hitting the markets and the supermarket early on a Sunday to beat the rest of the town. Before mid morning my home is clean and I’ve restocked the house ready for my meal prep.

Other ideas for your REFRESH: clean windows, wash car, laundry, clean out wallet/handbag, water plants, wash makeup brushes, clean out wardrobes and drop unwanted items to the opshop. Another great opportunity for this part of your GYST is to choose one section of the house to focus on for a declutter. For example, if the linen cupboard needs tackling if yourself time for this on your GYST. It isn’t a weekly job, but this is a great opportunity to lighten the load of a full declutter into smaller bite size pieces.

 2. REORGANISE - 
​This is where your weekly organisation comes into play. Grab a notebook or a device, light a candle (yes, even if it’s the middle of the day) and put on a lovely Sunday playlist. This time is for you. Let’s start with a quick weekly review: I love to write down my wins for the week, what isn’t working (what were my losses?) and why, how can I solve these losses and make improvement over the following week? I also like to check in with my goals, and see how I’ve made progress towards achieving them, or which goals I need to dedicate more attention to within the next week. I like to begin with a brain dump. This is basically a collection of to-dos, things to remember, borrowed items I need to return, projects I want to dedicate time to, people to contact, events to plan for, places to go and life admin.

This just allows me to unload everything onto one page which I can then work through and process into my upcoming week. Often, I notice within this brain dump tasks which are quick and easy fixes, like making a phone call to a friend to confirm a coffee date, or remembering to pay a bill. I tick these off then and there, giving me a great little win.

​Now, I organise these to-do’s, and in the process I’m asking myself 3 important questions:

        1. Is this necessary? Is this job worthy of my time and energy? Is it valuable?
        2. Can I delegate this task to someone else?       
        3. How can I make this easier? What are the action steps I can put in place to break          
            this to-do down to become more manageable? 

Then I do a calendar check, ensuring that I’m scheduling my appointments for the upcoming week and getting my ‘non-negotionables’ sorted. This is followed by scheduling my to-dos! I know they ain’t gonna happen if I don’t put them in my calendar. So I block out the time for the ones I definitely need to complete this week. Bank the remainders which you can’t tackle right away in a list which you can check in on if you have a spare moment during the week.

Also, this is a great opportunity to look at your week and see how balanced it’s looking. Got a lot of work requirements? Perhaps organise social plans for the weekend. Or schedule time to dedicate towards a hobby, sport or passion. These things are just as important as the other to-do’s on your list, if not more. Schedule reading time, or down time with the kids, perhaps a phone call with a family member or friend. Also, have a look towards your happy list from our last blog post and recognise where you might need to pop in a little treat for yourself.

Designing your week is something we will look into further detail in the future however for now it's important to understand that a big part of taking control of your life and ensuring that you're living it well is reining in how you spend your time and what you allow into your week. 

Other ideas for this time:
If you’re a fitness bunny, plan your workouts for the week. Or get your meals prepped. Perhaps review your current budget with your partner. Ease the morning stress by planning a week’s worth of outfits. Or finally, give your devices a bit of a clean out too. This may include clearing and organising your emails (ideally to inbox zero) or minimising your desktop, downloads and trash folder. 

3. RESET
​Finally, this section is really just about focusing in on how you’re feeling and what you have to tackle next. Perhaps this may start with getting outside and having a little check in with yourself and how you’re feeling. I love to also listen to an inspiring podcast that keeps me motivated and creative. It’s a great way for me to keep up with ideas for the blog and different things I want to focus on during the week. Once I’m home, I like to look at tomorrow. This includes writing my to-do list specifically for the day, and identifying the 3 most important tasks which need to be completed first. I organise my outfits, pack my bags, and put things into the car ready to go.

Perhaps you would also like to set out your breakfast for tomorrow, down to getting the cutlery ready and your coffee cup out. Sunday evening is really just a little moment of self care. I pop myself into the bath with a hair mask and a face mask, it’s amazing what this does. Diffuse some essential oils (especially lavender) and stay off the devices by allowing yourself to read, journal or spend time with your loved ones. It’s amazing how a mindful Sunday can revolutionise your week ahead. Sunday has become a day I look forward too, rather than dread because of it’s close proximity to Monday!

You should be able to enjoy your week no matter what day it is. Ultimately, every day is an opportunity to bring you closer to fulfilling specifically want you want to achieve from life. Take this opportunity as an amazing gift - and don't forget to use it well. 

It seems a little elaborate, doesn’t it? I understand that a lot of people are unable to dedicate an entire day to preparing themselves for the week ahead. However, the concepts behind this GYST are simple: give yourself the time to refresh, reorganise and reset for the week. However simple or complex, GYSTing is one of the most efficient ways of giving yourself a routine or process which is easy, efficient and effective. At this stage, my Sunday’s are just automatic, and I know can roll through my day without even thinking about what I have to do next. 

Below, I’ve attached a printable to help simplify my 3 step GYST process as well as some ideas for what you may include in each section. I have also included a little bonus 'Weekly Review' template which may be of use and finally a 'Weekly Plan' template! Please remember, this isn’t supposed to be a ‘job’, rather something to look forward to which makes your week run a whole lot smoother and gives you peace of mind before your week begins. 

From our home to yours,

    Click the Lively Bee to Download your Weekly Review Printable!

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  Click the Lively Bee to Download your Weekly Plan Printable!

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 Click the Lively Bee to Download your GYST Printable!

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