The Sunday Reset

Start the week on purpose, instead of in panic

As I said in a previous post, I recently went back and took our 20-Hour Work Week course because there here was a stretch of time when my Mondays felt like I was being launched out of a cannon. Wake up late. Scramble to prep lunches. Forget a Zoom link. No clean socks. The emotional chaos of the morning set the tone for the entire week—and not in a good way.

Eventually, I realized that what I needed wasn’t another productivity tool or better time management. I needed space—just one intentional pause before the week began.

After going back through my course, I've started doing the Friday@4 method and a Sunday Detox. ( Use Blog to get $10 off the 20-Hour Work Week course)

During my Sunday Detox, I've added my Sunday Reset. It’s one hour every Sunday evening. That’s it. But it has changed everything.

What Happens During My Sunday Reset?

This hour isn’t rigid. It’s a gentle ritual, anchored in mindfulness and grounded in the needs of my week ahead.

Here’s what it usually includes:

• Calendar Review: I open my calendar and look ahead. Any stressful meetings? Travel? Kiddo’s school events? Knowing what’s coming allows me to respond, not react.

• Meal + Outfit Prep: I plan simple meals (or review what our cook is prepping). I pick out a few outfits. No overthinking—just reducing daily decisions.

• Tidy Touch-Up: I clear one space—my desk, kitchen counter, or entryway. Physical clarity always brings mental clarity.

• Family Check-In: My daughter “helps” pick snacks or organize toys. It becomes our mini ritual too—less about productivity, more about connection.

And finally, I choose one word or intention for the week. Something like “patience,” “focus,” or “ease.” It’s a quiet anchor I can return to when the week inevitably throws curveballs.

Why It Works (Even When It’s Imperfect)

This isn't a performance. I’m not trying to win “Most Organized Parent.” Some weeks it’s 30 minutes. Some weeks I skip it entirely.

But when I do it—even just partially—I start the week on purpose, instead of in panic.

I feel steadier at work. More present with my child. Less reactive when the unexpected shows up (and it always does). That one hour has become an investment in my sanity, energy, and emotional bandwidth.

A Gentle Invitation

If your weeks feel rushed, chaotic, or off-balance, consider creating your own Sunday Reset.

No rules.

Just pause.

Breathe.

Look ahead with kindness.

You don’t have to control everything.

Just honor the rhythm you're trying to live within.

Sometimes the most mindful thing we can do is begin again, on a Sunday night, with intention.