Originally I only intended to write this post to help you get a better visual idea on how to use your Sunday prayer and planning pages more effectively. But as I started to explore all the examples we have, I realized the way we do Sunday is so much more than a regular day on your planner - it's a Biblical way to overcome the 'Sunday scaries.'
Afterall – "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, let me enlighten you. 'Sunday Scaries' is the pop-culture catch phrase for the feeling of nervousness and dread you may feel as your mind starts to realize the weekend is coming to a close and it's time to tackle the week ahead. Some people experience it, some people don't.
I think we can all relate to the feeling of "I better get my stuff together for the week' and that's the whole reason why I wanted Sunday to have a page of it's own (plus one more) in the Hope Planner.
I am a doodler. I write things down. I want to take what's clogging my brain and put it down on paper so I can think more clearly. And that works for more than my to-do list, it helps with prayer too. Prayer journaling is also an effective way at getting your thoughts out of your head and over to God.
Enter the Sunday spread in both the daily and weekly Hope Planners.
Sunday is my favorite day of the Hope Planners because as a planner person, these two pages help me start my week with some serious clarity. I get to dive deeper into my prayer journaling and I have a whole page to dump what's in my brain onto the page for the week ahead and then organize it between each day on the following pages.
A revolutionary concept in the world of planners, I know.
So, if you are the type of person who gets a bout of the 'Sunday scaries' now and then, my advice is to tackle it with a prayer and a plan.
Pray first. Pour out what's on your heart to the Lord on the weekly prayer journaling page below. Prayer is the first step to peace of mind because it's an admission of his existence and work in your life. It is the literal act of "letting go and letting God."
Then, Make a plan for the week on the next page. Pour out what's on your mind onto the paper and edit down from there. Once you've given God the heavy stuff on your heart, now it's time to make sense of everything clogging your brain and the best way to do that is to get it on paper so you can have a big picture view of everything.
But maybe you're the type that doesn't need this type of mental cleanse each week. Here's where you can think outside the typical planner (because of our 2-page Sunday layout)!
In the Hope Planner, your Sunday notes page can be whatever you want....
- your Sunday to-do list
- a brain dump before the week
- divided into several helpful sections like to-dos, sermon notes, meeting notes, etc
- used for sermon notes
- a space to just get creative
Here are a few visual examples of how you can use this page...
As a Sunday to-do list....
My favorite, the brain dump...
Here's another way I've broken up the page between meeting notes, meal planning, and crucial to-dos for the week.
RELATED: How to Get the Most out of your 'Do' Section
I love this example from one of our customers she posted on Instagram - She uses her weekly Sunday notes page for Sermon notes.
Another customer example on splitting up the page to use for different lists.
READ: Choosing Faith: Can We Find Balance Between Planning and Peace?
If you're using the new version of our weekly Hope Planner where Sunday is now a two-page spread as well (and the week view runs Monday-Saturday).... you'll appreciate this example of how I use a simple ruler to outline a to-do list for my Sunday whenever I need it.
With a prayer and a plan, there's no need to feel any sort of dread for the the week ahead. The two go hand-in-hand.
A blank space doesn't have to be overwhelming, it can be inspiring! Approach your Sunday notes page with a new found purpose to plan out your week and win. You've got this!
PIN IT TO SHARE AND SAVE
