Get Your Life Together + Plan A Successful Week

Wellness

Oct 6

I used to over-book myself then get so overwhelmed with all of the tasks I procrastinated from. I’d start the week feeling motivated and inspired to get shit done only to have lost my mojo by Wednesday. By the weekend, I was absolutely fried! All I’d want to do is crawl into a blanket burrito, throw Netflix on as ambient sound, and nap all day long.

7 years ago, I adapted Kalyn Nicholson’s “GYST Day” practice to accommodate my generally busy, average person lifestyle and shared it on my old blog, Lattes & Lifestyle.

To my surprise, it absolutely popped off - with over 149,000 views! Wild.

I just couldn’t believe how many people could resonate with how I like to organize my GYST Day.

So, today, I’ve finally decided to make minor changes to the original post and share with you all my weekly ritual - how I get my life sorted and plan for a successful week.

I also added some pro-tips at the end of this post to help you stay on task, get more done, and feel accomplished at the end of the day for getting your life together!

What Is A GYST Day?

If you are unfamiliar with Kalyn's "GYST Day" strategy, it is basically the act of putting aside a day of the week to Get Your Sh*t Together. She breaks her day down into three categories: chores, beauty, and goals; then gets tasks done within those categories as the day goes on. To learn more about it, watch her YouTube video here.

Who Are GYST Days For?

Anyone who gets overwhelmed with adulting
Anyone who loves to procrastinate and has fallen behind
Anyone who has too much on their plate and just needs a day to collect themselves and get back on track
Anyone who struggles to stay organized
Anyone who is excited to create a more productive lifestyle

If you fit any (or all) of these, I definitely recommend you giving a GYST Day a try. I feel like, unless you have your life 100% together (which is almost nobody, because nobody is perfect), you could benefit from trying a GYST Day at least once in your life.

No matter your intention, implementing a GYST Day into your week definitely will have you feeling more organized, underwhelmed, and ready for what the next week holds.

How To Organize Your GYST Day

Similar to Kalyn, I also like to break my day up into categories. Although I have a couple of extra categories I have created to help me be more productive and get more done throughout the day.

Chores
Projects
Self-Care
Planning Ahead
Relax

Chores

I always like to start my GYST Day by doing chores. They are the quickest to complete and having a clean home always makes me want to be more productive. These are typically chores that have been piling up while I have been trying to do other tasks, chores I only need to do on a weekly basis, or tasks I have been avoiding doing.

Decluttering My Home
Deep Cleaning The Kitchen
Grocery Shopping
Change Bedsheets
Wash & Put Away Laundry
Clean The Car
Pick Up Dog Food

Projects

After finishing all of my chores, I usually take some time to complete some projects I've fallen behind on. Whether these are projects from my business, completing assignments for my college program, finishing up client work or freelance work.

If this does not resonate with you, you could also use this portion of your GYST day to work on school assignments, work projects, small home projects you’ve been procrastinating from, gardening, a side-hustle, etc.

While these are on-going projects, I try to set a “completion goal” for my GYST day. The goal isn’t necessarily to finish big projects; rather, it’s to complete the projects that have deadlines this week or push me forward in progress in projects that need continuous work.

Finish Any School Work
Complete Any Home Projects
Create & Schedule Social Media Posts
Check-In With Clients
Gardening & Lawn Upkeep
Freelance Work / Side Hustle Work

Self-Care

After I complete all of the projects I needed to get done for the day, I begin some self-care. These are things I can't do on a daily basis that give myself the good ol' pampering I've been lacking from working so hard on other tasks and commitments throughout the week.

Everything Shower
Hair Mask
Get A Massage
Take A Fitness Class With A Friend

Plan Ahead

I think it is most important to use your GYST Day is to plan ahead to so that you can stay on track.

Fill Planner or Calendar With Upcoming Dates or Tasks
Schedule Any Important Appointments
Create To-Do List For Upcoming Week
Meal Planning & Prepping
Update Workout Plan For The Week
Check-In With Your Coach

Relax

Finally, after a long productive day of getting stuff done, I like to just relax! Here, you can do whatever makes you feel happy and relaxed. You worked hard, so you deserve to play hard too! Fill that cup, Sis!