We all know what goes into a good Sunday reset. Self-care, self-care, and even more self-care. It’s more than just luxurious face masks and Instagramable smoothie bowls. When you are trying to get things on track, you need the big guns of self-care.
Journaling is, of course, a major player here. You want to plan out your week, balance your budget, and all the other personal organization things you can think of. Maybe you’ll even pull out your free copy of the Balanced Life Blueprint Worksheet (sorry, not sorry for the shameless plug).
But have you ever just let yourself dream during a Sunday reset? As in, reset your internal motivation? If you’re veering towards burnout, you just might want to try a self-motivation spa day. It’s just you and your journal pages. Here’s how.
Why This Sunday Reset is Different
Most itineraries for a Sunday reset include at least a little bit of inspiration. It’s exciting to make a to-do list in your bullet journal or think about how delicious your meal prep will be on Monday. Still, building motivation is rarely the focus.
It is truly such a shame! Once and awhile, it’s good to do nothing but let your imagination run wild. It keeps your spirit up. Nothing is more rejuvenating. That’s why I call this particular kind of Sunday reset a “self-motivation spa”.
Building Motivation *is* Productive
Now, don’t get it twisted. Just because this is a self-motivation spa doesn’t mean it is a silly little luxury. There are real, meaningful benefits to building your internal well of motivation.
Motivation is the cure for burnout. We hear a lot about compassion fatigue and feeling lost in work. In both of those cases, there is a lack of hope. The burnout only comes when nothing seems to happen or there’s nowhere better to go. AKA, it happens whenever you lose sight of your motivation.
Burnout is not nothing. It varies by study, but many researchers say that burnout negatively impacts the productivity of about 70% of the workforce. What could you do if you weren’t weighed down by burnout? What could you accomplish if you spent time restoring your motivation?
Basic Rules of a Self-Motivation Spa
If you’re ready to spend a whole day on your inner child, the rules are simple. This Sunday reset should be a clear day. Spend your Saturday making sure there are no dishes in the sink or major issues you’d need to take care of later. This Sunday is about you and your journal.
Romanticize Your Basic Needs
Before you can be ready to fire up your motivation, you need to be in a good place. Literally. Your body and journaling space should be comfortable. Think back to the last time you were super tired or even super hung over. Were you ready to dream and scheme? Probably not.
Throughout the day, make sure you carve out time to eat well, hydrate, move your body, and feel comfortable. Make sure you honor a healthy sleep cycle waking up and falling asleep. This is still a Sunday reset after all.
The Perfect Playlist
Since this day is all about inspiration, you’re gonna need a solid upbeat playlist. Any music that puts you in a good mood is perfect. If you like pop songs, go with that. Other common options are disco, happy instrumental songs, light jazz, dad rock, and even some metal music.
Another thing to consider is when you will want silence. Personally, I can’t write when I hear lyrics – too distracting. People also like silence for meditative time or any outdoor activities. It is all up to you and your preference. Just keep in mind what you need to actually focus.
Find Your Starting Point
Journal Prompt 1: What is your current motivation level?
Awhile back, we talked about life wheels on Instagram. This tool will come in handy during your first prompt of the day. Set up your life wheel but, instead of filling it up with your level of effort in each area, fill it up with your motivation level.
Ask yourself how motivated you are at work, in your friendships, with your hobbies, etc. It’s always good to have a visual. You can reflect on your wheel once it is done. Did anything surprise you?
What Do You Want – Really?
Journal Prompt 2: What do you *actually* want.
After you give yourself sometime to stretch and snack, it’s time for the second journal prompt of your Sunday reset. This prompt is a bit like Ryan Gosling in The Notebook. You should fill this list with what you want to avoid or what problems you wish would just disappear. Instead, you should only list what you really want. What are you actively working towards?
It’s like starting to drive onto the highway before you figure out your destination – you’re going to waste a lot of gas. But if you really know what you’re headed towards? That’s when you can get efficient. See? Building motivation is totally practical!
Vision Board Time!
Now that you know what you want, how do you want it to look? That’s right, it is finally time to craft your vision board.
If you’ve been following Write Your Wellness for a while, you would have seen the Goodbye Boards journal project. Now it’s time to flip the script. For this vision board, add everything you love about your life as it is now and everything you want to add. You can use magazines, past journal entries, sentimental paper scraps, or whatever else makes sense to you.
You could also go the digital route. Canva and Pinterest are great tools for this. There are pro’s and con’s to digital vision boards. On one hand they are free, less mess, and easier to edit later. But, on the other hand, the internet is full of distractions. If you’re the type of person who can’t resist a rabbit hole on Google, a physical vision board is best.
Know Your Next Step
So you have the vision, now what? The problem with a lot of motivation exercises is that they stop short of accountability and action. This is a problem because big dreams are also very intimidating. Since this is all about putting yourself on the right track, you’re going to need to plan the first few baby steps.
Journal Prompt 3: What are 1-3 things you can do next week to start creating the life you just dreamed up?
There is a similar exercise on the Balanced Life Blueprint Worksheet. That’s because this journal prompt is so, so key to your success. This is your chance to ground yourself and build up confidence. You’re going to need that if you want to build up genuine motivation during this Sunday reset.
That said, try to make your list reasonable. You need baby steps, not huge leaps. The more accomplishments you get under your belt, the more motivation you will create.
Meditate
Whew! Are you starting to feel like you are out of things to say? Good.
Another Sunday reset essential is a short meditation. And not just any meditation, mind you. A self-motivation spa requires you to practice letting go of doubt and distractions whenever they pop up. It’s a way to cope with the things that naturally extinguish our sense of excitement.
Feel free to chose any meditation practice you like. However, might I suggest some of the quality guided meditations from Portland Psychotherapy? These audios are created by mental health professionals with a focus on mindfulness and acceptance. So. Dang. Good.
Rest!
And you are done! Kinda.
It may be tempting to “catch up” after you are done with your motivation spa by doing a bunch or chores or getting started on those first steps. Please don’t do that. Remember, building motivation *is* productive. You have done so much during this Sunday reset.
Besides, sometimes it’s good to just let things soak in.
For the rest of the day, try to just enjoy yourself. Veg out, do some of your hobbies, take a lovely walk. If it doesn’t fill your cup, it’s out of the question.
The Ideal Itinerary for Your Sunday Reset
If you are wondering how you would fit this all in one day, you aren’t alone. It takes a good deal of planning to have the perfect Sunday reset day with your journal. That’s why I’m sharing the itinerary I made for my last self-motivation spa day. Enjoy!
Disclaimer
There is nothing too demanding in this motivation spa itinerary. It a pretty easy-going Sunday reset between you and journal. That said, there are a few things you should consider.
1) This is not the best way to get back into journaling. If you haven’t journaled in a while, try making a steady routine for a few weeks and then have your motivation spa day.
2) A motivation spa is not a replacement for therapy. If you are facing depression, you may need more oomph from a proper healthcare team. However, you can always do this in addition.
