Success Early in the Week!

Before I dive into today's topic, let's start with some eats!

I wanted to share this recipe I found on Coconut Contentment (click for recipe). She called it a "Deep Dish Tamale,"  and it was delicious! I think I'll make a few changes next time. I tried using white meat, which dries out pretty easily, so I should use dark meat next time. I also might start baking the "dough" first and then throw the chicken in for the last 10 minutes.

I wish I had enough natural lighting to get a decent picture like this one!

It's a very "Fall" dish, and I found myself scraping "dough" bits from the pan before cleaning it. I'll definitely be making this one again!

Now onto today's topic: Being Successful Early in the Week!

We all want to start our mornings off on the right foot. It makes the whole day that much better! A good morning begins with coffee, a workout, and then more coffee with breakfast!

I try to maintain a similar mindset with my week. Starting off a week on the right foot sets me up for more success as the week goes on!

I generally start my "workout week" on Sunday with a gym workout or trail run...so this week I'm not off to a fantastic start because I took Sunday off. BUT, I completed two early morning group fitness classes Monday and Wednesday, so things are looking up :)

I've found that making smart choices early in the week has two benefits: first, I'm more inclined to continue making good choices for the remainder of the week, and two, I have the flexibility to mess up and not feel guilty about it later in the week!

Working out isn't the only way to feel successful early in the week. I also feel better when I...

• Clean! Other than picking up after dinner, little cleaning happens during the week. Dusting, vacuuming, and disinfecting surfaces on Sunday will help start the week of right!
• Meals planned and fridge stocked! I don't want to make any stops at the grocery after work. It's not that big of a deal, but I just want to go home and put on some lazy lounging clothes. Having a ton of lettuce, other salad veggies, and meal ingredients for the week will guarantee that we'll make better food choices throughout the week. I also like to chop certain veggies all at once so it's easier to make big salads all week. I generally wash grape tomatoes, chop red (purple?) cabbage, and slice beets so I can quickly add them to any meal.
• Prep early for grad school classes! Unfortunately, weekly assignments for my classes aren't posted until Monday at noon...when I'm at work. Super unhelpful. But if there are any major projects due at the end of the work week, I'll finish it over the weekend. This past weekend I was fully prepared for a Wednesday (today) presentation. Thank goodness I prepared early instead of waiting for the week days...I've been too tired to do any major school work this week!

Question: Do you have any tips/tricks that help you start your week off well? Or are there any weekly things you HAVE to do to ensure your week is successful?

Good night!