GYST days are important, y'all. They give you a chance to prepare for the upcoming week and to catch up on anything you didn't get done in the previous week. I believe that having a jump-start on the next seven days is great for your mental health and productivity.
In my opinion, Sundays will always be the best GYST days. Let's be real, no one wants to spend their Saturday fun time taking care of adult responsibilities, and nobody has the motivation to do it on Monday.
To plan your GYST days, I recommend buying a planner. I use a cute pink one I found from Target and it has honestly changed my life dramatically. It helps me to remember my plans, stay motivated, and stay productive.
So, what exactly do you do on your GYST days? While this will vary from person to person because we are all different, I've comprised a list of basic things anyone can do on their GYST days to give you some inspiration and get your own GYST list going.
Pay bills that are due in the upcoming week.
This not only protects your credit in the long run by making sure you don't forget to pay them on time, it can also aid in budgeting.
Clean your house.
Even if you cleaned the day before, go back through and tackle anything that was forgotten and left behind: the dirty dishes in the sink, the old leftovers in the fridge you forgot to throw out, and the trash in the bathroom you didn't empty.
Laundry.
I am the worst person the world about keeping up with the laundry. I like to do my laundry over the weekend to make sure I have clean clothes for the upcoming days! It's also an opportune time to wash your bedding and your linens.
Grocery shopping and meals.
Go ahead and get all your groceries for the week ahead. You can take this GYST step further by chopping up any vegetables that you'll need for dinners, organize your ingredients by meals, and grab a piece of paper and write down what meal you're having on what night.
Fill up your car.
Nothing sucks more than having to stop at a gas station after working a full day of work and waiting ten minutes for your tank to fill up, then trying to merge back into heavy traffic. Prevent this by filling your car with gas up on Sunday all the way.
Schedule for the week ahead (you know you'll forget if you don't.)
Grab your planner and write down every thing that is in your upcoming week. That doctor's appointment? Write it down. Meeting with your friend for coffee? Write it down. Going to the gym after work? Write it down. Writing down your plans not only helps you to remember them, it also helps you to ensure you actually follow through on getting them done!
About the Creator
Keep reading
More stories from Hali Arbes and writers in Motivation and other communities.
Reinventing Yourself
I have recently found myself wanting to change things about me. Not in bad a way, not in a way where I'm having an identity crisis. I just want to change the way I dress, my aesthetic, and what I listen to because lately I've felt like the clothes I have been wearing and what I'm listening to and how I live just aren't me anymore. They're the me from 3 years ago, when I was a completely different person.
By Hali Arbes5 years ago in Motivation
“He Kept Going When No One Was Watching — And That Changed Everything”
No one ever noticed the days he almost gave up. There were no messages asking if he was okay. No one wondered why he became quieter. No one asked how much effort it took just to keep going. To the world, he was just another ordinary man. His name was Ayaan. Ayaan’s life didn’t collapse in one dramatic moment. It slowly faded. Missed opportunities. Rejected ideas. Silent disappointments. Every failure was small, but together they became heavy. He had dreams once. Big ones. Dreams that kept him awake at night, imagining a future where his hard work would finally matter. But over time, those dreams began to feel unrealistic—almost embarrassing. People around him seemed to move forward effortlessly. They celebrated promotions, achievements, and milestones. Ayaan watched from the side, smiling politely while feeling invisible. At work, his efforts were ignored. Among friends, his voice faded. At home, expectations weighed heavily on him. Slowly, a dangerous thought settled into his mind: “Maybe I’m not good enough.” That thought followed him everywhere. It followed him on crowded buses. It followed him into sleepless nights. It followed him every time he tried again and failed. One night, after scrolling through endless success stories online, Ayaan closed his phone and stared at the dark ceiling. His chest felt tight, not because of pain—but because of exhaustion. He whispered quietly, “How long do I keep trying?” There was no answer. But that night, Ayaan made a decision—not a loud one, not a confident one. A tired decision. He decided to keep going, even if nothing changed. The next morning felt the same. The same routine. The same doubts. The same fear of wasting his life. But Ayaan showed up anyway. He worked when no one praised him. He studied when no one guided him. He practiced when no one believed in him. Some days, motivation disappeared completely. On those days, discipline took over. He reminded himself: “I don’t need applause. I need progress.” Weeks passed. Nothing dramatic happened. No sudden success. No recognition. No miracle. But something subtle began to shift. Ayaan became calmer under pressure. He learned to sit with discomfort instead of running from it. He stopped comparing his journey to others. The silence that once scared him now became his training ground. Months later, a serious problem appeared at his workplace. It was complicated, risky, and easy to blame on someone else. Most people avoided it. Some pretended it wasn’t their responsibility. Ayaan didn’t announce himself. He didn’t seek attention. He simply started working. Late nights. Mistakes. Corrections. Learning. There were moments he wanted to quit. Moments when fear whispered, “You’re not ready.” But he answered back, “I’ll learn.” Slowly, the problem began to disappear. Not perfectly—but steadily. People noticed, quietly. One afternoon, his manager called him into the office. Ayaan expected criticism. Instead, he heard a question that stunned him: “Where did you learn all this?” Ayaan paused. How could he explain years of silent effort? How could he explain working when no one cared? He simply replied, “I kept going.” That moment didn’t change his life overnight. He didn’t become famous. He didn’t suddenly become successful. But it changed something far more important. His belief in himself. For the first time, Ayaan understood that life doesn’t always reward effort immediately. Sometimes, it watches. It watches who continues without praise. Who improves without recognition. Who grows in silence. Years later, Ayaan looked back at the version of himself who almost quit. The man who felt invisible. The man who thought no one was watching. And he smiled. Because he finally understood the truth: Life was always watching. Not to judge. Not to rush. But to see if he would keep going when it was hardest. The world doesn’t reward those who only work when they’re seen. It rewards those who build strength in silence. And sometimes, the moment that changes everything doesn’t come with applause. It comes quietly. After patience. After effort. After consistency. That is when everything finally begins to change. Final Message Keep going—even when no one is watching. Especially then.
By Inayat khanabout 8 hours ago in Motivation
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.