9 things successful people do on Sunday nights

2. They organize and plan for the week ahead

Some successful people like to look at their calendars on Sunday night and set goals and deadlines for the coming week, career coach Marsha Egan says. The trick is to do this without stressing yourself out.

3. They exercise

Take a walk, play a game of tennis, or go to a class at the gym, Egan suggests.

Vanderkam writes in her book that reality-TV producer Aliza Rosen does hot yoga at 6 p.m. on Sundays. "It's a great way for me to sweat out the toxins of the week and center myself for Monday," Rosen told Vanderkam.

4. They eat something healthy

It might be tempting to wind down with a couple of glasses of your favorite Cabernet, but as licensed counselor and Urban Balance CEO Joyce Marter points out in an article for PsychCentral, alcohol is a depressant that will leave you feeling less energized in the morning.

"Instead, make a healthy meal and enjoy with some herbal tea or some seltzer water with lemon," she writes.

5. They read

Most successful people read every night before bed, so Sunday-night reading is part of their routines.

They also use this time to catch up on reading that has been neglected.

6. They return calls, emails, and texts

Sunday nights often allow us the undivided time to return phone calls from friends or family and to respond to texts or personal emails we didn't have time to get to during the week.

7. They unplug

After you finish responding to emails and texts, or returning calls, unplug for a few hours.

Truly successful people do anything but work right before bed, especially on Sunday night, career expert Michael Kerr says. They don't obsessively check their email, and they try not to dwell on work-related issues.

8. They volunteer

"[Another] great way to end the weekend is to volunteer," Vanderkam writes in her book. Nothing will take your mind off any stresses in your life like serving people who are less fortunate, she says. "It's a way to connect with humanity before everyone goes their separate ways for the week."

9. They plan out their sleep

"Much has been written around the dangers busy people face running chronic sleep deficits, so one habit I know several highly successful people do is to simply make it a priority to get enough sleep — which can be a challenge for workaholics or entrepreneurs," Kerr says.

One way to do that is to go to bed at a consistent time each evening, which is a key habit all sleep experts recommend to help ensure a healthy night's sleep.

This is especially important on Sunday if you want to start the workweek off feeling well-rested and ready to go.

Vanderkam further suggests that you plan out when you're going to wake up, count back however many hours you need to sleep, and then consider setting an alarm to remind yourself to get ready for bed.

"The worst thing you can do is stay up late then hit snooze in the morning," she says. "Humans have a limited amount of willpower. Why waste that willpower arguing with yourself over when to get up, and sleeping in miserable nine-minute increments?"