How was your Monday? Last week, I posed a challenge to start the week a little differently than usual. After all, you can’t expect new positive outcomes in your life if you don’t change up your approach a little. The question was…
How can you make this Monday better than the last Monday? What can you do differently?
So how did you do at this challenge?
For me, my past two Mondays have been set up a little differently than most Mondays. They followed weekends that had me working on projects not one but two days. Usually, I have a rule of thumb – no work on Saturdays, my unofficial playday. But due to current assignments, I wasn’t able to keep that promise to myself. So as a result, Monday became its own day of rest. Or at least part of Monday. Not so much because I felt I was owed anything but primarily out of necessity. My body, my mind, my focus demanded a break of some kind. So I rewarded myself by allotting some solid time to pleasure reading and a little catchup on some personal tasks so I would be charged up and ready to “start” my week on Tuesday. I will say that the week to follow turned out to be a very productive week.
When you look at your own start of the workweek, what kinds of feelings do your thoughts and vision of it evoke? Are they positive and anticipatory? Or are you starting the week off with dread and lethargy? For many who work for someone else and not themselves, you may feel that you don’t have a lot of control over how you start your week, but in fact, you do. You can wake up a little earlier on a Monday and incorporate a favorite recreational activity before work – go for a run, read that book that’s captured your imagination or take in some alone time on your porch or balcony to wake up with the morning and a cup of tea or coffee to gather your thoughts at the start of the day. Contemplate…figure out exactly what you would need to give yourself that extra BOOST to start the week, even if someone else may be calling the shots once you step inside the office.
This week, like last week, I decided that I had been a productive little worker bee all weekend and I would spend Monday morning “allowing” myself to enjoy some downtime. It doesn’t mean I have no projects waiting for me. In fact, I do. A number of them. But I have a tendency to punish myself when I get behind and take away those good things in my schedule that I enjoy so that I can catch up. But those good things are what keep me going and enthusiastic about all of the work that lies ahead. So if I don’t stop to recharge even a tiny little bit, I run the risk of burnout. And I have been there before. Trust me. Have you? I’m sure I have a few nods angled in my direction.
The challenge may be over but if you didn’t make your Monday something more than it usually is, it’s not too late. Maybe for you, Wednesday is a better day to whip up something different. In fact, there are a lot of successful people who do swear by shaking up their “to-do” lists and schedule mid-week so they can stay focused, energized and effective to end their week on a high note. What day would be best for you to make a conscious effort to add some wind to your sails?
There’s quite a bit of week ahead of us. Don’t lose sight of what you want, even if your Monday delivered what you didn’t. You still have plenty of time to make good things happen. Can’t wait to hear all about how you’re tackling it.
Cheers to finding that daily spark in your life!
Chris
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