Make your Mondays (a little) more remarkable
It’s Monday, and a week’s worth of possibilities are in front of you. Do you:
- Drag your feet, groan, and wish it were Friday already?
- Excitedly jump out of bed, sing in the shower, and rejoice that it is Monday?
- Fall somewhere in between option #1 and #2, where you’re glad to have a new week ahead of you but wouldn’t mind crawling back into bed (at least for a few more minutes)?
Even if you chose option #1 this morning, it doesn’t mean you’ll never have a Monday where you feel like option #2. I woke up feeling like option #3 today (fall has come to the Mid-Atlantic and there was a crispness in the air that made me want to stay curled up under the comforter), but am now on track to feeling more like option #2. In addition to all the ways we’ve written about in the past to help you start your week on an organized footing (Plan your perfect week, Streamlining your morning routines, Preparing on Friday for Monday’s workday, to name a few), there are even more strategies you can implement to be excited about your new week. Here are some ideas for you:
- Fake it. I’m usually the world’s biggest supporter of being authentic in your actions, but when it comes to Monday mornings I don’t see much harm in pretending to be excited for the week ahead. Acting as if you are in a good mood can often put you in a good mood. Your feelings change to match your behavior, and you end up having a positive outlook on your week.
- Embrace your morning routine. Organize and plan your mornings so they include something you love. I love coffee and a few minutes each morning to sit in silence and enjoy my brew. So, I wake up 20 minutes before my son so I can have that much-needed jolt of caffeine and time to myself. If you love to run, try adding this exercise to your morning routine. If video games are your thing, set a timer for 20 minutes and play your favorite game. Your morning doesn’t have to be filled with getting ready and nothing else.
- Take the scenic route. Travel to work on a route that takes you past turning leaves (in the northern hemisphere) or budding flowers (for those of you in the southern half of our planet). The different path might help you to see a work problem in a new perspective.
- Make a list. Take a few minutes to list all of the things you like about your job or whatever you have on your schedule this week. Even if your list is extremely short, refer to it when your mood starts to turn south. You may also find you have more items to add to the list over the course of the week. Keep the list and reference it next Monday, too.
The more organized you are and the less clutter you have in your way, the easier it is to feel excited about Mondays. Keep working on your uncluttering efforts, and give one or more of these positive mood-boosters a try. The happier you are, the more productive you’ll likely be. I wish all of you a wonderful week.
10 comments posted
Posted by chicsinger simone - 09/20/2010
and also with you! I like the “list all the positives” idea.
Still grooving hard on the 2008 post about creating a personal strategic plan.
Thank you!!!
Posted by Erin Doland - 09/20/2010
@chicsinger — Ooooh! I love that post, too.
Here’s a link to it for everyone:
http://unclutterer.com/2008/09.....egic-plan/
Posted by Michele Connolly, Get Organized Wizard - 09/20/2010
I love your quiet coffee idea, Erin. I start every day with a large coffee and the crossword. It makes me look forward to getting out of bed – even on a Monday!
I also like to have a weekly ‘admin’ day – and Monday can be perfect for this. You return calls, file reports, clear email, do errands – work that doesn’t need your best energy.
By the time you’ve got that stuff out of the way, it can feel like peeling a layer of sludge off your motivation. You’ll be ready to power through the rest of the week.
Posted by JustGail - 09/20/2010
Any more, my “problem” with Monday’s isn’t the going back to work, it’s the “what didn’t get done this weekend” thoughts. I had Friday off, and STILL didn’t get most things done that I was planning to do. Sometimes it seems the less time I have to do things, the more I get done. Or maybe I just get more realistic about what I can actually get done?
Posted by Christine - 09/20/2010
I used to relish being up 30 min before the kids. It would help me figure out what I was going to do that day, enjoy a cup of coffee that’s still hot, read a little, and have some quiet time. Then, that 6am turned to 5am since I get woken up by my husband getting up to go to work.
Now, unfortunately, I still have a 5am wakeup, if I’m lucky, but it’s my youngest (8mos) waking me up, so no alone time. I am not getting up at 4am (except when he makes me)!
Posted by Ramblings of a Woman - 09/20/2010
I used to be very good at doing a weekly ‘planning’ session on Sunday evening, but got away from those. Need to get back to it! Going to check out the Strategic Planning post!
Bernice
http://bernicewood.wordpress.c.....get-lucky/
Posted by Kari - 09/20/2010
Mondays are my prep day. I am on campus and teach Tuesday through Thursday, and I hold my Mondays as sacred for all the prep, grading, and administrative work. Because I work from home that day, I have control over my time and can work without interruption. Last year, due to scheduling issues, I did not have the reserved Mondays, and the week overall was much messier. That Monday focus makes the rest of the week doable.
Posted by Karen - 09/20/2010
I find that planning my week on Sunday to be very helpful. I can spread tasks over the week instead of lumping all the unpleasantness together on Friday.
I like “fake it.” I’m not a morning person (never will be), but it doesn’t help to gripe about it.
Posted by Kathryn Fenner - 09/20/2010
Well, Mondays are Rotary meetings, and I used to struggle to get there on time–I like to dress up nicer than usual and try to look extra well-groomed. Well, since applying Unclutterer principles, I can get out in plenty of time looking quite nice indeed. I have:
1. sorted my now decluttered clothes into nice business clothes and more casual clothes.
2. stopped coloring my fine, thin, limp, but frizzy gray hair and cut my hair super short–I can just shampoo it–no conditioner needed because it isn’t all dried and damaged. I put a little thickener in it and rub coconut oil hair polish between my palms and onto the top. Done in 2 minutes, and I get so many compliments, and no bad hair days.
3. streamlined my “beauty routine” into one treatment product, one sunscreen and one foundation to even out skintone (I used to be “ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille,” so this is quite a streamline.) I have only the simplest makeup routine with only the most flattering makeup, because the rest got decluttered.
4. only a small number of jewelry choices because I sold or gave away the rest.
5. only shoes that are comfortable and suitable for many activities and outfits.
So getting ready is a joy, not a hassle.
Thanks for your inspiration!
Posted by JenO - 09/21/2010
These are all great ideas; I especially like the “list of what’s good”.
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