Improving Your  Mondays 

You've just enjoyed a fun weekend relaxing, watching tv, reading (ya right) and enjoying time with friends and family. You stayed up a little later at night and slept in a few extra hours each morning. 

Now it's time to start your week..

You and your co-workers arrive at work on Monday morning still resonating about all the free time and engaging activities you accomplished the last 48 hours. I understand, some days just feel like you're up against the wrong end of the horse. Your subconscious brain is still basking in the relaxed schedule, limited responsibility and unlimited fun your weekend just produced.

You pull into the business parking lot and start feeling your gears grinding. “Reality” begins to set in and you start recognizing…

• I have to actually get something done today. “They’re” watching me.
• There are responsibilities that directly affect my co-workers, customers and my family.
• Aaahhhh! And someone is holding me accountable to those things!

Total drag!

You take a breath and slump a little in your car seat. THIS ISN’T NEARLY AS FUN as eating popcorn, sitting on the couch, drinking my cheap beer and watching football all day. (A quick thought enters your mind…I wonder if the casino is open this morning? If I hit it big, my life would be perfect!)

You make a logical decision (one your mom would be proud of), turn off the engine, get out of your car and walk through the front door of your workplace. A burdensome cloud is felt from just overhead. Even though you’re safely indoors, it feels damp. You look up to see if it's actually about to start pouring on your dry head. 

You approach your co-worker at the office desk and right inside the door. You’re doing your best to just get to your workspace without being seen by too many people. You walk by and realize you can’t avoid human contact the rest of the day. So you put on your best, fake smile and present the question you really don’t want to know the answer to.

“Good morning! How was your weekend?”

Their response, “Good. It’s Muuuundaaaay.” (The only thing missing at the end of their comment was the dramatic music in a low tone…bum…bum…bum.) 

Lets think about this…

The beginning of the week is naturally going to feel a little different then the end of the week. But does it have to be challenging, uninviting, stressful…even repulsive? 

I would hope not. Perhaps a big assumption, but if I live only another 20 years, I’ve got over 1000 Mondays to digest. So though they may feel different…different doesn’t have to be something we resent.

There is a LIGHT!

Think about how you feel today (Thursday or Friday) vs how you felt this past Monday morning.  Pay special attention to your “desire” or your motivation to dig a little deeper.

Are you interested in completing a project or having a productive conversation? 

Or do you feel the need to submit to your natural tendencies and abandon progress altogether? 

Are you interested in contributing and creating value on both sides of your “Wednesday?” 

Or by Thursday at 10am are you looking to check out, grab the fishing pole, and “see ya when I see ya?”

These feelings are telling you something. And depending on how much personal responsibility you’re willing to accept, your response to those feelings is the driving force in your graduation toward a better week AND a much higher quality of life.

I’ve recognized there are really helpful answers & responses that can help you gain some necessary and immediate motivation. As long as you can muster the courage to take action steps on the answers, your Mondays (and your life) will improve.

It’s important to "feel" your way through your Monday. From where does your motivation, your joy, anxiety or lack of interest arrive? These answers are the foundation of your week, life and mission.

Begin here…

I spend about 30 minutes each Sunday creating a plan for my week. I’m an advocate for that small amount of time, and I’d encourage you to do the same. The process normally goes like this…

I sit in silence for a minute.

Then I ask myself, “What could I be doing more or less of? What has been helpful toward real progress? What am I doing right? What am I lacking? What can I do differently?”

I take a few notes about whether or not I'm looking forward to the week while I answer these questions. Clarifying HOW you feel is half the battle.

• I feel _______ about this coming week.

(anxious, excited, stressed, ready to go, down and out, jazzed, etc.)

• I feel this way because _________.

(I’m behind.  I’m ahead. I need to have a difficult conversation with someone. A big presentation to give. I feel like our team is firing on all cylinders. I’m confused about something and need clarity.  I wasn’t upfront about something. I didn’t turn in great work last week.  I’m excited to see what I can accomplish.  I feel like I’m making a difference.)

Then I create action steps by answering these questions.

In an effort to eliminate a bad feeling or generate more good feelings…

• I need to have conversations with ________ 

(A customer.  A co-worker.  My supervisor, spouse or my mom)  about __________  (Something I/they said or didn’t say. Something I/they did or didn’t do.).

• I could get excited for Monday morning if ________ were true.

(I made more money. I had other/additional responsibilities. I didn’t have to do ____ all day. My exercise program worked better. I felt healthier. I would have gotten more rest this weekend. I didn’t drink so much alcohol.) 

• My stress level would drop this week if I __________, or I changed this habit: ____________.

• Without question, I will complete or take massive strides forward on ____________ by Monday afternoon. I’ll work on nothing else until it is complete.

(That project. That spreadsheet. That home improvement. That conversation. Those notes. That email).

The plan I create on Sunday is meant to generate a "Healthy Monday" AND keep my energy levels and motivation high throughout the week. 

Example: I knew I needed to finish this article by Thursday night. If I hadn’t created a plan, it would have been too easy to leave my office at 1pm on Thursday afternoon. It wouldn’t have gotten done, and my stress level and anxiety would be higher for not finishing it.

A Monday without a plan leaves me confused and unmotivated the entire day, while Thursday and Friday feel depressed for not having accomplished what I know I could have done.

If I find myself saying in a dark tone, "it's Monday...bum..bum..bum" and "thank Goodness it's Friday" over and over again, I may not be leaning into the things that will resurrect a valuable, influential and productive week. 

The lack of a plan leaves me WORKING TO ESCAPE the things I need to be doing to drive progress forward. Essentially, digging a bigger hole to jump in, avoiding humans, and feeling like my life isn’t what it should be. 

DON'T play the victim. The plan doesn't have to feature a 100 point checklist. Create a few areas that you know if you "leaned into" those challenges, your life would improve.

A "Healthy Monday" should be creative, energy-driven, and thought provoking. In a healthy culture, it should leave you with a desire to engage with co-workers and supervisors, finding projects that need help and creating value every step of the way. 

In the end, creating Healthy Mondays will leave you sharing value, motivating others, and with an overabundance of opportunity and resources to share in the future.

Remain Encouraged and TGIM,

Brian