Monday Motivation: Have a “Case of the Mondays”? Then Read This!

I woke up this morning and, in one of my many successful efforts to procrastinate, I checked my Facebook account. In my News Feed, practically back-to-back, were the following two status updates:

• Now we face the worst of the inescapable disasters, MONDAY 

• Mondays are magical!!!! Make sure you approach your day with the right attitude! How you start you day makes all the difference in the world 🙂

Two people experiencing the same day in two very different ways.

Which are you?

I try to be in the second group as much as I can, but I’ll admit it, I sometimes find myself in group one (and frankly, as motivational and positive as I try to be, I don’t think I’ve ever described anything other than David Copperfield as “magical.” Not my style. But hey, to each their own!)

It’s a shame that so many people face Mondays with disdain. Think about it: a full 1/7^th of all you days – 14.28% of you entire life – will be spent on Mondays. Don’t you owe it to yourself to learn how to face them with excitement and energy?

Here are three few tips you can use to start liking Mondays (and even thinking of them as “magical”):

1) Have Something to Look Forward To

What does a typical Monday look like to you? Do you get out of a bed a few minutes late, run around getting ready, and then trudge off to a less than satisfying job? If so, then it’s no wonder that you don’t like Mondays!

Try to set up something for yourself that’s enjoyable first thing Monday morning. This could be a huge change (getting a new job that you enjoy) or a small one (plan to spend a little time Monday morning before work exercising, reading a good book, or enjoying a hobby).

2) Physically Prepare on Sunday

Today is Monday, and I’m feeling a tad under-motivated, mostly because of how I spent Sunday evening. After being cooped up inside all weekend due to Hurricane Irene, I went out with some friends for dinner. Nothing crazy, but I stayed up a little late, ate a greasy burger and fries, and enjoyed a couple beers. Delicious and fun, but not a routine that sets you up for pep and vigor the next day.

I was not surprised to wake up feeling a little “blah” today. If you’re consistently waking up Monday mornings feeling “blah,” take a look at what you’re doing on Sunday night.

I am by no means saying you shouldn’t make the most of your weekend, but consider taking it a little easier on Sunday night and see if that changes how you feel about Monday morning.

3) Hold off Doing Exciting Stuff on the Weekend

Now, now, before you get mad at me, let me explain. I am not suggesting that you don’t have fun over the weekend. However, by strategically waiting to do certain things, you may be able to increase your Monday motivation…

Have you ever been sitting there on the weekend when an exciting idea for work comes to you so you sneak off for an hour or two to work on it? If so, I suggest that you force yourself to hold off working on it and make a note to work on it first thing Monday.

You’ll basically be playing “hard to get” with yourself. By not allowing yourself to work on it, you’ll build anticipation. The idea will keep popping up into your head, and you’ll keep saying, “Not yet, wait ‘til Monday.” By the time Monday morning comes around, you’ll be bursting at the seams, pumped up to get your stay started and work on the idea.

Admittedly, this strategy may work better if you work for yourself or have a side business. However, you can still make this work for yourself by strategically waiting on anything you find exciting and promising yourself you’ll work on it first thing Monday morning.

Measure Your Life By Your Mondays…

If you work a Monday to Friday work week, then how you feel Monday morning is a good barometer of how your life is going. It’s certainly a great measure of how you feel about your professional life.
If you’re consistently de-energizes, unhappy, and unmotivated, then you need to take some action!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go do whatever I can to make this a “magical” Monday…
P.S. Hey, if you like this post, why don’t you share the love and click the Facebook “Like” button at the top of this page…?
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About

By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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