Embracing Mondays as a Day of New Beginnings
Captain’s Log: Day #14 of my 30-Day Challenge to write a 500-word article every day for the next 30 days.
Mondays always have been a busy day. There are a lot of songs about Mondays, some exciting and upbeat, some melancholic and sentimental. But whatever you may be feeling, there is always that certainty that is Monday.
When I started working, I used to hate Mondays. It meant another grueling week of commuting, grinding, and slogging off as a corporate slave. I was like Garfield. When I started freelancing, I decided to work my schedule where I wouldn’t be working on a Monday, it was my first taste of being able to control my schedule. I was only working for 4 days but I did work hard on those days trying to accomplish every task so I can enjoy my three days off.
But after a while, I realized that it wasn’t the day itself that makes it bad but the mindset that we carry towards it.
Sometimes we just feel lazy and that’s normal. Maintaining a hustle mindset can be intense and difficult to sustain so sometimes we can get into a weekend hangover. Sometimes, it can also be a lack of rest or recreation. Weekends are there to help you rest, rejuvenate and relax so you can get back in the tank what you lost during the work week and be ready to face the week ahead. And when we’re not rested enough, usually that gets us grumpy and unsettled.
It can also be because we’re dealing with an emotional crisis or situation that may need more time to get you back on your feet. When that happens, it usually is a good idea to take a vacation, engage in a hobby or just sleep, meditate, eat, and pray. It depends on what works best for you.
But most of the time, it can probably be because of a lack of routine or not following your schedule. I’ll admit, I’m one of those who has a very relaxed attitude when it comes to schedules. I prefer it to be very flexible as long as my main goals or objectives for the day are achieved. And sometimes, that works but most of the time, you need to have a lot of discipline and mental fortitude to be able to execute your game plan consistently.
What I learned that works for me are:
- Planning the day. Knowing what items are mission critical in your daily to-do list is important so you don’t get lost in the hustle and bustle of the day
- Make it easy to get back on track. Sometimes you need to find a quick activity that can get you back on track with your schedule. Maybe that can be drinking coffee, taking a quick walk, or doing some breathing exercises.
- Adopting a Stoic mindset. If you are familiar with Stoicism, it’s a philosophy adopted by Marcus Aurelius, Socrates, and other Greek philosophers, popularized in the modern day by Ryan Holiday. For me what it means is doing my best effort on that day and coming to terms with whatever results I achieve. It doesn’t mean that you don’t care about the day, but it’s more about focusing on yourself. For me as long as I put in the best effort for that day, I can live with whatever the results may be.
Of course, I don’t get it perfect all the time, but I do try my best to become the best version of myself and to welcome Mondays with an open mind and open arms.
Mondays symbolize new beginnings and with that beginning, you can always make a fresh start and engage in a brand new adventure. I hope you have a great week ahead!