Motivational Monday

For most of us, Monday signifies the end of a fun weekend and resuming our work life. There is a good chance that any momentum from Friday has diminished. You might not even remember where you left off and need to pick up the project. I'll admit that is me most Mondays. But I think mastering Mondays can be a tremendous advantage in getting the work week started on the right foot. Check out this article for some tips on how to make the most out of Monday. 

My favorite tips - 

• Don't let Monday be your catch-up day from a lazy Friday. Develop a game plan to make Friday productive.
• Do not schedule meetings on Monday unless you absolutely must. 

It may seem cheesy that I read these articles on the habits of highly successful people, but it really does help me to assess my own habits with appropriate scrutiny. Do I need to adopt the morning routine of the CEO of Starbucks? Probably not. I do not face similar demands and pressures, but I am willing to bet that some of the habits of Howard Schultz started well before he obtained that title. I'll even venture a guess that he got where he is today because of said habits. This article discusses 5 Simple Things Super Productive People Do on Monday. 

My favorite tips -

• Take time to organize first thing
• Anticipate and plan for any potential obstacles. 

What if you just cannot shake the Monday Blues? This article gives some great insight on how to mitigate the blues or how to recognize when it is time to move on and do something else. I think we (myself included) sometimes expect our jobs to be entertaining and fun all the time. We read all the time about engagement and finding a job that is a good fit. We read about those folks who never feel like they are working because they love what they do every day. If we don't feel like that, it is easy to assume there is something wrong. Before rushing to conclusions that you need to go drive a food truck across the country instead of sit in a cubicle, ask if there are any changes you can make that make the job better. This article gives great tips and I am listing my favorites below.

• On Sunday, list three things you're excited about going on in the next work week. If you continue to struggle to find 3 things, it might be time to move forward to something different.
• Wake up early enough to have more "me-time" in the morning. I can testify to this one! The days when I have woken up at 5:45A instead of 6:45A are exponentially more pleasant and productive. All you have to fight is that initial inclination to hit SNOOZE.

Maybe it is a millennial mindset that work should not be a dread, but I'd argue otherwise. I am not suggesting that everyone is blessed with the same opportunities. After all, degrees cost money. There aren't always jobs, and some situations are desperate. There are times when someone may need to sactifice what he or she wants to be doing to do what he or she needs to be doing at the immediate time. I recognize that there is some element of luxury in having career options at all. But it is never too late to learn a new skill. I spent my entire college and law school life away from Microsoft Excel. It wasn't a program that really fit into the majors I was pursuing. Being a part of the corporate world has shown me that having a proficiency at Microsoft Excel is a marketable skill and an essential tool to create work efficiencies. One of my goals this year is to learn more about how to use it, and so far, I haven't had to spend a dime. I have nice people in my life willing to teach their skills to me. The internet is a great teacher as well. Thank you, YouTube! It's Monday, and you have more control over how it looks than you might realize! 

Go forth and conquer!