OK, so maybe these aren’t really secrets…but I have found this routine to be a powerful way for me to kick off my work week in a way that makes me look forward to Monday mornings.
Monday Mocha
Finn and I make it a Monday habit to hop in the car and drive to a coffee shop for treats — a doggy bagel for Finn and a coffee drink crafted according to my annoyingly specific instructions for me. Leaving the house requires that I shower and dress for real, even though I’m only heading to a drive-thru, and it marks my transition to the work week.
Designated Planning Time
Mocha in hand and a timer set for 30 minutes, I sit down with my calendar and project plans to map out my week. While I use a calendar blocking technique that provides a general template for how I tackle different types of work, I use this time to plug in the specifics of my business activities, client projects, and personal commitments.
Gratituding
Spell check hates when I do this, but I refer to my daily and weekly gratitude activities as gratituding. I enjoy writing and snail-mailing thank you notes and doing this on a Monday puts me in a great frame of mind for the week ahead. As I move through my week, I jot down specific people and situations that I want to recognize so that when Monday rolls around again, I can easily write a note and share specifically what they did that made such a difference to me.
Fresh Air, Fresh Perspective
Though Finn and I take a morning walk every day, after the brain-break of the weekend, our Monday walks allow me to reset my expectations and reframe challenges. I feel energized with the potential of the week is in front of me and I feel like I have time to do All. The. Things.
Return to Routine
And, since we know that nobody can do All. The. Things. I appreciate the framework that a well-planned workday provides me so that I am most effective in meeting my clients’, as well as my own, objectives for the week, month and beyond.
In much the way that we’re told breakfast is the most important meal of the day, a productive Monday feels like my most important day of the week. Fueled by caffeine, gratitude, and a fresh perspective, I can craft a plan that ensures that I’m set up for success through Friday.