How To Have Your Best Monday
Mondays are the best. Seriously. They get a bad wrap, but Mondays are by far my most productive day of the week and that makes me so happy. Shawn Achor describes happiness as "The joy you feel when moving toward your potential." This definition resonates so much and Mondays are the day I'm making the most progress toward my potential and therefore experiencing a happiness high. As it turns out, Sundays are the key to having the best Mondays.
Here are three things to do on Sunday to set yourself up for a great Monday:
1. Review the week
What is on the docket for you this week? Do you know your top three priorities? Are there appointments or events that will impact your schedule? Sunday is the perfect day to plan your week and re-fresh your memory about what is coming up. While there are so many ways to do this, I'm partial to the bullet journal method. Yes, a paper planner, but research shows that when we write things down we are more likely to remember them. I can refer to my bullet journal to see what I need to do, but I can typically also visualize it to remember the tasks without even needing to look at it. Very helpful. I use a 2 page weekly layout of information and every Sunday I look over how last week went. I carry forward any tasks that I didn't get to from last week. I note my top priorities for the week. While my detailed schedule is on my work calendar and the family google calendar, if there is something that is outside the normal routine like a dinner event or a mid-day personal appointment I make note of it in the bullet journal to help me remember. Reviewing the week is also a habit for our family. During Sunday dinner my husband will ask "How does everybody’s week look?" It's a great way to get everyone aligned on what to expect and it also helps us to be mindful of how others are feeling. If my daughter has a big math test or husband has a presentation at work we can all be sensitive to that.
2. Meal Prep
Making good food choices relies on having healthy options available to you. There is too much research to ignore that shows that eating better helps you to feel better not just physically, but mentally as well. The work week is hectic and it's fair to say that it is far easier to eat out or grab processed foods than it is to make something with whole foods. By preparing foods for the week in advance you set yourself up to make it more convenient, and therefore more likely, for you to eat healthfully. On Sundays I make a veggie version of this egg breakfast casserole and lunches for the week. Lunches are broccoli with chicken breast or turkey meatballs. Yesterday we had pork tenderloin for dinner so I made enough to cover lunches. Two birds, one stone. If I'm feeling like smoothies that week I'll pre-portion the mangos, bananas, and kale. I wash and prep fruits, like removing grapes from stems and cutting strawberries. If I’m really on top of things I make Monday night's dinner. It sounds like a lot when written out so this past weekend I timed it. 41 minutes to: make the best homemade marinade for the pork, cook enough broccoli for lunches, mix up the egg casserole ingredients, prep grapes, and wash the dishes. That’s a small time price to pay for breakfast and lunches done, improving the likelihood of eating well all week long.
3. Relax
Curl up with a book. Practice a hobby. Watch some football. This is wakeful rest. We live in a world where being busy is a badge of honor. We don’t brag about the time we spend on the couch, but maybe we should. It turns out mental downtime is critical to productivity and success. Downtime also gives the mind the space it needs to daydream solutions to the problems in your life. It works in the background during wakeful rest. How cool is that? “Epiphanies are often the product of unconscious mental activity during downtime”, according to Ferris Jabr in this article from Scientific American. The premise seems to hold water, pun intended; just think about how many times you have come up with a great idea while you’re in the shower! Prioritize and enjoy your wakeful rest… even if it doesn't happen to lead to an epiphany.
If you are reading this on a Monday and you didn't do these things yesterday, don't worry! Any time is a great time to review the week and that's a start. With these things in mind, next week you'll be ready to make it your most productive Monday ever and you will feel the #mondaylove with me.