Wake Up Call

Do you struggle like I do every Monday morning? In a severe drowsy state, I roll over and shut off my alarm while I try to shake the dark sleepiness from my mind. Then I head down for coffee. Better never expect a smile or even a vocal response beyond a single grunt from me until I've had at least 3 swallows from that liquid gold. But even after the coffee, I still struggle to shake those Monday blues worse than any other day of the week. I can't help but wonder why that is and what I can do about it.

It doesn't escape me that I'm posting about my Monday morning struggle on a Tuesday. But this week... my Monday is my Tuesday. I just got back from an epic trip to LA. I always tell myself to take a recovery day after a vacation... I never listen to myself. So this Tuesday, I'm dragging like it's my Monday.

Part of my struggle... I mean a huge part, is my lack of motivation. When I have something to get up for that excites me, my eyes pop open and I'm ready to go. Which is why I am blogging first thing this morning before I take on any other tasks for my day. I love sitting and writing to all of you. It gets me excited. So in an effort to combat my Monday struggle, I got up a little earlier and am sitting here now. It will put me in such a better mood when I login to work.

Affirmations are also a great way for me to summon some motivation come Monday morning... I remind myself that I have plans... big plans... and I am going to slay them. I reaffirm my dreams and the reasons I get up every morning, put my feet to the pavement, and start running. Rest is for the weekends in my life (and even then I struggle to relax- which is something I'm actively working on). No one will chase my dreams but me... so I make a plan. Every step I take gets me one step closer. And even if they're little, minuscule steps, they're still steps. My future is before me... it's my past that's behind me.

Here are some things that you can do come every Monday (or the rest of the days of the week) morning that help you put your best foot forward and set a strong tone for the entire week:

1) Identify the problem. Before we can fix anything, we have to know what to fix. So sit down, where it's quiet and you have no interruptions, and map out your Mondays. What is it that causes the anxiety, the dread, the depression, or the pessimism? When we are clear about the problem, then we can seek solutions, and that empowers us to take control with improving the situation.

2) Prepare your Mondays. Mondays set the tone for the whole week, so take the time to prioritize the start of your Monday morning. When you have a plan, and a routine, it's much easier to hit the ground running. We know what direction we need to move in. Having a handle on our morning helps us take control, which, like I just said above, is empowering. One by one, knock out those tasks... slay those things!

3) Know what gets you excited. Maybe responding to a never-ending list of emails isn't your cup of tea. So make a list of the things that are your cup of tea (or coffee). Even if you can't start with those things right off the bat, integrate them into your day. It can be like taking a break without actually taking that break. Writing is what gets me excited, which is why the first thing I'm doing this morning is writing this post. It makes me happy, which makes it so much easier to move onto the tedious start-of-the-week tasks for me.

4) Rest over the weekend. Like I've said in previous posts, even God rested on the seventh day. There are reasons we don't work seven days a week (for most of us, anyway.). Our productivity goes massively downhill when we don't rejuvenate. Take time for yourself. Allow your body and mind some recovery time before you start all over again come Monday morning. And likewise... get enough sleep!

5) Show up. What's that saying... no matter what you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up? Putting out there the best version of yourself attracts good karma, good vibes, good energy. And sometimes a cute pair of shoes can be just the confidence boost for us to walk into the office, or the school, or the gym (those cute shoes don't have to be Jimmy Choo pumps). You attract what you reflect.

So ladies, go out there and slay the week. Set the tone for how you want it to look and take control of making it happen. Don't let things just happen around us... that's when nothing goes our way. And even when things don't go our way, remember to have perspective. We can't control what happens to us, but always our response. Respond to your Monday mornings with fierce determination.