Motivational Mondays

Mondays have a very bad reputation. It signifies the start of another work week and many people dread going back to work. Some dislike their jobs, some hate getting up early, and others dislike the busy schedule they have. For many of us in academia, we start our week with feelings of disappointment and regret for all of the things we didn't finish over the weekend. We may be beating ourselves up for taking that much needed nap or for just lounging for a few hours.

I won't tell you that you needed that break or that you have to allow yourself to relax. We all know these things intellectually, but we still feel the panic that ensues from "taking a break." Instead, I will offer you an alternative way to look at the beginning of the week. Why not take this opportunity to set the tone and re-focus for the onset of the week.

When I was a little girl, my mom would always say that we need to "start the week off right." So, let's do that. We will use our Motivational Mondays post to post something inspiring and motivational to get us all going and headed in the right direction.

This week's tip will be brief: Spend one hour at the beginning of the week (Today) reviewing your goals, calendar, schedule, and upcoming dates to make a plan for the week. This hour spent will translate into several hours gained because you will know exactly what you must do in order to get your goals accomplished for this week. We have all heard the simple, but difficult to follow quote that reads, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." So, let's not plan to fail this week.

Happy Monday!!! If you have ways you motivate yourself on Mondays, we would love to hear your thoughts.