Monday....the start of the work week for many of us and often a dreaded day. The weekend seems to go by so fast and now we are back to the grind of the work week. What if we looked at Mondays in a similar way to New Year's Day? What if we took just a fraction of the excitement we often have for the new year and put that toward every Monday? The start of each week can be a new beginning. Maybe we don't need a new beginning every week, but it is certainly a chance to make plans and set goals. What can you accomplish this week? How can you approach it differently than last week? Maybe you already have a good routine and habits which carry you through week after week, but if not, choose something to change and start it on a Monday. Change can be so difficult, but little by little it can happen. Creating habits takes time, but it will never happen if you don't start. Getting through one week can lead to a second and so on. If the "to do" list is long, every Monday can be another opportunity to embark on a new task.
We discuss the struggles of working moms often on this blog, and hopefully try to give some helpful tools and advice based on our experiences. Monday is not my favorite day of the week, but as the weekend draws to an end, I do try to look at the week ahead and create a plan. I like to write things down and use a planner. It is my prize possession!! I have my plan for the week on paper, and for me, that helps. Monday is an office day for me so I try to be up early, pick out a great outfit and get to work early. I will have 25-30 patients to see, and some days run more smoothly than others. I try to approach the day with a good attitude, and I feel like looking my best is part of that. For many of the early months of the pandemic, I wore scrubs to the office which I would not typically do. As a surgeon, of course I wear scrubs in the operating room, but that is just two days of the week. The other days I am in the office, and as a big fan of clothes and shoes, I enjoy dressing up on those days. The months spent in scrubs all the time were practical and easier, but once I started getting dressed up again, I felt better. I felt more like me and had a renewed enthusiasm for those office days, including Monday. "Look good, feel good!"
Okay, so now we are embracing Monday! It is the start of whatever you want it to be. Get up early, workout, have your coffee or do whatever fuels you in the morning and then get ready...even if you are working from home. Try getting out of the yoga pants, even putting on some make-up and maybe a change of scenery by working from a different room in the house. Make a plan for the week. Decide what HAS to get done and then what would you LIKE to get done. Write it down. Whatever happens by Friday, be proud. There is no way you won't accomplish at least some of what was on your list. Don't dwell on what didn't happen...remember another Monday is just a couple of days away!
So let's all be go-getters this week! I think it's a mind game sometimes, especially these days. We are all living with varying degrees of limitation and loss. We are trying to make the best of our days despite still being in the midst of the pandemic. It can definitely rattle our motivation sometimes, but there are also many stories out there of people making great changes and remaining positive. If you are already on a good path, keep it up! If not, see what you can do on this Monday to take a step in the right direction. You will never know what you can accomplish if you don't try. 💪🏼💗
