8 Ways to Love Your Monday

*One thing I need on a consistent basis though, is an organized start to my week. It makes me feel* like I have a better chance at a productive week ahead.

To say the past few weeks have been messy, chaotic and basically out of whack would be one hundred percent accurate. And not in a bad way… there was travel, there were meetings, there were people to see and then life to fit in. I love these times. It gets me out of my normal routine and shakes things up. One thing I need on a consistent basis though, is an organized start to my week. It makes me feel like I have a better chance at a productive week ahead. So, I’ve put together my 8 step plan that will hopefully get your head on straight for the new week. All it takes are a few quick tasks + some fun stuff, but if I do all of these things, and I notice a huge difference when I come back into the office Monday.

Side affects include, but are not limited to: newfound inspiration for projects, full focus after coming back from actual time off, feeling like you have a life outside of work, and being excited about your week ahead.

Monday Morning Motivation | A Fabulous Fete

And it all starts before you ever leave your desk on Friday. This is probably the most important step. Before I leave, doing these few things helps me enjoy my weekend more as well as come back to a chaos free environment.

Tidy up your desk. Throw away old papers, file what you need, put away supplies and if you want to take it one step further, style your notebooks, pens and other accessories to create an aesthetically pleasing place for you to come back to on Monday morning. For me, messy desks are the worst, but especially on Monday mornings; they cause instant stress and have real potential to keep getting worse throughout the week.
Actually clean your workspace. We keep plenty of Clorox wipes and make sure to do this at least once a week. Being able to come in Monday morning and just get to work will help you beat those procrastination voices in your head if you leave it until the following week. If you have a full studio/office, I’d recommend extending this task throughout your entire space. Make it fun… host a little happy hour, serve some rosé and give each team member a task. It will (almost) be fun and get done a lot faster.
Make that list. Actually make two. Write down everything you want to accomplish the following week. Categorize from urgent to not so you can properly delegate throughout the week. As for your second list, break out your top 3 for Monday. Those are your 3 things that HAVE to get done. This will leave your mind free for the weekend… you won’t be worrying that you missed something, or will forget to write it down on monday. I will dive more into your Top 3 and how we manage these within our team in a post later!

Okay, so now you’re home, settling in for a few days of peace, now what?

4. I always spend some time on Saturday morning getting things done around the house. They’re those things that pile up on the weekdays, but stress me out every time I look at them… you know, laundry, dishes, making returns, picking up the dog toys flung all over the house, watering the plants that are wilting. You get it. The more I look at these, the more frazzled my brain is. So I just do them. We will usually make brunch at home and have mimosas, just to make the tasks go by a bit quicker (#willworkforchampagne).

5. Once those are done, or I have at least made progress, I chill. I will literally watch the office for 3 hours if I want, or maybe we will head down to the beach for sunset. Whatever it is, it’s just for me/us. It’s time for my brain to turn off. I often even take this day off of social media, just to have a break. I don’t freak out that I haven’t posted that day, or I didn’t see what is going on in strangers lives on stories. It’s like a mini cleanse;)

Sundays, they are for adventuring. I will admit that we need to get better at this. I have started saving local places (on instagram) that I want to visit on our weekends. So if I see a cute restaurant, shop or beach, it’s saved.

6. Get out and try something new. When I do, it makes my weekend feel complete. And I’ll be the first to admit that it’s hard to get out when you’re tired and lazy… but it’s always worth it. You never know how you will get inspired and what you can bring back into your work week.

And finally, incorporate a little reflection.

7. I definitely like to end my weekends at home. I love making dinner and sitting in our backyard with a glass of wine and our dogs. If I’m not home by like, 5 on a Sunday, I’m usually stressed about it… or having too much fun Sunday Funday-ing which isn’t a good thing either (at least for your Monday!). But I use this time to decompress and really make sure I’m all set for Monday. I love to get a workout in Monday morning, so I make sure I’m ready for that and love having a healthy dinner in preparation.

8. Recap your week. I’ve yet to put this one into rotation consistently. I will do it in my head, but I think it’s best if you keep a journal and really spend 10-20 minutes focusing on it.

First, recap your past week. What successes did you have, and what failures did you experience? Why did those things go the way they did? How can you mimic successes or learn from failures and incorporate those learning experiences into the following week? Maybe you can rearrange your workday to improve productivity. Maybe you can take more time before answering an email from an angry client. Or, maybe you can analyze something that went really well… like how you sold out of a product on your site, or if you noticed your energy levels were super high… what were you putting into your body that made you feel that way? Basically, do a little reflection and decide what you can learn from it. Good or bad.

Those are some things I LOVE and have to do, and others I’m trying to do more. Man, could you imagine if we were consistent in these practices every week?? It would make for one seriously productive and satisfying week for me.

What are your tips for ending or starting a new week? I’d love to hear about your routines and how they impact your day!

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