12 Positive Choices For a Monday Morning
I have no desire to move mountains, construct monuments, or leave behind in my wake material evidence of my existence. But in the final recollection, if the essence of my being has caused a smile to have appeared upon your face or a touch of joy within your heart…then in living-I have made my mark. - Thomas L. Odem, Jr., Writer and Author
I used to rise and shine on Monday morning with a growl and a grimace; not much shine at all. Then I read The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, and while I don’t recall the exact passage of the book, something I read prompted me to start waking earlier. What a difference that earlier wake time made in my day. My productivity, at work and at home, increased and my whole attitude changed for the better. I started to rise AND shine all because I made different, more positive, choices.
There are a variety of choices we can make to have a more positive and satisfying Monday. You don’t need a lot of time, got an extra 5 or 10 minutes? Below are 12 ways to get you started.
- Got 2 feet on the floor? Thank whoever you need to thank for giving you another chance at life today. Then promise to make the best of it.
- Smile at the first person you see – Even if you smile at your reflection in the mirror.
- Give someone you love a hug – Live alone? Wrap your arms around yourself. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a smile creep on your face at the absurdity. I say that is a win-win.
- Sit and eat breakfast – No skipping and no grabbing a cereal bar for the road. 10 minutes is all you need to eat a bowl of cereal.
- Take 5 quiet minutes for you – Wake earlier, tell the family. Sip your coffee, walk the dog, read your favorite blogs, sit and do nothing. Just make these 5 minutes about you.
- Write down no more than 3 goals that you want to accomplish today. Make them manageable and realistic!
- Stay in the shower a few extra minutes.
- Get dressed, look in the mirror and say to yourself “Damn I look good today!” Then strut your bad self out the door, a smile shining brightly on your face.
- Take a walk – I love to walk outside first thing in the morning, even in cooler temperatures. Not necessarily for power or time, but for fresh air, oxygen and energy. Can you find 5 or 10 minutes?
- Morning stretch – Do you sleep curled up in a ball? Stretching first thing in the morning can help lengthen and relax your muscles. Focus on the spine, hips, neck and shoulders
- Rushing out the door anyway? Notice the rush and pause. Take a moment to appreciate the family who loves you, your health, the roof over your head.
- As you walk out the door, believe today is a good day, regardless of the ups and the downs.
We are so quick to rush out the door, frazzled, frustrated and often hungry. Check in with your basic needs, and take a moment and appreciate all that you do have - an opportunity to start all over again.
How do you keep a positive attitude on a Monday or any day of the week?
Very nice! I will skip #8 though!
Have an awesome day!
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@Mark - oh, come on, a handsome fella like yourself? You need to embrace #8, my friend!
@Stacey - once again, a well timed post for me. This is the first Monday morning in forever that I feel good and energized. I already always eat breakfast, and get up early enough not to be rushed, but I am going to get up even earlier, so I can sip my coffee and read some blogs. I really like #6 about picking three REALISTIC goals to accomplish during the day. I’m going to add that one to my morning routine.
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These are great Stacey! Today, I think I do many of these - and you know what - I couldn’t be happier with where I’m at in my life right now. Coincidence? I don’t think so! These are all such important choices for starting our days (not just Monday) out.
Just this morning - it was cold, it was dark, it was windy. I debated, should I just skip going out. Then I thought - no! I went out for a run, and it was refreshing and brisk - and it felt great when I finished! I was pumped up!
Breakfast - I always get breakfast in, always. And it’s always a sit down breakfast. And we stress that for our kids also. Always.
I could go on…but I think you can see, I’m just agreeing with everything you say!
Oh, and coffee always works too…
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Hi Stacey -
Sounds like a great book. I will check it out. Funny, just the other day I thought about the possibility of rising earlier than normal. Since almost everyone in my family is up at 5:30am, I figured I might as well get up, too. I haven’t chosen to get up that hour since I left the corporate world - and getting up early did make a positive difference. At least most of the time!
Hi Stacey: I think how you start your day sets the tone for the entire day, and you provide great tips here on how to start your day off right. Funny you mention The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, I saw it in a bookstore yesterday and briefly considered buying it, but since it was in Spanish I changed my mind (I don’t like reading books originally written in Spanish in English, or the other way around).
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These are great! Today was my first day at a new job and I can see that I’m going to have to put all of these into practice, whereas before, working from home, I didn’t have any problem with Mondays or any other days!
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@Mark - oh , come on!
@UrbanPanther - I love getting up when the world is still quiet. Let me know how it goes!
@Lance - I know those dark, cold mornings make the jog difficult! But I agree, the choice to go is always better than the choice to stay home!
@Lora - thanks for commenting! I love my 5:30am wake up - though in my house I’m up with the cats!
@Marelisa - absolutely how you start your day sets the tone for the whole day.
@steph - good luck at the new job! I work from home now, too, and going back would be so hard! Stay positive - it’s your choice!
Staceys last blog post..12 Positive Choices For a Monday Morning
I am reading your post this morning and find it a wonderful reminder to start my day right!!! Thanks!
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Oh how I would love to incorporate a morning walk (even in the winter) to clear my head and take in fresh air. I often walked my family to the door in the morning (3 flights down)…I’m basically at the edge of the door. I think I need to start wearing my coat down the stairs for a short walk after the family leaves in the morning. Thanks!
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rereading this to spark my thursday
especially the last one.
life is so short we need to seize every moment and make it a positive one.
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