4 Ways to Get Motivated on Monday and Stay That Way All Week
For too many people, Mondays can be a day of playing catch-up instead of a day of productivity. If you’re looking for a way to get motivated on Monday morning and stay that way all week long, trying any of these four methods could help you change the way you think about Mondays.
Start big
Nothing can keep someone motivated quite like completing the Mount Everest size task on their to-do list. While it can be tough to get things done on Monday – especially when you’ve got a pile of tasks you need to accomplish – focus on how good it will feel to take your mid-day break knowing that the hardest thing you had to do for the day was behind you.
Since starting big can be a non-starter for people in any situation, tell yourself that you can stop working on the task after you’ve given it all your attention and focus for a solid fifteen minutes. You can even set a timer if that helps. At the end of your focused time, you’ll likely discover that the task isn’t as big and scary as you originally thought it would be. Instead of taking the break you promised yourself, you may even decide that you’re content to keep working for another block of focused time, if not until the project is complete.
Start small
While starting on the biggest project first may work for some people, others may find they simply lack the focus on a Monday morning to stick to one thing long enough to find their groove. That’s okay. All those little tasks on your list also need to be accomplished at some point, so why not do them first?
With this motivational strategy, you start with the absolute smallest task on your list. Once you check it off your list, your brain will provide you with a dose of endorphins as a reward. Since you can likely complete several small tasks within a relatively short span, your body will be flying high on feel-good brain chemicals, making it a little easier to motivate yourself to keep going when the tasks on your list grow longer and more complex.
Create rewards
Let’s face it; rewards and incentives exist because they work. The trick is to figure out which types of rewards motivate you the most. Your reward can be anything that you enjoy as long as it doesn’t derail your day. Rewards can include:
- Candy bar
- Funny Internet video
- Dessert with lunch
- Getting a manicure
- Going to the movies after work
- Indulgent coffee drink
- Museum trip
- Reading a book.
Of course, if you’re planning to engage in your reward activity while you still have other Monday activities to complete, place strict limits on your time. This might include limiting yourself to only 10 minutes of Internet time or reading a single chapter. Setting an audible alarm can help you get back to work at the appointed time.
Be realistic
Perhaps the greatest Monday motivation-stealer is the unrealistic expectation. Too many people wake up on Monday morning and tell themselves they’re going to crush it when they get to work or school. Instead, they complete a modest amount of work and then engage in negative self-talk when they fall short of the impossible goal.
Researchers who study the science of motivation have found that simply rephrasing the way you talk to yourself about your goals can allow you to increase your productivity and motivation. Instead of telling yourself you must complete X, Y and Z, you instead ask yourself whether you can complete X, Y and Z. On the surface, it’s a superficial change, but deep down in your subconscious it can help you challenge yourself to do better without destroying whatever motivation you were able to work up on a Monday morning.