Monday. The dreaded beginning of the work-week. It upsets cartoon cats, makes ’80s girl-bands manic, and totally messes with your productivity. You’re tired from the weekend, your inbox starts piling up right away, and all manner of unexpected work-related fires need to be put out. It’s not any fun at all, but don’t pull the covers back over your face just yet. We’re going to get you through this.
If you can’t make Monday enjoyable, you can at least make it less painful. Here are five ways to hit the ground running this week:
Have a Plan
You’ve got whole weekend to plan out your Monday, so take advantage. Even if you just set aside a few minutes at the end of work on Friday to write down the first three things you have to tackle at the beginning of the week, that beats starting from scratch. The less thinking you have to do on Monday morning, the better.
Get Some Sleep
I’m not here to lecture you on how to spend your weekend. I’m guilty of more than my share of wild weekend indiscretions — yes, even on Sunday night. If you know you’re facing a particularly dreadful Monday, though, get some shut-eye beforehand. Go to bed early on Sunday (record any TV shows, if you just can’t miss them) and wake up feeling slightly less grouchy in the morning.
Put Off Your Meetings
Monday is busy enough without meetings to worry about. I’ve already told you how those can be a monumental time-suck for people who make things. Some meetings are unavoidable, but, by all means, avoid the heck out of the ones that aren’t. If you’re feeling crummy on Monday, chances are you’re not the only one. You’re better off meeting on Tuesday, once everyone’s up to full working speed.
Do the Big Stuff First
It’s tempting to slack off and take care of busywork at the beginning of the week, but don’t go there. Start off strong by tackling the most important task on your list. Getting that out of the way will leave you more time for the unexpected new work that inevitably crops up during a week, and it’ll lift a little bit of stress from the rest of your day.
Try to Finish Your Work Before the Afternoon
Monday mornings have a bad reputation, but Monday afternoons can be a lot worse. If you didn’t get enough sleep and your coffee is starting to wear off, your productivity can take a big crash. If you have the option, push through your work in the morning so you can relax as the end of the day gets closer. Feeling guilty? Use the afternoon to draw up a plan of attack for the rest of the week.
Some things about Monday are unavoidable, but there’s no reason it has to be the worst day of your week. Remember, there’s at least one beleaguered, overworked writer out there who sympathizes with you — that’d be me — so wipe the sleep out of your eyes, grab your coffee mug, and let’s get going.
Got any great Monday productivity tips of your own? Leave them in the comments!
Jay is a freelance writer based in Seattle, WA. He writes about software for Download Squad and contributes interviews to Geek Monthly magazine, among others. You can also find him on Twitter and at his blog.
Photo Credit — bashed
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I find that having something cool to look forward to on Monday mornings can help a great deal. Something as simple as eating your favorite breakfast or wearing a new outfit you bought over the weekend can do wonders to boost your mood and energy level on those dreaded days.
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