It’s actually more Fridays I have a problem with. Fridays are often the anticlimax of the week. Sometimes you didn’t get as much done as you hoped, your energy is spent, and frankly, you just want to put a lid on it.
Mondays, on the other hand, are always full of promise and freshness. Imagine all the great things this week might have to offer! Imagine finally cracking the hard problem that cooked your noodle last week. Monday is the day of optimism, before reality pummels the week and your spirit into submission.
I think the key to enjoying Mondays is to ensure the weekend is spent doing everything but Monday-type stuff. No digging into the mountain of overdue emails on Saturday afternoon, no “just checking in” on shit Sunday mornings. Let the weekend be a desert for work and Mondays will seem like an oasis.
That’s of course if you actually like what you do and who you do it with. If neither of those things are true, well, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself: Why are neither of those things true? Then, preferably take steps to remedy the situation once that question grows old (and before you do!).
Turning Mondays into a delight rather than a dread is really all about moderation. Humans are designed for balance. The best recipe is a mix, not a single-ingredient sludge. Take the weekend to enjoy an exclusive plate of not-work, and wake up hungry for Monday’s fresh serving.
Did you know that Basecamp 3 makes it easy to capture the enthusiasm of Mondays with the automated check-in of What will you be working on this week?
