In this weekly series called ‘Monday Motivation’, I challenge myself to write a short motivational blog article to kick start a great week. I will no doubt draw on lessons I have learned from one of my own personal favourite reading genres, self-help, but also from life. Rest assured, the motivational message is just as much for me as it is for my reader! As always, your feedback and ideas are warmly welcomed.
When you work a standard 9 to 5 job, it’s so easy to wake up on a Monday morning and think “here we go again”. We think of the week as something we just have to “get through” until the next weekend comes. If, like most people, you work five days out of seven, that is no way to live, my friend. Even those who start off a Monday morning feeling positive and hopeful are likely feel tired and longing for the weekend by Wednesday. If you’re feeling called out in this moment, firstly, I apologise; secondly, you might be interested in the idea of “living for the week”. In a nutshell, this means embracing every single day like it is the best day of the week, even when you have to do something you don’t want to do, like… let’s say, go to work? The truth is, even on the weekends, there are things we have to do that we don’t want to – like cleaning, food shopping, attending a really dull birthday party. We’ve all been there. The difference is the attitude with which we view the week versus the weekend. The weekend is sacred to most people, so if it was bad, we vow to have a better one the next week, or we do something nice to salvage it. What I’m saying is, why can’t the week be sacred too? Well, in my book, it can. I’m going to share five ways I have been working on “living for the week” which have improved my life tremendously.
Prioritising rest during the week
The weekend is characterised by the opportunity to rest. That’s why we look forward to it so much! We tend to cram as much as we can into the week, and then crumble onto the couch with the TV remote on a Friday night to recover. There are others that do both – cram everything that isn’t rest into the week and the weekend, feeling triumphantly productive and eventually… burnt out. I’m looking at you, me from the past. However, most of us understand the importance of high quality rest at the weekend: getting enough sleep, moving slowly in the morning, taking time away from devices and other mind-stressers. During the week, we jerk our bodies up in the morning, we rush ourselves around all day and all evening or, alternatively, zombie-out in front of a TV or phone. Could we create a morning routine that lets us move more slowly? For example, I get up at 6am because I like to have time before I leave for work at 8am. I spend one hour writing with a nice cup of tea and eat the breakfast I prepared the night before, then I get ready (not in a rush, that’s important!) and go for a very short walk in the park near my house before I drive to work. I then continue the good vibe of the morning by listening to music on the way to work that I know is going to lift me up and make me feel like I’m going to have a good day. Even better if it’s a song I know the words to and can sing along to. That way, I’ve already spent the morning writing, walking and singing – things I love to do – before I have even arrived at work. Routine is essential for rest. You have to build it in, or it just won’t happen. When I get home from work, I ensure I spend at least half an hour resting mindfully. Avoiding TV better for me personally, but that’s just because I have a tendency to binge watch and zone out, you might be a much more mindful TV watcher than I am! Instead I read a book, go for a walk, take a nap, or just sit on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea and talk to my husband. You might think – what a luxury! I’m aware that I have no kids and hardly any commute, so I’m in a very privileged position. However, if you’re being truthful with yourself, could you find even 20 minutes to cultivate mindful rest in the morning, or when you come home from work?
Planning fun activities throughout the week
I understand that this point can, at times, clash with the relaxation. If you have something planned every single night of the week, then how on earth will you also have time to make dinner, exercise, drop your kid to karate lessons, prepare for work the next day, and rest? I’m not saying that you need to have a jam-packed week in order for your life to be meaningful. However, what I am wondering is, does Monday to Friday need to be a work-only space? Could we intentionally make plans that are going take perhaps a bit more effort, but are going to make us feel fulfilled this week, like the week belongs to us and not who we work for? That way, instead of your weekend plans, the next thing to look forward to is the gig you’re going to, or the dinner with a friend, or the movie you’re going to see. These plans don’t have to be elaborate or long, but I find that if one or two weeknights involve a wee plan or activity, my week feels much fuller.
Remembering that work can be a source of joy and purpose
Okay, here’s the harder one. The truth is, many people don’t like their jobs. My groundbreaking advice would be in the first instance, if you don’t like your job, change it. However, I have been wildly unhappy in a job that I hadn’t quite managed to change yet; therefore had to continue making a living at a job I hated. I’m sure we can all relate. Even now, I love my job. But do I wish I could stay at home instead of going to work most days? You bet I do. The blanket and tea are undoubtedly much cosier. However – and this is for those across the whole spectrum of loving to hating their jobs – could our work day improve if we make joy and purpose our ultimate goal? The key, for me, is to think about what life would be like if I were not working. I can hear some of you saying “sounds fantastic, I’ll take that option”. Yet, when you think about it – really, really think about it – would you be achieving something purposeful every day? We humans are wired for purpose – to make, to do, to achieve. What would we genuinely be doing all day if we were not doing our work and making our mark on the world? Even if you feel that your role itself is not impactful, you are making an impact by the way you interact with people and how you make them feel. I have no doubt that there will be someone in the world that your work has an impact on. In fact, could the way you do your work be the very thing that makes someone have a better day? For example, the cashier at a shop smiling at warmly makes me have a better day, my boss saying “well done” makes me have a better day, the delivery driver having a joke with me as they hand over my parcel makes me have a better day. I see so many people, no matter what their job is, do their work with joy and purpose every day. It’s not just something they have to do to survive and make money, it’s their daily mark on the world. How could your day change if you view your work in this way?
Cultivating good habits
Habits are key to living for the week. James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits” said it best when he said that “you are the result of the small choices you make each day”. Every choice you make throughout the week… that is you. You choose to rise early and go for a walk most days? You are a mindful person. You choose to lift up and praise your colleagues at any opportunity? You are a supportive and positive person. You can’t be the person you want to be unless you have the habits to go along with it. First, you have to decide what are your most important habits that will form the person you want to be, and when will you do them? For me, my most important habits are rising early, spending 1 hour working on a project, and going for a walk. Notice that I also stack these habits (as recommended by James Clear), doing one after the other to form a pattern. I also love habit stacking in the morning, as I feel like I have already won the day before it has begun. Sometimes, you might set a habit, and then it becomes so ingrained in your life that you don’t have to think about it. For example, a while ago, I realised that for someone who considered themselves an “avid reader”, I never read. I then made a conscious effort to read every night before bed, even if I felt like scrolling on my phone instead. After a while, I enjoyed reading so much that I didn’t have to think about it so much, and it just became part of my life. Habits take effort, but I truly believe they are the key to having a good week.
Be present
Finally, being present is very important for me when it comes to “living for the week”. By this I mean trying your best not to ruminate on the past, or project too much into the future. Bad day at work? Talk about it if you need, then move on. So exhausted that you’re clinging on until the weekend? Consider what you can do in the present moment to relieve some pressure, for example, cancel something (it’s allowed). We live so much in what has just happened, or what is going to happen, that we forget to enjoy the present moment. Appreciate the little things in the present moment – like the colours of the sky on your commute, or the delicious dinner your partner made for you, or the laugh that you just had with a colleague. Every single moment of life can be beautiful, if you look for it in the magic of the present moment. You can’t find these gorgeous nuggets of life anywhere else.
Live for the week, the weekend can wait
In short, whilst we are pining for the weekend, the week is glowing with opportunity that we are missing. If we really embraced every juicy part of life on offer from Monday through Friday, our lives could be so much fuller and more interesting. Who cares about the weekend? Our lives are vibrant 24/7, so there is no waiting around for us! Starting today, I urge you to be a “live for the week” person, and just watch how your life changes.
Linggow 