Monday Motivation here we come! This is for those of you who slog through your Monday mornings. If you lament the end of the weekend and dread returning to the office, you may need our Monday Motivation quick tips. Grit Daily offers an avenue to connect with others like you. We’re here to help get your work week off to a good start. Pump your fists – it’s time for Monday Motivation!
Is that you on the stairs?
If you can relate to our headline image, then this is the column for you. You need Monday Motivation as desperately as the rest of us. Me too. Here I am trying to write this column, in the wee hours of a dull and rainy morning, which translates to “nightmare commute into the city.” Sigh.
But I’m on the case! I’m constantly reading books knowing that I will learn at least one thing from each. There is always something that I highlight or a page that I photograph to go back and refer to at some point. Plus, there is some magical thing that happens in your brain which connects the dots and brings new thoughts together with past experiences. From it, new ideas, strategies, and plans emerge. It’s quite amazing how this happens.
Of course, along the way, don’t forget to enjoy the ride. It can’t be all work and no play. Without reward, you’d struggle to stay motivated. Especially on Mondays – ugh!
The Compound Effect
Over the weekend, I read the book, The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. Was there anything Earth-shattering in there? No. Nor was there any silver bullet or panacea for figuring out what to do. There never is with self-help books. But if a person who became a self-made multi-millionaire in his 20s takes the time to write a book about how he did it, you should read it. It’s that simple.
The concept is simple and parallels what we know from Steven Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In a nutshell, you have to push through doing things (or not doing them) until they become a habit. You keep doing whatever the new behavior is that you desire until you no longer think of it as a new behavior. Somewhere along the way it morphs into part of your character and a standard part of your routine.
Monday Motivation follows the same trajectory: you keep at it, week after week until you’re no longer the girl that’s falling down the stairs every Monday morning because you’re ready to embrace the week. Bring. It. On. That’s your new battle cry.
Tips for changing your behavior
Again, no magic pill makes this stuff happen. Only YOU can change whatever it is that you desire to change. Monday Motivation takes focus, discipline, a warrior mindset and the grit to git ‘er dun. Here is the science behind changing behavior and why it works if you attack the problem one change at a time. And a checklist if you want to do everything that you possibly can to ensure that you will be successful. Personally, I find this checklist a bit daunting: too many things to think about at once but that’s how I see it and you may look at it differently.
#1 – change one thing
Don’t overwhelm yourself. That’s an easy thing to do. We can all pick ourselves apart then find ourselves wanting to change our hair, weight, relationships, living environment, job, how much we drink or go out and so on. But that’s not going to accomplish anything. Pick ONE thing and change it. Not tomorrow. Not later. NOW! Begin immediately. Do this new thing until you no longer resent doing the new thing. Then, add something else and begin changing that.
#2 – be patient
“I was an overnight success,” said no one. Most fine artists are not celebrated until they’re six feet under. Musicians often struggle with their craft until they get noticed by a connected agent. New mothers don’t drop all their pregnancy weight upon the birth of their child. Multi-millionaires (not trust fund babies) are made, not born. Everything takes time. Be patient, and be kind to yourself while you’re making the change.
#3 – keep it real
There’s a double edge to this last tip. The first is that you have to embrace a change that can be made over time. Something that you are in control of and can modify through new behaviors. The second aspect of keeping it real is holding yourself accountable. For example, some people like to use calorie trackers if they are trying to lose weight. Others join communities for support and to put the pledge to change out in the open so that everyone hears it and keeps the person changing on track.
Whatever it is that you want to change, know this. You CAN make simple changes in your life, which, over time, will add up to something bigger and better. The success of doing one little thing differently will have a positive ripple effect throughout your personal and professional life. So it’s worth doing, even if it’s going to be tough.
Monday motivation parting thoughts
And, this is Monday Motivation, which is sensible thinking for every day of the week. Not just Mondays. Hold your head up high, you’re fine as you are if you feel that you’re fine. If you feel like you want to make a change, then make it. What’s stopping you?
Now it’s my turn to hit the crowded buses, trains, and subways but I’ll be doing it with a smile. Because, as of today, I’m counting my calories on my path to weight loss. BRING. IT. ON!
