Why We Fear Mondays and What We Can Do About It
“Why We Fear Mondays and What We Can Do About It” by David Mansfield, Author of The Monday Revolution
It’s Sunday evening, and your mood is starting to change. Thoughts of the week ahead begin to loom in your mind, and it’s not a good feeling. Why is it that so many people on Sunday evening already start to feel depressed and overwhelmed about the week in front of them?
Well, there are many reasons for this, but really at the heart of the issue is that we’ve planned to do things that we don’t really like. So we end up just getting through the week. We endure it, we don’t enjoy it, and we live for the weekend.
People have been writing songs about this for many years, from David Bowie to The Boomtown Rats. The theme of Monday’s and getting through the week is often one that bands return to.
So what can we do about it? Well, actually quite a lot. The reason we feel like this is because we’ve clogged our days and hours up with things that we don’t really want to do. They don’t energise, and they don’t make us feel that we’re moving our business forward. In many respects, they’ve just become habits and the normal way of doing things.
We see this all the time at The Monday Revolution. When we challenge people and ask them why they’re doing particular things or attending certain meetings, often they can’t tell us, as the purpose is long forgotten.
My suggestion, as Spring’s around the corner, is to scrub things down and have a look at what you’re doing and why. I recommend every three months; you audit what’s regularly occurring in your working week and ask how this is growing you and your company.
It may seem remote, but I promise you there are many, many people (I hope you’re one) that look forward to Mondays because they feel in control. They know that what they’re about to do is going to be challenging, enjoyable, fun and deliver real progress. But, of course, there are always things that we must do that we don’t particularly enjoy, and we do have to get through them. But that’s OK, providing we minimise them and don’t let them dominate.
Audit your calendar and only do the things that really matter. Enjoy the challenges with a positive mindset and minimise the dullness and boring. It works. Happy Monday!
David Mansfield is an investor, advisor and author of The Monday Revolution.
