Hasta La Ideas

Mondays are opportunities to start new habits and the day to begin a productive path for the week. While others grumble about Mondays, I try to think of them like the first day of school or the first day of a new job. The possibilities for success, fulfillment, creativity, and all the reasons you do what you do are open for you to experience.

To help keep me motivated and positive about Mondays, I like to begin each week with a 10- to 15-minute planning session. I grab my cup of coffee (glorious, glorious coffee), a pencil, my calendar (this year I’ve been using the Julie Morgenstern Balanced Life Franklin Covey daily planner), and I head to my front porch or the dining room table. During this time, I ask myself the following questions while I plan out the week:

• What calls, meetings, luncheons, parties, and travel do I have on my schedule that have set times and locations?
• What deadlines do I need to meet?
• What actions do I need to take to meet those deadlines?
• What additional tasks do I also wish to accomplish this week?
• What reminders for future actions do I need to set on my computer when I get back to my desk?
• When am I most productive?
• When am I least productive?

I plan for both my work and my personal life at the same time. I currently keep everything on the same calendar, but there have been years when I have kept things separate. It’s a matter of preference, and you could do one planning session at home and another when you get to work if that better meets your needs.

How you plan for your week is up to you, but taking the time to plan can make a significant difference in what you accomplish by Friday. It’s a lot easier to get somewhere if you know where you’re going.

Happy Monday!

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