I read this Forbes article yesterday titled “What Successful People Do On Sunday To Be Productive All Week”.  The title alone hooked me because, first of all, who doesn’t want a successful week and second of all, I am the absolute worst at letting the Monday Blues creep into my Sunday Funday.  You know what I am talking about.  That dark cloud that looms over you because Monday is coming.  I will admit, the Monday Blues have gotten slightly less blue since I have stopped working full time and heading into the office on Monday morning.  None-the-less that Monday cloud still makes its way over at some point on Sunday, because Monday means the fun from the weekend has stopped and the onslaught of to-do lists begins.

Even though I don’t go into the office anymore, I am still looking for ways to make Monday’s less of a Monday and overall more enjoyable.  Which led me to read the article linked above.  The tips mentioned in the article can easily be applied to anyone in any stage of life (so obviously I applied them to at home mom).  The first tip stuck with me the most: Steal an Hour to Get Organized.  It suggested that if you steal a little time from Sunday, preferably in the morning, to get organized for the week it will help clear head space (i.e. any to do items looming over you for Monday) and make Sunday more enjoyable.  Ways to do this could be throwing on a small load of laundry, meal planning for the week, cleaning out the fridge, vacuuming, anything that you usually do on Mondays to prepare for the week that could quickly be done on Sunday.  Don’t take too much time from Sunday, just enough to get a few things done and clear up some of the to-do’s for Monday.

Another takeaway from this tip, is to pull out your calendar app and take some time to plan out the week.  I have always found that Monday’s and the week in general are more enjoyable when I take a little time to set a plan and get a direction going into the week.  This brings me to our Mindful Monday tip for the week. Drum Roll…..

Create a Monday Mini Goal list!

Sit down on Sunday, whenever that proactive feeling strikes, and write out 3-5 Monday Mini Goals (or more if you feel extra motivated, but not too many that you will get overwhelmed).  These are mini goals for the week that you will start on Monday.  They can be anything you want to accomplish that week and the idea is that they are MINI (small goals people, things you can accomplish in a week).

I have found, and I am convinced I have read a study somewhere that backs this up, when I set small goals for the week I am able to accomplish bigger goals over time.  There is something extremely gratifying to reflecting on your accomplishments at the end of the week and being able to check off a few things that you achieved.  Let’s be real, small accomplishments (especially when you have kids) need to be celebrated!

So, sit down today and set a few mini goals for the week, somewhere you can easily see them (I like to write them in my notes app on my phone).  Throughout the week use these goals to keep you on track and give your week a direction.  At the end of the week you can sit down and use your list to conduct what my husband likes to term “the good, the bad, and the ugly” test.  You can see what you did really well with, what you didn’t do so well with, and what was maybe “ugly” and definitely needs to be worked on next week.  You can use this evaluation to help build upon for the following week’s Monday Mini Goals.

Examples of Monday Mini Goals:

• Go to Yoga 2x
• Workout 3x
• Get up before 6am
• Cook dinner m-f
• No eating out m-th
• Drink Lemon Water first thing each morning
• Take 15 minutes of quiet time each day (we can ALL benefit from a daily mental break)
• Run 3x
• Read a book to kids each night
• Take time to read for yourself each day
• Bring lunch to work m-f (this was big when I was going to the office)
• Do a small load of laundry each morning
• No sugar for the week
• Make your bed immediately every morning
• Go on a date night
• Meet a friend for coffee or lunch
• Spend 15 minutes each night talking with your husband (not about work or kids)

Here is my Mini Goals list for this week:

The key is to keep it simple (I can thank my dad for this- use the acronym K.I.S.S – Keep It Simple Stupid).

The options are endless!  This should be tailored to your needs each week.  By setting Monday Mini Goals you should be able to become a little more aware of what your personal needs are each week.  As a mom, it is sometimes difficult to be aware of exactly what my needs are, especially when I am always so concerned with meeting everyone else’s.

Write out some Monday Mini Goals and start checking them off!

LO