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Monday, 6/22/20: Talking about an updated 20 in 2020 list, last night’s dinner and the book I read this weekend

Happy Monday!

It’s a new week, which means it’s time for your next Monday motivation newsletter. Read on below for some steps to a happier Monday, a short story and a roundup of positive thoughts to get your week started.

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Each newsletter starts with three prompts to inspire gratitude and simple intention setting. Take a moment and jot down answers to these three questions. To give an example, I share my answers below.  

Step 1: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend? 

Step 2: What is one thing I can be excited about today?

Step 3: What is my intention for this week? 

GRATITUDE: From my weekend, I am thankful for Father’s Day with my dad, pushing myself with a long run on Saturday and (virtually) meeting my new co-mentors/group of scholars to start another year with an awesome organization. 

TODAY: I am most excited about having time blocked on my calendar to make progress on a few work projects. 

INTENTION: My intention this week is to focus on being present. My time with my family in Orlando is wrapping up and I want to soak up every moment. Okay, your turn!

And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂

Lesson of the Week: 20 in 2020 Update

Back in December, I wrote about the idea of a 20 in 2020 List, or identifying 20 things to accomplish before the end of the year. I had always planned on writing an update on my 20 in 2020 List around this time (because we are halfway through the year), but I definitely could never have imagined the twists and turns of 2020. 

With all these changes, does that mean the 20 in 2020 List goes out the window? Well, not necessarily. In fact, with everything going on, something simple like a 20 in 2020 List may be the perfect tool to ground us and help us find some meaningful moments in this crazy year.

But obviously our initial lists may need some tweaks due to current circumstances. And there’s no shame in that game!

So, this weekend I sat down and took a look back at my first draft. I had fun crossing off a few completed items, reminding myself of things I wanted to do this year and adjusting items that no longer fit.  

I’m excited to share my Updated 20 in 2020 List with you today in hopes that it inspires you to take another look at yours. And if you haven’t made one yet, you certainly still have time to accomplish your own 20 things!

How have you progressed and/or made updates in regards to your 20 in 2020 List? I would love to know. 🙂 

My Updated 20 in 2020 List:

  1. Subscribe to a magazine 
  2. Participate in a running group: Still am excited to do this as soon as running groups are a thing again! 
  3. Purchase a set of personalized stationery 
  4. Plan a reunion with college friends for a UF football game – Adjusting to “Plan some type of virtual get-together with college friends (will be a bonus if it can be in-person)”
  5. Alternate a glass of water in between drinks when out: Working on it! 
  6. Use the 1 Second Everyday app to record more memories: Did this in January and found I didn’t LOVE the app, so I stopped using it. I didn’t like the pressure of capturing something every day. 
  7. Start using a meat thermometer: Been using my Dad’s and love using one!
  8. Host something at my apartment (brunch, dinner, happy hour, etc.) 
  9. Participate in a fantasy football league  
  10. Do a quarterly cleanout/decluttering of my apartment: Done for the first two quaraters!
  11. Read 20 books: Done! I’ve read 22 books so far this year. I’m still going to continue to read for the next six months, so trying to decide if I am brave enough to increase the goal to 50. 
  12. Take a trip with my mom… Adjusting to “Doing an activity with my mom (a course, a cooking class, etc.)”
  13. Find a dermatologist
  14. Replace my iPad case to have a working keyboard 
  15. Road trip to Notre Dame for a sporting event… Adjusting to a different goal of “Finish sprucing up my website.” 
  16. Run a 5k race… Adjusting to also accept a “virtual 5k” as an accomplishment for this one. 
  17. Donate either time or money to a cause I am passionate about 
  18. Get new bedding
  19. Master ONE recipe and declare it my “go-to dish”
  20. Write 52 Monday morning newsletters!

On My Monday Radar

Sometimes we just aren’t ready to jump into our Monday to-do list right away. In case you want some content to procrastinate with, here is a roundup of a few positive things on my radar:  

  • Austin Channing Brown’s book and interview. I got off the waitlist at the library for the e-version of Austin’s book last Friday and I was so immediately captivated that I was finished 48 hours later. And now I’m thinking about purchasing my own copy because I could see myself needing to read it again. Austin’s words are powerful and true and hard to read at times because of my own fragility. I’m so thankful to her for them. I think we could all benefit from reading her book, but if you want to first learn more about Austin and her work, I highly recommend starting with this podcast interview. Additionally, Austin also has an informative email newsletter focused on practicing antiracism and she hosts a free web series called The Next Question featuring powerful interviews with great guests. Can’t recommend all her resources enough!  
  • Cleo Wade’s prints are back in stock! I included Cleo’s beautiful words from her “Where To Begin” print in this newsletter. The print was out of stock at the time and I was so happy to see more copies available this weekend. Additionally, there is now another new print available that also has a powerful, simple message. Lastly, I love that portions of proceeds from both prints support great causes (Where to Begin supports Ibram X. Kendi’s Center for Antiracism Research and We are the Builders supports Lower Eastside Girls Club of NY).
  • My contribution to Father’s Day dinner last night. My dad’s request yesterday was that my brothers and I made something on the grill for dinner. It was a lot of fun! For my portion of the meal, I decided to make this Grilled Caesar Salad and it was incredibly easy… and delicious! Perfect addition to any summer dinner. 
  • My tool for power walking. A big adjustment for me during this time of staying at home has been moving less. For the past four years, I’ve lived in a city setting where walking was embedded into every part of my day. To make up for this, I’ve been trying to sneak in 20-30-minute walks each day. The time and length of the walk varies, but I love seizing the opportunity to be in nature, listen to my favorite podcasts and connect with friends over the phone. When I want to amp up the intensity a bit to a power walk, I will use my trusty interval app. I’ll set the interval for a couple rounds of a 5-minute walk followed by a 30-second sprint. The app is great because it gives me verbal cues through my headphones and over whatever I’m listening to, so that I don’t have to check my phone. It’s amazing how a few 30-second sprints can really increase your heart-rate and walking speed! 

That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. You’ve got this! 

Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan

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