Monday, 2/8/21: Talking about a January recap, Amanda Gorman and dreams

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 spending time with my mom and her friends, being able to watch the Super Bowl with my family yesterday and a delicious lunch on Sunday. 

TODAY: Today I’m most excited about using the new custom coffee cup my mom got me!! It says “Megan” on one side and “Monday Motivation” on the other. 🙂 

INTENTION: My intention for this week is to get in the habit of looking at my calendar in advance, so I can better ensure I have everything I need for the many meetings happening the next couple of days. 

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

Lesson of the Week: January’s 10 Notes

A goal on my 21 in 2021 List is to “write 12 monthly recaps.” I started doing this at the end of last year and loved it! My plan is that at the end of the month, I’ll flip through my phone’s camera roll and reference the calendar to jog my memory. Then, I’ll jot down a quick list of 10 things that stood out to me and by the end of the year, I’ll have 12 monthly notes to help me better remember all the little things that happen. 

Sharing my list below in hopes that you might decide you want to make your own to catalog your January. If you do, I would love to hear about it! 

January’s 10 Notes: 

1. I read SIX books in January (which I think is a monthly record for me!). My favorite fiction book from the month was They Wish They Were Us (gave a full review last week) and for nonfiction, Happier at Home. 
2. I started listening to the Bridgerton soundtrack while I worked and it brought me so much joy. One of my favorite parts of Netflix’s Bridgerton show was the soundtrack. I thought the idea of orchestra covers for 21st-century songs by artists like Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish was so innovative and charming. And it just so happens it also makes for the perfect background music for when you really need to focus.   
3. A friend spontaneously sent me a book she thought I would like in the mail and it made my entire week. Such a good reminder that the smallest acts can mean a lot. 
4. I am loving Cleo Wade’s guided Heart Talk journal. The journal features 52 prompts and I’ve gotten in the routine of writing in it weekly. I like doing it on Sunday evenings to reflect before the new week begins.
5. Looking back at my photos from January, I laughed at the multiple low-quality photos I snapped of the inauguration while watching it on the TV (anyone else?!). It wasn’t really necessary since there are so many high-quality photos easily accessible online, but I’m glad I can remember my experience of watching it. 
6. Unless it’s my monthly “on-call” rotation for work, I’ve either turned my phone on Do Not Disturb or turned off notifications on the weekends. With working from home, work can feel omnipresent and by the time Friday night rolls around, I find myself craving a break from constant pings and reasons to pick up my phone. 
7. Speaking of being plugged in, I’m proud of myself for keeping up with the “stop scrolling social media in bed at night” resolution from my 21 in 2021 List. Last year, I got into the habit of mindless scrolling before bed, but so far in 2021, I haven’t done it once! Instead of reaching for my phone, I find myself reaching for a book or a journal or… wait for it…  just going to bed (groundbreaking idea, right?).
8. Also on my 21 in 2021 List is a monthly adventure and last month, I had the opportunity to be in an outdoor park by myself with a few hours to kill. I got a coffee, strolled around and read my book. My definition of bliss! 
9. I was able to safely see some friends last month that I hadn’t seen since 2019 and it was a surreal experience. It made me so, so hopeful that more of that togetherness is in our future. There are so many people and places I miss.
10. While living at home all last month, I kept feeling anxious about needing to decide when I was going back to Chicago. As soon as I sat down with a calendar, selected a date and bought a plane ticket, I instantly felt a sense of relief. Making the decision wasn’t fun, but I found that having that “end date” in the back of mind makes me even more grateful for and intentional with my time left at home.

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:  

• So excited that Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem will be printed as a special commemorative book (with a foreword by Oprah!). One of my favorite parts of the inauguration was listening to Amanda’s poem. I was so captivated by her grace and presence, and I was so excited to hear her read again last night at the Super Bowl! I also loved this interview between her and Michelle Obama and this New York Times article about the meaning behind her headband at the inauguration.
• Lori Gottlieb’s Maybe You Should Talk to Someone was everything I thought it would be and more. Because I’ve seen positive press about this book everywhere for the past couple of years, I approached reading it with a nervous anticipation that I may have too high of expectations. Well, happy to report that after reading, any expectations I had were surpassed and my only regret is that I didn’t read this book sooner! It’s very clear that Lori is an extremely gifted writer, which made it easy to not want to put the book down. I also didn’t expect it to be so funny? Made me laugh, made me cry and made me think… a lot. Loved it. 
• Enjoyed this article on the power of dreams. I love the articles author and designer Ingrid Fetell Lee publishes on her website, The Aesthetics of Joy, and I recently read this one on the power of dreams. As Ingrid writes, “Our culture puts a lot of weight on goals and plans, but dreams are often an afterthought.” I know that, especially this time of year, I can get really bogged down on focusing on tactical resolutions and goals, but this article makes me want to be more intentional about setting aside time for just dreaming. 
• Have any anonymous tips to share for cultivating a happier Monday? If you are so inclined to share, all this month I’ll be collecting tips, tricks and feedback on how you pursue a lighter Monday as part of the first installment of the Lighter & Brighter series. All information collected will be shared in the newsletter on the last Monday of this month. Can’t wait! 

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

Want to receive a note like this to your inbox every Monday at 6 AM EST? Sign up here! If you don’t receive the email, please check your spam or junk folder. 

Have feedback, thoughts or a question you want addressed in an upcoming newsletter? Drop an anonymous note to my mailbox here!