Monday, 6/21/21: Talking about a mid-year check-in on my 21 in 2021 list and recent books read

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 time with some of my best friends, showing people around Chicago, and for sunny, warm weather. 

TODAY: I am most excited to get my nails done today. Perfect Monday pick-me-up. 🙂 

INTENTION: This week my intention is to stay calm and focused with whatever may come up at work this week.   

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

Meaningful Musings: 21 in 2021 List Updates

Can you believe we are already halfway through 2021?! I don’t know about you, but to me, it feels like this year is flying by. When I realized it was time to do a mid-year check-in on my 21 in 2021 list, I couldn’t believe it. 

At the start of 2021, I forewent making New Year’s resolutions for the second year in a row and instead made a bucket list of 21 things I want to do in 2021. I made a list with 20 things last year and found the experience to be really enjoyable! 

Around this time last year, I did a mid-year check-in on that 20 in 2020 list because, like all of us, 2020 turned out to be much different than how I was imagining it would be. So, I used being halfway through the year as a needed opportunity to revise my list accordingly.

And while we are *thankfully* not dealing with the exact same circumstances as last year, I decided I still wanted to do a mid-year check-in this year too. I liked the intention of taking a beat to revisit plans I had for the year and adjusting. Things, feelings and circumstances naturally ebb and flow, so something that was a goal or a priority at the beginning of the year may not feel as important now, and that’s fine!  

Even though it feels like 2021 is zooming by, there is still a lot of time left to enjoy what matters most to each of us. But in order to do that, we need to first spend time thinking about what actually are the things that matter most to us right now. So today, I’m sharing my 21 in 2021 check-in today in case it piques your interest or prompts you to reflect on how you want to spend your time in the second half of this year. Here’s the hoping the second half of this year is filled with fun, memorable times for all!  

21 in 2021 List:

1. Listen to The Daily most weekday mornings I started doing this, and while I like the podcast, I don’t think I need it to be part of my everyday routine. My intention with this one is to be more in tune with what’s happening, so maybe I need to try another source. Does anyone have a daily newsletter or news podcast they love?  
2. Buy a light that attaches to my laptop for better lighting in video calls Done!
3. Decide on a note-taking method for nonfiction books Done! To keep it simple I started transcribing my notes into one Google Doc. No fancy organization, although I did add a Table of Contents so that I can remember which books I have notes for.
4. Write in my new one-line-a-day journal most nights Still love doing this 🙂
5. Write 12 monthly recaps to remember little things that happened Recaps from Jan-May are done, and June is coming in two weeks!
6. Organize photos from college to now This is a good reminder that I need to do this… 
7. Read 50 books Feels like it’s been SUCH a good year of reading. I’m currently at 26 books read for the year (right on track!) and my favorites include: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Happier at Home, Think Again and Drop the Ball for nonfiction and People We Meet on Vacation, Homegoing and Midnight Library for fiction. 
8. Read for 21 minutes every day Love that this is now part of my routine. Think I’ve only missed a few days!
9. Go the whole year without mindlessly scrolling social media before bed (see above) Similarly, love that this is just part of my routine. Of course, there are some days I still find myself scrolling before bed, but yay that it’s no longer automatic.
10. Help plan a unique celebration of life event for my grandma Happening in a few weeks! Can’t wait. 
11.  Purchase art for apartment Done!
12. Weekly phone call with a friend or family member I’ve realized a call feels daunting to me for some reason, which makes me likely to put this off. So instead of not reaching out altogether, I’m adjusting this one to proactively text a friend or family member each week. 
13. Say “yes” as much as possible when asked to do something by someone for the first time Going well! 
14. Make a meaningful donation to two different organizations Need to get on this. 
15. Join a running group Ugh. I’m currently dealing with a running inquiry (womp womp), but I’m hopeful I’ll feel better soon so keeping it on the list. 
16. Plan a virtual get-together or trip with friends or family members each quarter So far so good!
17. Go on a solo adventure monthly I love doing things solo, so I feel like I’ve done this, but I don’t have record of it. Going to start adding to my monthly recaps. 
18. Purchase a meaningful piece of jewelry Done!
19. Start a new monthly series for the newsletter Lighter & Brighter series!
20. Get a facial and learn more about my skin from an esthetician Have an appointment scheduled for July. 
21. Master baking a dessert and declare it my “go-to” dessert dish Need to get on this! Anyone have a favorite recipe? 

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:  

• Five phrases to repeat to yourself today. I saw this Instagram post last week and thought it was so lovely. 🙂 All of them would make for great intentions for the start of the week. Which one do you need most today? 
• This book was just a delight to read! People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry is a best friends-to-lovers romance following a pair of unlikely best friends (Poppy and Alex) on their annual summer vacation over the past 10 years. I’ve been seeing people talk about this book everywhere, so I worried a bit about it living up to my expectations, but happy to report it didn’t disappoint! In my opinion, it’s a perfect summer read.  
• Also loved this book all about “embracing what matters, ditching what doesn’t and getting stuff done.” I’ve been on the waitlist at the library for a while for this one! The book, The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi outlines 13 Lazy Genius principles that help you create your own system based on what matters to you. Kendra’s tagline is that she wants to help you be “a genius about the things that matter and lazy about what doesn’t.” I love books like this, and Kendra’s writing made me laugh, while also inspiring me to think about the systems and routines I have set up in my life right now.  
• Enjoyed this article about 10 micro-habits that will make you feel more organized. Speaking of systems, routines and intentions for the week, this article has a lot of good ones. I love the idea of micro habits, because they feel less daunting or overwhelming. 
• Have any ways to make home decorating/“home-care” lighter and brighter? Last chance to submit anonymous tips, tricks or favorite resources on home maintenance, home decorating or general home management. Next week is the last Monday of the month, so I’ll be sharing the crowdsourced responses as a follow up to the thoughts shared in May. If you are so inclined to share, feel free to submit anonymously here. Can’t wait to hear from you!

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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