Megan's Monday Motivation
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Monday, 10/4/21: Talking about notes from September and cute Chicago merch

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 that my mom and dad visited in Chicago (!), for a long walk with my mom on Saturday and that I went to my first Bears game!

TODAY: Today, I am most excited to have breakfast with my parents before they leave. 

INTENTION: My intention this week is to go slow (lol). After a couple of weeks of traveling and visitors, I am excited for a “normal” week and just want to revel in that. 

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

Meaningful Musings: Notes from September 

Happy first Monday of October!

Wow, can’t believe we are already into the last three months of the year. I also can’t believe it’s been officially a year since I started writing these quick, informal recaps at the end of each month (here’s September 2020’s recap – throwback!).

This simple ritual has quickly become on of my favorite ways to mark the time. At the end of each month, I scroll through the photos on my phone, reference my calendar and jot down a quick list of 10 things I want to remember. Looking back on these lists really helps me remember all the little things that happen over the span of a month.

Sharing my list from September below in case you are interested in trying the activity out for yourself!  

September’s 10 Things:

  1. I love this white dress that I bought in September. It is pretty summery, but I made sure to get some wear out of it last month and will be excited to pull it out the next time I visit family in always-warm Florida!
  2. I had a handful of four-day workweeks/three-day weekends in September, and I have to say, even though it is stressful to fit the same amount of work into fewer days, it is so nice to have that extra weekend day… campaigning for the four-day workweek over here.
  3. Speaking of work, I can’t believe it’s already been a month since I started my new role. It’s been an exciting transition, but I have to admit, I really missed being able to tell my grandma about it. I know that I’ll feel that way about other big changes in the future too.
  4. Like I mentioned last week, I was off social media for most of September… and I did not miss the social networks as much as I thought. Being off social won’t be a permanent thing for me, but I am thinking about how I want to approach my social media activity/intake moving forward. It really opened my eyes to how much time I can spend on social media without even realizing. Once I got used to not automatically clicking on the apps during any free moment, I noticed a difference particularly in my focus and perception of time, which are two things I often feel like I don’t have enough of… 
  5. One thing I started doing while I was off social was looking through old pictures on my computer just for fun. It amazes how many memories come back to you when you look at a photo! 
  6. I also experienced “memory unlocks” last month when I visited my alma mater’s campus. It had been five years since I’d been in Gainesville or on UF’s campus and it was truly a surreal experience. I kept remembering very specific memories as I passed certain buildings or parts of campus, and I wish I would’ve had even more time to explore.
  7. In addition to visiting UF, I also got to walk around Notre Dame’s campus in South Bend when my friends and I went for the ND vs. Purdue game! I’ve been to Notre Dame once before, but it was when it was really cold, so it was fun to see the campus in a different season.
  8. We got from Chicago to South Bend by taking something called the “Irish Express,” which is essentially a party bus that buses you to and from and includes a tailgate near campus. An amazing operation in my book!! 
  9. A very random tip, but one I can’t stop sharing… did you know coffee filters can help you get a streak-free shine when cleaning mirrors? I do not remember where I heard this tip, but it works brilliantly! Just spray some Windex, wipe with a disposable coffee filter, and you are good to go!
  10. As part of my Fall Fun List, I started designating Sundays as “cheeseboard nights” to have a fun activity to wrap the weekend and eliminate a decision (don’t need to figure out what’s for dinner on Sunday). I’m loving it! But need to know…  what is your must-have item on a charcuterie board?

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:  

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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