Monday, 1/6/20: Talking about a simple resolution, what I made for dinner last night and Little Women

Happy Monday!

It’s another 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 spent catching up with friends, the Little Women movie (more on this below!) and that the sun was out yesterday. 

TODAY: I am most excited to see my co-worker who sits next to me. We haven’t seen each other since before the holidays! We are both back in the office today and I can’t wait to catch up. 🙂  

INTENTION: My intention for this week is to think about how I want others to feel after interacting with me (more on this below). Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂 

Lesson of the Week: Your Energy Can Be Your Resolution 

First Monday of 2020! How are we feeling? For some of you, it may be the first day back to the regular routine. If needed, make sure you check out the tips shared last Monday aimed at overcoming the post-holiday blues. Hope they help. 🙂 

If you are reading this and feeling overwhelmed by the excess of “NEW YEAR, NEW YOU” messages or the pressure to define the perfect New Year’s resolution, I think today’s topic will resonate with you.   

Today, I wanted to write about a simple practice that could be adopted as a resolution, if you are looking for one. 

I hesitate to even use the label “resolution”. Don’t panic. This is not a resolution that requires you to spend money, cut out favorite foods or go to a specific workout. This is something you could easily do today. For free. With a little amount of effort. In fact, all that’s required is asking yourself a simple question.

What if this year you paid more attention to the energy you are sending to other people? 

This week, I came across the following quote:

You don’t have to move mountains. Simply fall in love with life. Be a tornado of happiness, gratitude and acceptance. You will change the world just by being a warm, kind-hearted human being. – Anita Krizzan 

I loved it because it reminded me how easy it is to have a positive impact on others. Every day we have the chance to control the energy we exude through our actions and words. But most of the time, there is too much going on and our to-do lists are too long. It’s easier – but not as fulfilling – to just operate on auto-pilot.

So what if this year we ditched those perfectly defined New Year’s resolutions and instead made 20 in 2020 lists and adopted the following simple practice. 

Imagine the impact we could have if we took a second to ask “how do I want the other person to feel after this” before walking into a meeting, eating dinner with a significant other or friend or taking kids through the bedtime routine. 

For example, picture if before you phoned your grandma, you took a moment to identify that you wanted her to feel loved and valued after the call. You might find that you give your undivided attention, ask more questions and talk less. My guess is not only does your grandma walk away feeling loved and valued, but you too walk away a bit happier and more fulfilled. 

If you are intrigued, why not try asking yourself this question throughout today? See if your energy changes and if your mood lifts. I think by focusing on how we want others to feel, we not only impact others, but also allow those feel-good feelings to boomerang back to us.

As one of favorite authors Gretchen Rubin says, “One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.”  

Don’t underestimate the power your small actions hold. And remember, you can change the world by simply being a warm, kind-hearted human being. 

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:  

• Little Women. You need to see this movie!! A few friends and I saw it on Saturday and all walked away inspired and agreeing that it was worth the money to see in theaters. The plot, the acting, the costumes. I loved all of it and I can’t wait to watch it again! 
• Becoming by Michelle Obama. I know I’m late on the Becoming bandwagon. But it doesn’t matter because I am here for it now. Like a lot of people, I look up to Michelle Obama. I look up to her because of her dedication to girls’ education and how she’s raising her daughters. I started reading her book (actually, listening to it because she narrates the audio version) because I wanted to learn more about her and hear her perspective. What I didn’t expect to gain is a story about the honest struggle to find your voice, passion and fulfillment. I’m not done with the book yet, but I already can’t recommend it enough. Loving it! 
• Podcast Episode with Ed Mylett. You may be inclined to have a certain impression of Lauryn Evarts/The Skinny Confidential Him and Her podcast from the surface. But as an avid listener, I enjoy listening to this podcast because I think the hosts (a husband and wife) are two very smart and strategic people. I love the mix of fun and personal development wisdom that the podcast provides. I listened to the episode with entrepreneur Ed Mylett on New Year’s Day and it was the perfect motivator. Ed packs a lot of wisdom into this episode and my favorite part was when he talked about cultivating self confidence.  
• Chicken Pesto Spaghetti Squash Recipe. Yum! I made this recipe yesterday last night for dinner and it’s the perfect meal for chilly January nights. Warm, comforting and healthy!
• In the Heights Movie Trailer. I saw this trailer while at the movies and I got so excited. An adaption of the Broadway musical/book with music from Lin-Manuel Miranda and the same director from Crazy Rich Asians? Sign me up!

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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