Monday, 11/30/20: Talking about approaching December and a book recommendation
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 Thanksgiving weekend, I am thankful for the virtual Zoom bar crawl/trivia night my uncle planned (so fun!), the walk my mom and I went on on Friday and the book I was captivated by (linked below!).
TODAY: Today I am most excited about having the time saved and blocked on my calendar to focus on a few work projects.
INTENTION: My intention this week is to decide on my December ritual (more below!).
Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂
Lesson of the Week: The December You Need
When I first started my job, a mentor gave me a piece of advice and best practice to keep in mind when working with clients.
“The only time people are truly upset is when they are surprised.”
On countless occasions, this simple phrase has helped me avoid situations that otherwise could have been very tricky. It’s embolden me to do things like recommend pivoting to an Option B when Option A isn’t working out as planned and be realistic and data-driven instead of naively optimistic when setting program goals and expectations.
Said another way, in the words of the wonderful Brené Brown, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”
Over the weekend, I was reminded of this tidbit of wisdom when I read an insightful New York Times article titled Pandemic-Proof Your Habits. The article, written by Journalist Kate Murphy, focuses on people longing for their old routines during this time.
If you have the time this morning, I recommend reading the entirety of Kate’s article, but to summarize, here are a few of the passages that stood out to me:
“First, a little background on why we are such creatures of habit. Psychologists, anthropologists, neuroscientists and neurobiologists have written countless books and research papers on the topic but it all boils down to this: Human beings are prediction machines.
‘Our brains are statistical organs that are built simply to predict what will happen next,’ said Karl Friston, a professor of neuroscience at University College London. In other words, we have evolved to minimize surprise.
…So-called prediction errors (like finding salmon instead of turkey on your plate on Thanksgiving) send us into a tizzy because our brains interpret them as a potential threat.
…Our brains are literally overburdened with all the uncertainty caused by the pandemic… Things we had already figured out and relegated to the brain’s autopilot function — going to work, visiting the gym, taking the kids to school, meeting friends for dinner, grocery shopping — now require serious thought and risk analysis. As a result, we have less bandwidth available for higher order thinking: recognizing subtleties, resolving contradictions, developing creative ideas and even finding joy and meaning in life.
…The truth is that you cannot control what happens in life. But you can create a routine that gives your life a predictable rhythm and secure mooring. This frees your brain to develop perspective so you’re better able to take life’s surprises in stride.”
As I read this article, I realized that the piece of advice I received at work can apply just as well in personal settings. It’s human nature that we do not like to be surprised. It’s human nature to be upset when things don’t meet our expectations.
With the month of December beginning tomorrow, I’m focusing some time today on thinking about the expectations I have for the holiday season and the rest of 2020 in general. On a macro level, I’ve of course grasped that this December will be quite different than previous years. But, inspired by Kate’s article, I’m also challenging myself to consider if there are any “pandemic-proof” routines that I could add to my day-to-day for this last month of 2020. In anticipation of those surprises that are bound to happen in these exceptional circumstances, is there anything simple I can realistically add to foster that sense of merriment, community, joy, etc. that’s synonymous with the month of December?
For example, maybe I’ll make a list of 31 people and then reach out to one person each day in December. Maybe I’ll make it a ritual to watch a Christmas movie or walk around my neighborhood and look at lights on Wednesday nights. Maybe I’ll create a festive ambiance around my workstation and keep the area organized and joyful for this next month.
Whatever it is, I recognize this isn’t the December we expected, imagined or even wanted. But my hope is that we can all find ways to make these next 31 days the month we need to close out 2020.
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:
- Read this book last week and it was SO good (& heartbreaking at times!). Oh, this book will be one of my favorites from 2020 because I’ve never read any book like it before! The book is about a young woman (Hannah) whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame. In alternating chapters, you see two possible scenarios unfold with stunningly different results. It was thought-provoking, smart and emotional at times. This author, who also wrote The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (loved) and Daisy Jones & The Six (many friends raved about), is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
- Roundup of 10 anticipated novels to read this winter. Continuing with the book theme today: I enjoyed this roundup of anticipated novels that are debuting next month. Specifically, This Time Next Year and One of the Good Ones were the two that caught my eye. And, I always love seeing what is on the New York Times Book Review’s Best Books of 2020 (yay Vanishing Half is on the list!).
- Do you have a personal policy? I enjoyed listening to this podcast episode of Happier with Gretchen Rubin and hearing about people’s different personal policies. It’s an interesting idea!
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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