Monday, 11/7/22: Talking about an October recap
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: I’m thankful for time with my mom (she was in town visiting me!), a fun Saturday night dinner with family friends and beautiful weather for a Sunday walk yesterday.
TODAY: I’m most excited for my run outside this morning.
INTENTION: My intention this week is to wake up early and do one activity (read, journal, workout, etc.) before I start work.
Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂
Meaningful Musings: October Recap
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
― L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
October! Always a magical month.
As one of the items on my 22 in 2022 list, I’m writing a quick recap at the end of each month with 10 things to remember.
I had a really fun time reflecting back on what happened last month, so if you are looking for an activity to pep up your Monday, give this a try. Scroll through your photos or reference your calendar from the past couple weeks and make a quick list of memories and ordinary moments. A lot can happen in four weeks!
Hope you have a great Monday. 🙂
October’s 10 Things
- October started off with a bang – on October 1, my friends and I celebrated what we called “Falliday.” Falliday consisted of doing all the fun fall activities in a day. I’m talking apple picking, pumpkin patching, leaf pepping. It was so fun! A huge highlight of the month for sure.
- On Falliday, I also made this pumpkin bread recipe. LOVE this recipe! It’s incredibly easy to follow (no mixer required) and your kitchen smells wonderful while the bread bakes. One of my new favorite baking recipes.
- I’ve had my eye on this ottoman for a while and it went on sale in October! I purchased it and, can confirm, I love it. I’m using it as a footrest for one of my couches and it’s my new favorite reading nook.
- Speaking of reading, I read two books I really liked in October: The Paris Apartment was an easy-to-read thriller and Happier Hour was exactly the type of nonfiction book I needed right now. I would recommend both (depending on what you’re looking for!).
- My friend Leah stayed with me for a few days in October and it was so nice to have her here in Chicago. It was a work week, but it was fun to go to a workout class in the morning, walk after work and catch up over a few long dinners. Felt like we lived in the same city for a few days! So great.
- I also traveled home to Orlando and stayed a weekend in Gainesville, reuniting with a big group of college friends for a weekend. SO MUCH FUN! We went to the UF vs. LSU football game. Florida lost, but the weekend was so fun that it still was a win in my book (although I wish I could extend that win to UF’s record ;)).
- Speaking of traveling, I finally purchased a toiletry travel bag and filled it with travel-sized products. It makes packing SO much easier and is one of those things that makes me wonder, why didn’t I do this sooner?
- For work I attended a fancy event in October where I got to hear Martin Scorsese speak. That was really cool!! He is so fascinating that I could’ve listened to him for hours.
- I started going into the office more regularly in October and quickly realized some more work clothes for cold weather months. I’m only going into the office one or two days a week, so I don’t need a lot, but want to get some kind of capsule wardrobe together.
- I live in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago and it is so magical this time of year. Loved walking around the neighborhood and seeing many of the brownstones decorated for Halloween. So festive!
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:
- How to get mood lighting at home. The best part about Daylight Savings Time? An extra hour to sleep. 🙂 The worst part? The sun setting SO early. Inspired by this article to intentionally think about how to bring more light into my apartment, hopefully minimizing the impact the early sunset has on me. I’m waiting for these flameless candles to come in the mail and can’t wait to play around with them.
- Recently bought this smocked velvet dress when it was on sale and love it for the upcoming holiday season! Give me allll the velvet this time of year. This one is very comfortable and flattering and comes in a few different colors. I also wish so badly that this version wasn’t sold out in almost all sizes in black! Love the look.
- If you love the Instagram @LizandMollie, check out their new page-a-day calendar for 2023! So cute!! @LizandMollie always post the most relatable illustrations on their page, so I can imagine the calendar is filled with a lot of “I really needed that” moments. Would make for a great desk accessory next year!
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