Monday, 12/4/23: Talking about planning for December

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 fun times with friends, how my apartment feels decorated for Christmas and time to relax. 

TODAY: I’m doing an early morning planning/get organized session this morning, and I’m excited for it. 

INTENTION: My intention this week is to do one festive thing a day.

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

Meaningful Musings: Planning for December 2023

I love December. I love the anticipation build up to the holidays and the way the season can transform ordinary moments into something special. A Sunday afternoon reading on the couch is better with the Christmas tree on and coffee in a festive mug. A routine work commute involves passing beautiful light displays. Regular errands are accompanied by the backdrop of festive music.

But December is also a month that can easily feel overwhelming. Especially now, I’m thankful for my ritual of monthly planning sessions, where I take a moment to reflect on the month ahead, what I have coming up, and how I’d like to spend my time. It’s almost been a full year of writing these monthly intentions, and I’ve really enjoyed the exercise!

If you are looking for a Monday morning activity, giving this a try. Refill your favorite holiday mug and ask yourself the following.

What do I love about the month of December?

• The obvious… Christmas and the festivity of the holiday season!  
• I love being in Chicago during the holidays. Christmastime in the city is magical.
• I also love being home for the holidays, especially the week between Christmas and New Year’s where things get quiet, and I get reflective about the year ahead.

What’s unique about this December?

• I’ll be in Chicago for the first half of December and then home in Florida for the last two weeks.
• Still celebrating and so excited about Matt’s and my big news. 

December 2023 Intentions

• Re-listen to Calm Christmas and Happy New Year. I listened to this book last year and loved it. It has a great message of defining what is most special to you about the holidays and helps you reflect on going about the season in a calm, but meaningful, way. Highly recommend listening to the book vs. reading it as the author has such a calm voice (and English accent!).
• Keep a list of a festive activity/day. I’ve done this for a few years now to get ahead of feeling like the holiday season has zoomed by without enough time to enjoy my favorite activities. Doing one festive thing a day – and keeping a list of them all – helps me stretch this wonderful time a bit. Some of the festive activities are big ones, like going to see the big tree downtown or a holiday dinner with friends, but most of them are small, everyday things like watching a Christmas movie or going on a walk to look at holiday decorations.
• Reflect on 2023, look forward to 2024. There is a lot to celebrate from this year and some things I want to adjust for next year. I love setting intentions for the new year and need to start thinking about Jan 1 because it is on a MONDAY this year!

What are you looking forward to this month? Wishing you a very happy December!

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:  

• One of my other favorite things to do in December is to read festive books. I’ve been managing my calendar holds and have an exciting (and probably wonderfully cheesy) lineup of holiday books including Meet Me Under the Milestone, All I Want for Christmas and Christmas Orphans Club. 
• Speaking of books… the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2023. Love reading lists like this to get inspiration for what I want to read next year!
• Easy holiday entertaining. All about simplifying when it comes to entertaining, especially this time of year. 
• I recently ordered this festive coat and I’m eagerly awaiting for it to arrive. I think it would be so fun to wear around the city this time of year!!

Picture of the Week

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