Monday, 2/6/23: Talking about notes from January and Super Bowl snacks

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 a very slow, restful weekend, time with Matt and it finally being warm enough for an outside run on Sunday. 

TODAY: Today, I’m most excited to take a walk outside around lunchtime. 

INTENTION: My intention this week is to write down three things that are going well at the end of the day. 

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

Meaningful Musings: Notes from January

Excited to continue writing “monthly recaps” in 2023 to remember the little things that happen over the course of a month. 

I love taking a moment to scroll through my photos and reference my calendar to think about what I enjoyed, learned and want to remember from the month that just passed. A lot can happen in the span of four weeks! 

Here’s what I’m remembering from January 2023: 

First, a check-in on January aspirations… 

• No-shop-January. DID IT! I’ve done something like this – going a whole month without buying clothes or shoes – for the past couple of years, and I love it. A Dry January in terms of shopping, if you would :). I love quelling some spending habits after the fun of the holidays and reminding myself of how much I already have… it makes me feel lighter! It’s amazing how much less tempted I am to shop when I unsubscribe from those marketing emails and limit my time on social media. Plus, winter is admittedly the easiest season for me to stick to something like this.
  • Looking ahead, I want to carry an element of this no-shop-January forward to limit my shopping purchases overall. I’m toying around with the idea of a clothing rental service – like Nuuly – to experience the fun of having something new to year, but in a way that’s more sustainable and economical. Eager to hear if any of you have tried a clothing rental service and would recommend it! Would love to hear what you think. 
• Get outside every day. Did this too, even when it was really, really cold. Some days getting outside = only being outside for 5 minutes max. But I was always glad to get that fresh air. Necessary to be intentional with something like this in winter. 
• Clean out my apartment. Didn’t get to this, but I’m planning to in February! 

And some other notes from January…

• I played pickleball for the first time in January! When Matt and I were in Florida, my mom and her friend took us to play. I know SO many people love pickleball right now, however, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it. I ended up loving it!!! So fun. I hope to play in Chicago when the weather gets warmer. 
• In January I developed two new obsessions: this Lake Pajamas robe and using a Hatch Restore alarm clock (both received very generously as gifts – so thankful!).Both investments, but wow, do I love these items.I never knew I could treasure a robe as much as I do this one (I have the white with navy piping), but I’m not kidding when I say it is what gets me out of bed in the morning. And speaking of getting out of bed, the Hatch alarm clock is definitely worth the hype, in my opinion. With the Hatch, I’ve now curated a wind-down, sleep and wake up routine – fancy! I wind-down with 30 minutes of warm light and relaxing music for reading, fall asleep to pink noise and then wake up to a ‘sunrise’ and the sound of chimes (sooo much better than my phone alarm). What a dream!! Pun intended. But seriously – I know that even if nothing else goes right in my day, I’m at least starting and ending in a relaxing, slow way.
• I also downloaded a new-to-me Google Chrome extension, Momentum in January. Now, my new tab page is replaced with a personal dashboard that is motivating, organized, and pleasant to look at. Whenever I open a Chrome browser, I see a beautiful image and personalized greeting. I’m also able to customize it with a “main focus for the day” and keep track of other things. 
• I made this soup twice in the past month. It is really easy to make and really delicious – a winning combo! I also love how many vegetables are in it. The second time I made it, I subbed the gnocchi for the cheese tortellini from Trader Joe’s and liked it even better! 
• January is always a great reading month for me (not much else to do in this weather!), and this year was no exception. I read/listened to The Happiness Project*, Nora Goes Off Script**, Ask Again, Yes*, Free Time**, It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work and I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Asterisks are next to the books I’d recommend, but favorites of the month were definitely Nora Goes Off Script and Free Time – so good!

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:  

• I love reading articles like this –  a columnist’s attempt to be more positive. Biggest takeaway: there’s an online writing assistant called Grammarly that not only checks spelling and grammar in emails and shared documents, but also provides suggestions for how to put a spin on some common negative statements. The columnist includes a list of the ‘tone-rewrite suggestions’ at the end of the article, and I want to print these out to display on my desk!! Loved the reframes! 
• I found myself nodding along to this mention of the “second winter” just getting started here in Chicago. Liked the tips that were included as well! 
• Rediscovering the joy of play: yes! Especially enjoyed reading the different “play personalities” – a good reminder that one person’s fun can be another person’s boredom. 
• Influenced by this review, I am very intrigued by the makeup brand Jones Road Beauty, from makeup artist Bobbi Brown. I’m drawn to the simplicity of products and application (makeup application is not a skill of mine) and the overall no makeup-makeup look. Let me know if you’ve tried! 
• What I’m making for the Super Bowl on Sunday (minus the blue cheese crumbles). My mom always makes this for watching sporting events, and my brothers and I love it. Hope I can do her justice! 

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