Monday, 7/3/23: Talking about being halfway through 2023

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 no traveling (so nice to just be home!), time to relax and enjoying starting this book (as with most Elin Hilderbrand books, I’m hooked a few pages in!). 

TODAY: I’m off work today (a nice surprise – initially we were just going to have the afternoon off!), so I’m most excited to enjoy my open time and do some home décor shopping. 

INTENTION: My intention this week is to intentionally do one “summertime” activity each day. 

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

Meaningful Musings: Mid-Year Check-In 

Did you know that yesterday (July 2) marked the halfway point of 2023?

July 2 is the 183rd day of the year; 182 days remain until the end of the year.

I’d love to know what you think: does being halfway through 2023 feel right to you? Some years by July, I can’t believe six months have flown by; some years it feels like I’ve lived more than six months (the year 2020 comes to mind).

This year I’m somewhere in the middle. When I think about everything that’s happened since January, six months feels like the right amount of time. But where I’m struggling is not having a handle on what the next six months look like. When 2023 started, I put a lot of thought into January – now. And I had to with things like trips, weddings, an apartment move, on the horizon. But I don’t have the same handle on July – December (with the exception of the month of September). Crossing the halfway point of the year is a good catalyst to consider the upcoming months and my plans.

One of my favorite activities to do another this time of year is to check in on my 23 in 2023 list, or the list of 23 things I want to do this year. I’ve done these mid-year check-ins for the past couple of year (like in 2022 and 2021). It’s always a good opportunity to remind myself of aims for this year and/or adjust the list as needed (plans change!).

During some of the holiday time early this week maybe you want to check in on your 23 in 2023 list, make a new list for the second half of the year, or just reflect on what matters most for these next couple of months. Sharing my check-in below in case it helps.

23 in 2023 List: Mid-Year Check-In

1. Send New Year’s cards! Done!
2. Get my eyes checked Did this too, yay!
3. Read 40 books I’ve read 28 books so far this year, so am track for this aim. My favorite books read this year (so far) include Marriage Portrait, Free Time and Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl. 
4. Try Corepower Yoga Trying my first class next week!
5. Get espresso cups to use with my Nespresso Forgot about this 
6. Visit EUROPE for the first time!! IT’S HAPPENING! Going to Ireland in September
7. Limit the amount of time I spend mindlessly on my phone I think, generally, I’ve limited the amount of time, but hoping my intention of a screen-free summer (where possible) helps
8. Add something new to the newsletter Picture of the week!
9. Visit my company’s NYC office Haven’t done this… maybe in October?
10. Save for Christmas shopping in advance YES! Have an automatic deposit set up so I don’t even have to think about it. One of those “why haven’t I always done this??” things
11. Go on a trip with Matt! Yes! We went to Charleston in February and had a great time.
12. Run my first half marathon (!!) Registered for one on September 24 – EEK!
13. Call family members at least once a week Generally been doing this, but good to remind for myself
14. Invest in buying a new iPad or personal computer Prioritizing different things. Don’t think this is going to happen this year.
15. Visit San Antonio to meet my friend’s baby I have met the baby but haven’t made it to San Antonio. Would like to!
16. Start wearing a mouth guard at night I did the impressions kit with an online service called Remi but still waiting for my mouth guard – will be a relief once this is part of my routine!
17. Hit a personal savings goal Working on it!
18. Make a list of 100 dreams Completely forgot about this one. Will complete by end of year!
19. Find a good card game for two players My friends were talking about Monopoly Deal, so Matt and I recently got it and tried it out. It’s fun!
20. Go to the Northwestern-Penn State game with my parents! Happening in September 
21. Track the clothes I wear to figure out cost-per-wear Haha, I did this for the month of January and stopped. At first, I found it fascinating but then lost interest.
22. Participate in the packing of brown bag lunches with Old St. Pat’s at least once Need to do.
23. Try doing a weekly “Schultz hour” Have done this here and there but not consistently – would like it (an hour with no distractions) to become part of my routine

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:  

• Among the disheartening news this week (ahem, Supreme Court decisions from ending race-conscious admissions policies to limiting LGBTQ+ protections), I find myself coming back to NPR’s Up First. Listening to Up First has been part of my routine for a while, but especially when I can’t quite make sense of the news for myself, I appreciate their brief, to-the-point, non-bias reporting. Sharing in case anyone else is looking for something like that.
• I got the idea of a 23 in 2023 list from Gretchen Rubin, so this week, I enjoyed listening to her and her sister review the progress on their lists on her podcast this week.
• Another podcast episode I listened to recently and loved: Cassie Holmes (author of the book Happier Hour) on the Free Time podcast. Great conversation!
• “In 7 Great Cities, 7 Great Walks.” The New York Times asked writers around the world for their suggestions for the best city walks. Fun article to peruse, and to bookmark in case I ever visit any of these places   

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