Monday, 8/14/23: Talking about three things I’m loving right now

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 some beautiful sunny weather, my amazing NAP on Saturday and feeling good during my long run yesterday. 

TODAY: Today I’m most excited to chat on the phone with two of my best friends!

INTENTION: My intention this week is to read some of this book every day. 

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

Meaningful Musings: Three Things I’m Loving Right Now

Keeping it simple and easy this morning and sharing three things I’m loving right now.
 
On both the external and internal fronts, I can feel seasons starting to change. Now that we’re in mid-August, the feeling of summer is starting to wind down (nooo!). And on the personal front, a season of planning, packing, moving, & traveling to and from friends’ summer weddings has also come to a close.
 
As the dust settles around me and I, too, settle into a steadier rhythm, there are a few things I’ve been relying on:
 
One: Simple recipes.
 
So excited to be eating at home more these days and wanted to share some of the recipes Matt and I have been loving. When it comes to food, we are both creatures of habit and can eat the same things week after week. I love it from the planning perspective, but I also think the rotation is a testament to the recipes. All of the below are incredibly easy to make, and also delicious! 
 
For lunch, it’s usually either these chicken meatballs or shredded crockpot BBQ chicken. Both can be prepped in advance and are great over salads. 
 
For dinner, my personal favorites lately include:

• Salmon & steamed broccoli. So many ways to make salmon, but my favorite is to simply spray with olive oil and sprinkle Old Bay seasoning all over the fillet. Roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 11-12 minutes. Take out of the oven, cover in foil and let sit for two more minutes. Perfect every time! (Thanks, dad for this one )
• Chicken sausage veggie skillet. Best made with Trader Joe’s chicken sausages!
• Honey mustard chicken and brussels sprouts. So good and so easy. 
• Taco cornbread casserole. Most weeks I’ll make a simpler taco salad for dinner, but sometimes we’ll jazz things up and make this casserole. Yummm.

Is there anything better than a good recipe recommendation? Let me know your go-to’s!

Two: Reading from a reading list.

Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. Reading consistently also seems to improve other areas of my life too. I’m less likely to scroll mindlessly on my phone. I’m less likely to ruminate on little things. I’m more likely to have an open and expanded mindset. 

But I think there’s a common misconception with reading: when I sit down to read, I don’t always FEEL like reading (well, at least at first). For me, it’s similar to running. I don’t always want to go on my run in the morning. But once I’m out there and a mile in, I’m always happy I did.

To cultivate an enjoyable reading life, it’s about finding the times of the day you like to read (for me that’s morning and at night) and finding books you like to read. Then, you simply show up! I usually tell myself just to read two pages. If I’m still not feeling it a few pages in, I stop. But usually, I get right back into whatever is happening and feel that enjoyment from taking time to read.

During the busyness of this season, I was surprised by how much I was still reading (reading is usually one of the first things to go when I feel tight on time). I realized making a reading list for myself at the start of summer was incredibly helpful in prompting me to keep up my habit. Limiting decisions – I simply consulted my list when it was time for the next book – helped to remove friction and keep me motivated (plus, a list also helps with strategizing around library holds!).

Because of this list, I’ve read some GREAT books this summer. Here are my favorites:  

• Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl: Story of Estée Lauder and her fictional friend Gloria Downing in 1940s New York City. If you enjoyed the book City of Girls (one of my favorite books), you will love this! 
• The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post: Similar genre to Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl, but this one about Marjorie Post (heiress to C.W. Post’s Cereal Company, which later became General Foods empire). Wow! Incredible storytelling and reminded me a bit of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
• Five-Star Weekend: Could read anything Elin Hilderbrand writes, but the food and decor descriptions in this book at next level. Easy summer read! 
• Happy Place: I also could read anything by Emily Henry but think this book might be my favorites of her! I loved how it focused not just on a romance, but also about evolving adult friendships.

 I’ll definitely be making a reading list for the fall. Have you read any great books recently? 

Three: A solo “calendaring” date.
 
In July, I realized I was feeling a bit unsettled because I didn’t have a handle on what the next six months of the year would look like. When the year started, I put a lot of intentional thought into January through June. And while I knew of plans coming up for the rest of the year, I couldn’t put it all together in my mind.

I decided I needed to have a little “calendaring” session. 

So, a few weeks ago, I took myself out for a glass of wine and an appetizer at a nearby spot (why not make it fun?). With me, I brought my laptop, printed blank monthly calendars for August-December, and a notebook. I added everything I knew of to the calendars, made a list of questions and to-dos (to-dos for this month and the months to follow), and triaged as needed.

I genuinely had a great time and walked away feeling much calmer and more aware of what was coming up. I might even start doing these solo check-ins with myself quarterly!

 
As usual, nothing groundbreaking and revolutionary this morning, but just three simple things that I’m loving right now and that are helping me enjoy the ordinary days more.
 
Tell me: is there anything simple you’re loving at this end of this summer?

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:  

• Panicking about the end of summer? Just me? Why not make a very low-key summer checklist to complete over these next couple weeks.
• I’ve been seeing the book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity everywhere – has anyone read it? Listened to this podcast on my long run yesterday and am interested in his message.
• Speaking of books, I finished The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane this weekend. I loved her book Ask Again, Yes, but this one just did not do it for me! It was a character-driven book about the small, significant moments in life, which sounds right up my alley (hello The Dutch House, one of my favorite books), but some of the somewhat bizarre tangential storylines dulled this one for me. Curious if anyone else feels the same way!
• I love a good reframe.

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