I get it. It’s Friday. You have SURVIVED another week. You’ve either crushed your week or it has crushed you. You can either reflect back in an effort to be better prepared for the next week or you can slide into the weekend and recover from your beating.
I’m a biblical person so I’ve always thought of the weekend as the final few days of the week. Even God rested on the 7th day (side note: my electronic calendars are all set to Monday being the first day and Sunday being the 7th). So many of us close the books on Friday.
The few that take the time to reflect, often still skip the weekend and put off any failures until Monday. We’ve all said “I’ll start on Monday” in regards to the missed workouts, the missed healthy nutrition, the missed sleep, etc etc etc.
The biggest problem with that is that Monday is quite possibly the most powerful day of the week. It often packs the biggest punch. Perhaps the reason that many “catch a case of the Mondays” is because this day is unapologetic. It is a steam roller that will roll over your whole week if you don’t have it on the right path.
So if Monday is one of the hardest days, then why would you compound that by having many other important things “Start on Monday”?
Here are three things to consider if you find your yourself waiting on Monday…
1. Traction is important
2. Preparation is the key to execution
3. Don’t dig a bigger hole
Let’s break these down a little more.
Traction is IMPORTANT: If you are waiting until Monday then you are likely counting on the super power of motivation. That’s a bad idea! Motivation is a bright burning fuel source like gasoline. It may burn bright, but it often explodes and is gone in a moment if it doesn’t have more fuel. Instead of waiting, try to get some traction over the weekend to carry into the new week. If you are planning on going to the gym three times next week, then use the weekend to take a walk, do some bodyweight exercises and stretches. Get up early on Sunday if you are planning on working out early. Momentum is easier to keep than it is to start it up from a standstill. These small tasks build the momentum of DISCIPLINE and give you better traction going into the week.
Preparation is the key to EXECUTION: When it comes to physical combat, the more prepared combatant is most often the victor. We’ve already discussed how relying on motivation can be a poor source of fuel. Good preparation makes the upcoming work less of a burden. Having your tools ready and a battle plan laid out will help you limit the rabbit holes that you can disappear into. The beginning steps are the most fragile so make sure you have your armor already on. So find your gym key fob, clean out your musty gym bag, print-off your workouts, post on social media about starting on Monday so that friends may join, etc. The best way to avoid being steam rolled by Monday is to already have the start line behind you.
Don’t dig a bigger HOLE: The final faux pax can doom you before you even begin. Most people see their upcoming fresh start on Monday as the beginning of a life of restriction. They tend to focus more on what they are giving up instead of what they are gaining. As a result, they have given themselves permission for one last hurrah of abuse before they have to get on track. This usually involves eating all the junk food, drinking excessively, staying up late, and binge watching an entire season of their favorite TV show on Netflix. Another way to put this, instead of walking up to the start line of Monday by being prepared, they run in the opposite direction since they are afraid of the start line. That’s like an MMA fighter partying all night and consuming all the calories before weigh in which means that they will have to work even harder to cut the weight. And if they do, they will likely be so exhausted from the start that they really don’t have a chance to win. So take the weekend and do a junk food detox, try to get to bed early, and take a pass on alcohol so that you are your best version come Monday.
When it comes to starting new routines, especially healthy ones, you are an underdog. Our society stacks the deck against us. It is easier to be unhealthy. Like all underdogs, if it is important to you then you will make the sacrifices today in order to win tomorrow. Underdogs can’t get by if they stack the deck against them even more. They can’t win if they don’t show up ready to go. They try to get every advantage possible since they know that they will need every trick they can to win.
But like an underdog, your success can be that much sweeter when you prevail. So if you are planning on “starting Monday” then address these three key points now. If you do the work RIGHT NOW, then you too have a chance to survive Monday. And if you survive Monday, then Tuesday gets a little bit easier 🙂
As you process this and start to take advantage of these tips, cue up the classic song Eye of the Tiger and get ready to WIN ON MONDAY!!!
