For most of us, Monday is a series of groans followed by a lot of yawning and even some scowling. It's natural to react this way after a fun weekend, but every Monday doesn't have to be like this. I've started looking at every Monday as a fresh-start. You've got the entire week ahead of you and it's time to make it the most productive week ever. Here are some tips to make sure you take advantage of every moment -- you'll deserve that weekend even more than ever!
1. Make a to-do list.But wait until Monday morning. You might think making it Sunday night is more productive and proactive, but if you do it too late your mind will be swimming in an overwhelming sea and the precious sleep you need won't be very easy to achieve. Separate your list into work and personal to-dos and then prioritize. What needs to get done this week? What is the likelihood this will actually happen? Be realistic and ambitious at the same time.
2. Clean. A clean home will help you feel so much more organized. Even if you take just five minutes each night to actually put away your clothes and pick up anything on the floor, your mind will be less distracted. If you can, try and tackle a larger cleaning project at some point this week as well. You'll be so much happier in a cleaner environment.
3. Declutter. Since you're going to be cleaning, make it a point to declutter as well. Throw out those old magazines and see if there's anything you can donate. If you declutter more often you won't face such a large project once a year and you'll be able to find things easier in your home.
4. Grocery shop. There's nothing that makes me feel more unorganized than having no food in the house. Stock up on your staples and throw out anything that may have accumulated in the fridge or cupboard.
5. Cook for the week. Try and choose a couple awesome, healthy recipes and cook them all up Monday night. This way you'll have lunch and dinner for the rest of the week and can save time you would have otherwise spent cooking on other things. This will also save you money on dining out for lunch or late at night.
6. Make a schedule and try not to change it. Look at your calendar for the week on Monday morning and vow to stick with it. If you don't have dinner plans all week, don't make any. If someone tries to change that, include it in next week's plans so you can have more time to prepare around it. A little spontaneity isn't bad, but it can make your week less productive.
7. Choose your work outfits.This is a huge time saver, though I do admit it's very difficult. Look at the weather for the week and try and choose your work outfits for each day. This will save you tons of time from blankly staring at your closet in the morning when your brain is still asleep.
8. Be positive. Say no to negativity this week. If you've got a positive outlook on everything you'll accomplish, it'll be more likely to happen.
9. Smile.Ok, it probably won't make you more productive, but it'll make you feel better! And when you feel better, you'll be more motivated.
10. Schedule some me-time. Just because this is your most productive week ever, doesn't mean you can't have some time to yourself. Schedule an hour to catch up with the Kardashians and multi-task by also giving yourself a pedicure.
11. Wake up an hour earlier.You'd be amazed what you can accomplish with an extra hour in your day. Try it a couple times this week and see if it makes a difference. If it does, make it a part of your regular routine.
12. Learn to say no. If you don't want to have dinner with your college roommate this week, that's OK. Same goes for committing to that extra work project. It's OK to say no and be selfish sometimes.
13. Exercise. It will help clear your mind and you'll feel better about yourself. Maybe it's not time to sweat out hour long gym sessions, but everyone can fit in 20 minutes per day.
14. Say goodbye to TV. This doesn't have to be forever, but see what happens if you skip watching TV this week.
15. Outsource if you must. If you need to catch up on everything and your time is in seriously short supply, it may be worth it to consider hiring a cleaning lady or maybe even a freelancer to help with some of your work overload. Your time may be too valuable.
16. Change locations.If you work from home, try heading to the local coffee shop or the library instead. If you're in an office, sit in the conference room to do some work or even bring your laptop to the office couch. The change in scenery may be just what you need to amp up your focus and creativity.
17. Organize (and clean out) your inbox. When our email is a huge mess, it's hard to focus and find what we need. Vow to answer emails as soon as you read them and then prioritize them into appropriate folders.
18. Limit social media. If you love to get sucked into an hour-long Facebook stalking session, put limits on the time you spend there. Either cut it out completely this week or set a timer when you go on. Once your allotted time is up, you're done for the day.
19. Clean out your purse.This one is important for us ladies. Not only can your purse be full of germs it's also full of a lot of stuff you don't need. Get rid of the receipts, gum wrappers and crumbs at the bottom of your bag weekly.
20. Choose a reward.If you're having the most productive week of your life, you have to reward yourself! Treat yourself to your favorite food, schedule time with friends or lounge around. You deserve it!
How do you make sure you have a productive week?
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