What Does Monday Have To Do With Personal Development?
No, I’m not going to go on about the “Monday Thing”. There’s plenty of emotion and writing about that already. Just one thing though. Years ago I worked for British Aerospace and really didn’t like Monday’s. The why not was simple. I spent my weekends as a cave rescue volunteer and going to work on a Monday was like an interference with what really mattered. That was before I truly learned the value of living in the present moment and the things I needed to do to become successful. Today is a different story.
Before I tell you about that, I thought I would mention hashtag MondayMotivation on Twitter. This is a great place to discover some inspiration and motivation and if you make a few motivational posts of your own it will pick up some new followers. Tweets of course need to be short and to the point. If you want engagement, they need a graphic too.
One of the things I don’t like about some Tweets is that they use a great graphic containing a superb motivational quote and in the text area, they simply repeat the quote. How about that great graphic with your own take on the quote? It’s a great way to get engagement and that’s what we should aim for with Twitter. Once people get to know you, they become more receptive to other Tweets you make and even Re-Tweet them to their followers. Of course, it takes time to build a network and Tweet something every day but once you perfect the craft, you can get it done in half an hour each day. It costs your time in return for some great networking and free publicity.
Why Is Today A Different Story?
Well, simply put, I got rid of the Monday Blues and started looking at every day as an opportunity to do something toward my success. Thanks to my own motivation and inspiration from others I’ve formed a routine of daily actions.
Watch out though, these are not in order of priority. Except the first one!
Start Early
There is no doubt that I achieve my best work early in the day so I always start between 07:30 and 08:00. This gets things in motion and sets me up for the day ahead.
Physical Fitness
This makes a difference and relives stress created by outside sources. I ride my mountain bike 
and ski when there’s snow on the mountains. Research shows that physical exercise three days each week is ideal. I exceed that and I get to enjoy the beauty of nature at the same time. My gym is the natural world.
Meditation
No, I’m not talking about Zen Buddhism or any of the other disciplines associated with meditation. I’ve studied a lot and practiced many forms of meditation and now have my own way. Ten-minutes twice everyday (morning and evening) is all it takes to keep me on purpose. Believe it or not, I can also meditate on my skis or mountain bike.
Reading
Of course I read things that help directly with my business. I need to be up-to-date. I also read a lot of other stuff too. Novels, magazine articles, children’s stories with my kids, interesting blogs. . . Great for learning, imagination and creativity.
Working On My Own Personal Development
Writing this post right now is working at my PD. I know I will learn something or pick up a few important reminders as I write. Reading blogs and responding to things at Wealthy Affiliate is another PD plus as is reading the work of some of the great motivators. I spend at least 20-minutes on PD every day.
No Distractions
If I need to concentrate without interruption, I silence the phones and notifications. I use music breaks during the day but never listen to music with lyrics when I’m working. There’s still plenty to choose from and the right music has a wonderful way of pushing me forward.
Quiet Time
Everyday starts with a block of this when I sit and plan out the day and carry over anything that couldn’t be finished yesterday. It’s not a detailed session, the goal is to get things down and then add the title and detail to my Google calendar. Just enough info to get started, no more.
Check Messages
I’m pretty ruthless when I do this. If an email is even vaguely spam, not relevant, or interesting, it gets a “trash it” rule. If a message needs a response it gets one even if I’m only saying “thanks, I will deal with this later”. I never get drawn into the writers world unless it’s appropriate that I do. I make all the decisions, I’m not led by what’s in my inbox, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. I could be there all day.
Be Sociable
I say bonjour to everybody (I live in France) I meet and ask them how they’re doing. It gets me out of my own head. We all know that working from home has its challenges and this is a great way to stay in touch with the rest of the world in real-time. I often start my mountain bike rides with a slow ride around the village and I always go for a coffee when I’m in town. It’s a great way to connect.
Down To Work
Working through my routine of daily actions at various times during the workday contributes to my success and motivation. I could simply discard all of that and just do it as things pop up while I’m creating content for my business. The downside to that is it gets mixed up and blurred. Some things can easily be forgotten too. Discipline is a key factor in any success formula.
What’s on your routine?
Please don’t hesitate to leave comments and questions below. You will get a prompt response.
Have an awesome week