People often dread Mondays because the day reminds them of everything about their life they wish would change, but never does. I, however, look at Mondays in an entirely different way. I look at them as a chance for you to wipe the slate clean and decide that this day will be the start to a great week, which will be a start to a great month, which will be the start to a great year, which will be a start to a great life.
I've had several people tell me that these messages have helped them do just that. I've had people who've spent years going through the motions who all of a sudden have breakthroughs. They report back telling me they've made all sorts of changes -- finally starting their business, getting in shape, changing habits, and overall moving their life in the right direction.
You can always reinvent yourself. Always.
There is no rule that says you're unable to change just because you've spent a ton of time being the same. It just feels that way. Your character traits, skills, talents, flaws are all changeable. Yes, some might be more difficult to change than others, but you can change them nonetheless. The patterns of beliefs you have right now are nothing more than the product of your interpretation of your experiences. Nothing is set in stone except for what you decide is set in stone. So, if you want to change your life, it's as simple as first deciding things will be different and then taking action to back those decisions.
What are you going to do this week to be different? Here are a couple of ideas.
Change your attitude and demeanour for the week
Decide that this week you're just going to walk around in an entirely different mood. You're going to be upbeat and energetic. You're going to walk through the world with your head held high, chest back, standing up straight. Regardless of what you do for a living right now, you're going to do it as well as possible no matter what.
You're not going to complain. Seriously, try to avoid any complaining this week, including the thoughts in your head. Don't allow yourself to engage in any form of self-pity. Try to look on the bright side of everything that happens this week. If you feel like you have to pretend, then pretend. There is power in faking it until you make it.
Try to think of what a new and improved you would behave like and try to emulate those characteristics. Often, these behaviours will be the opposite of what you're accustomed to. If you're shy, try to speak up a bit this week. If you lack discipline and organization, try to be more meticulous. If you procrastinate a ton, write down the things you are avoiding and do them.
Make one step toward your goals this week
Take some sort of action that's going to shake up your pattern and move you in the direction of your goals. I have a lot of aspiring writers who follow me. For you, try putting an article out there this week. If you have a business idea, make a step toward turning it into reality, even if that means you don't do anything more than research. But be proactive and do something that moves the needle.
If you've been meaning to hit the gym but haven't, go today. Not tomorrow, Wednesday, or Thursday, but today. Hell, you can hit 20 pushups right now. Throw out the junk food in your house and commit to eating clean for the day. Go for a walk. Something. Anything.
Once you've made a step toward your goal today, celebrate it. You could even go so far as to make a mark on your calendar signaling achievement. Then, if you do it tomorrow, you can make another mark. If you do this for a whole week, you'll have a string of wins that you won't want to break and you'll be well on your journey.
Keep telling yourself this message all week
I can still remember the first week of my own personal transformation. It started with me standing up in the middle of my room and yelling out loud "I'm not going to live like this anymore!" Actually, there were some curse words in that sentence, but I'll spare you from having to read them. That entire week, I just got it in my mind that this time was different. I was done living the same way. And I literally never stopped improving myself from that point on.
Mind you, this was after years of going the wrong way. Years of procrastination. Years of wishing and wondering without doing anything. But all it took was a firm decision and a bit of momentum to get the ball rolling. It can happen for you, too.
All week, continue to do everything you can to convince yourself that this time will be different. And see what happens. Be different. And see what happens.
Also read: 25 Monday Motivation Quotes to Get You Up and Running
