??Ready to own your Mondays? Implement these 5 Simple steps!

Hi! Welcome to your Career Growth Hack Newsletter! Your weekly tips on HOW and create the career that YOU want!

How often do you start your week thinking, “THIS IS GOING TO BE MY WEEK, I FREAKIN' GOT THIS!”?

You kick off your Monday feeling energized after a great weekend. You sit down at your desk, ready to nail this week. But by the end of the day, you’re EXHAUSTED. Running from one meeting to another, adding new tasks to your to-do list, and yep... you said YES again to that new project.

On your way home, you already feel tired and wonder: “HOW AM I GOING TO SURVIVE THIS WEEK?”

Do you know this feeling? Exhausted before the week REALLY started? No worries... you are not the only one. And even better... WE are going to turn this around. Here is HOW!

5 Simple steps to own YOUR Monday

#1 Create working blocks; Nothing is worse than starting your Mondays with back-to-back meetings. Okay, there is one more thing that is even more annoying... 45-minute meeting - 30-minute break - 45-minute meeting. During the breaks, you can do nothing, as the break is over before the next one starts. Another 30 minutes wasted. Why does this keep happening? Because YOU don't respect your time, and if you don’t respect it, others will not either. From now on: block out two dedicated working blocks - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. My working blocks? I block 9-11 AM and 1-2:30PM. During these hours, I focus on my own priorities.

#2 Choose your TOP 3 priorities; At the end of Friday or on Monday morning, define your top 3 priorities for the day. Not the priorities of your manager, peers, or team—YOUR top 3 priorities and what needs to be done before you go home today. Write them on a Post-it and stick it to your laptop. In front of you, so you can't avoid them.

#3 Your hardest priority first; You always have that ONE priority that you don't like—the one that seems the hardest, the toughest, the biggest. The task that you dread the most. Always start with this one. Getting it done first will free up mental space, and as you finish it, you will realize that you are ready for any other task that day.

#4 Pause or say NO; New ideas, projects, and requests will flood in on Mondays. Hold off, pause, and don't say YES to anything new. Let your colleagues know you need to review your current priorities first and how the new request fits in. This gives you the chance to assess the request against your workload and respond with either a commitment or an honest no.

#5 Create your OWN routine; Not only for Monday but for your week or your month. Create and design a routine that supports your goals—a routine that aligns with your family life and activities. There is no one-size-fits-all with routines. Your time, your routine!

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And do you have tips for a better Monday mindset? Share your thoughts in the comments!