Why do we dread Sunday night so much?
I read a study once that said that the saddest hour of the week for Americans was Sunday at noon.
Why?
That's the first time you sense Monday coming.
Saturday is carefree and easy. Saturday is a weekend day. Sunday feels like pre-Monday.
It's the reason that bars across the country hold drink specials on Sunday nights to chase away the "Sunday Scaries."
Have you ever dreaded Monday? I have. For years I felt stuck. The clock seemed to speed up on the weekend, driving me closer to a job I didn't want to go to.
The most common goals Americans tend to have are as follows:
- Lose weight/get in shape
- Write a book
- Start a business
- Get a new job/make more money
Those are all great goals. Maybe you've secretly carried one or all of them around for years. The problem is that goals are hard. In fact, according to a University of Scranton study, 92% of New Year's Resolutions fail.
So on Sunday night, even as we promise ourselves that we'll do something about this terrible sense of dread, we usually don't. More than 90% of people will just go to bed and repeat the same week they had last week all over again.
I couldn't accept that, but I knew the challenge was bigger than me. That's why I commissioned a research study with a PhD at a university near me. I wanted to figure out why some people succeeded at their goals and others didn't. I wanted real research, real data and real science that I could use to help people.
We studied nearly 900 people for six months as they worked on goals. People like you who were working on goals like the ones you have.
What we found was surprising and became the basis for my new book, "Finish, Give Yourself the Gift of Done."
It turns out, you don't have to dread Sunday. It turns out it's not impossible to finish our goals. It turns out it can actually be fun.
If you're reading this right now, I want to show you how to completely change Sunday. And Monday and Tuesday and, well, you get the idea.
It's time to fix how we feel about Sunday.
It's time to take back Monday.
It's time to Finish.
To grab a copy of the book, click here.
Storyteller and artist who makes a living helping organizations build better bosses.
7 年I lived that life for 15 years in the Navy. The worst part is that no matter what, you could not quit that job!
Inspiring, enthusiastic professor of business communication, talent management, strategy, and leadership courses as a full-time educator at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Puebla
7 年In my first job following college, I used to call this scenario slipping into Monday mode. I was wasting more than half of my weekend time. I would find this to happen, though much less severe, when it was time to make a job / career change. Thankfully, in university teaching, I have found renewed vigor and passion, which is not to say I do not welcome new challenges and opportunities for growth. I really enjoyed Do Over, and very much look forward to reading your latest book over the winter break.
In Memory of My Dad ??| Future Nurse ??| Writer ??
7 年We dread it if we dislike the job we're going to the next day. If we're not passionate, engaged or fulfilled, Mondays are hopeless.