If you are one of those people that wakes up on Monday morning, and says, “Awesome, it’s Monday,” you may want to stop reading right now. On the other hand, if you wake up on Mondays and don’t want to get out of bed, you might want to stick with me here. You may be riding the crazy train.
What do I mean by the crazy train? The crazy train is that place where you question what you are doing and why but you keep doing the same thing over and over again and can’t stop. The train is hurtling down the tracks and you can’t even identify the stations let alone figure out where your stop is. If you do manage to find your stop, you can’t seem to summon the courage to get off the train. It is madness. Not good.
Most of us work for a living. The work we do, whether that of an employee or entrepreneur, fills the bulk of our days, weeks, months, and years. How we feel about Monday morning seems to me to be an accurate way to gauge how we feel about our work and our lives. If you hate Mondays, not only may you hate your work, chances are you may also hate your life. It is Monday madness. Not good.
If you find yourself in this place, you need to stop riding the train blindly and hoping you will end up somewhere you want to go. You need to get off the crazy train. In order to end the madness, you are going to have to dive deep and look at your life. And it all starts with Monday. If you can get a handle on your Mondays, you have good chance of getting a handle on the rest of it.
What does Monday mean to you? For years, Monday meant the end of my personal freedom. A return to doing things I didn’t want to do. An infringement on my time. And I resented it. That resentment propelled me to make changes so that I could feel good about my work, which in turn, made me feel a whole lot better about my life. Pinpoint your feelings about Monday and see what story those feelings tell.
What words do you use to describe your Mondays? In my many careers, there have been times where I have been in the car on my way to work and from the outside, I looked totally normal; but, inside, I was screaming things like, “this is crazy, it’s too much, I can’t do this anymore, I hate my clients, I hate this work, I can’t face another Monday.” Language like this is a huge clue that you need to make a change of some sort. Maybe it is the type of work. Maybe the people. Maybe the company. Maybe the commute. Look at the words you are using to hone in on what the crux of the issue is for you.
What does your body have to say about it? If you aren’t listening to the words inside your head, you body may be saying a thing or two. That sick feeling in your stomach. The pain in your back. The headache that doesn’t seem to go away. I’ve had all of these things. In fact, at one point in my legal career, I had a crease in my forehead from furrowing my brow so much in response to stress. As soon as I quit the legal profession, that crease went away. Examine your aches and pains. See when they occur and discover the why – it could tell you volumes.
What are your Mondays telling you??? Talk to me.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Apparently I’m not riding the train. I woke up this morning, quickly aware it was Monday, and dove in! It’s all good…
And, as always, such sage advice. You’re a wise one, my friend.
Ronna recently posted..A Provocative Perspective on Fear
That’s because you are on the right track, my friend! You love what you are doing so Monday is just another day to do what you love. Fantastic!!!
My version of the train is the insanity loop, but except for the occasional short stint, I don’t get on that train very often. Like Ronna, I love what I do and actually look forward to Monday mornings.
Reminds me of one of my favourite quotes:
“The person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labour and their leisure, their mind and their body, their education and their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which.
They simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace in whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing. To them, they are always doing both.” – Zen Buddhism
Sandi recently posted..Burning Down the House
Exactly my point! Thank you for sharing this beautiful quote … what a wonderful state of affairs when our work and play are impossible to tell apart.
Hi Andrea–
Checking in after a busy first week back at work. Realized going home on Monday how happy I was to be getting back to my school. Can’t remember ever ever feeling like that before. I remember the years I literally stomped my feet in the car as I turned into the parking lot and sputtered “I hate this place. I hate this place.” You are so right. Especially like the wise advice to listen to your body. That’s what finally spoke loudly enough for me to hear.
When I wrote this post, I imagined that I would hear from more people who were unhappy with their Mondays. Instead, I have been pleasantly surprised to hear that people are feeling good. So fabulous! I’m glad things have shifted for you. It speaks volumes … don’t you think?