15 Things Successful People Do On Monday Mornings

Monday mornings are the most critical time of the workweek — they set the stage for the day and week ahead. Most successful people are keenly aware of the typical Monday-morning workplace dynamic of unanticipated events, overflow of communications, and general chaos, yet they must realize they must gain control and stay upbeat.

Here are 15 things successful people do on Monday mornings:

They wake up early and exercise. This gets your circulation going and helps you stay alert, putting you at an advantage for a productive week ahead. 

They eat a healthy breakfast. On Monday morning, you want to handle everything you have control over. Eating breakfast is one of those things. 

They arrive early. Do not succumb to the snooze button. Plus, getting in earlier than others will help make Monday morning seem more like the afternoon because you’ll have had a chance to breathe before responding to the barrage of people and issues.

They clear their desk and desktop. Hopefully you already did this before you left on Friday. But if you didn’t, get this out of the way, or you might add to Monday stresses in a sea of disorganization. Organize and prioritize your files. Put aside unimportant paperwork and keep critical files easily accessible. You want to be prepared when you, your boss, or colleagues need something at the last minute.

They carve out time for unexpected projects and tasks. Successful individuals expect the unexpected on Monday. Your boss, team members, or staff may have remembered some loose ends over the weekend, so you’re wise to build in some extra down time on Monday morning.

They greet their team and boss. This is important to do first thing every morning to keep morale high, but on Monday it’s particularly valuable, as your team needs a special boost. Ideally, you’ll spend an few extra minutes with your colleagues on Monday mornings. It reinforces a sense of purpose and community for everyone, including you.

They update their to-do list and goals. Get yourself current on priorities and tasks. Then set five to eight goals for the week.

They visualize the week’s successes. By envisioning the positive outcomes of various projects at hand, you can work backward and determine the necessary steps to get your desired results.

They screen emails for urgent requests. You can sink into email oblivion if you don’t scan your inbox for urgency. Star emails that are priorities and think quality, not quantity.

They tackle the tough challenges first. The least desirable but critical projects are easy to put off, but your energy is stronger in the morning, so that’s the ideal time to confront the most difficult assignments.

They make an extra effort to smile. It might be the last thing on your mind, but overcompensating for the pressure cooker morning will help you get through it. You may well stand out in the crowd, but your smile will likely be contagious, helping both you and team members relax.

They add a “blanket of humanity” to their emails. It’s tempting to power through all your emails in the most efficient way on Monday mornings. But before you hit send, read them over to ensure that they’re friendly and clear. One way to do this: Start the email by saying “Hi” and “I hope you had a great weekend.”

They’re able to say no. On Monday mornings there will be many distractions — from people, to emails, to calls, meetings, offers for meeting in the break room, and so forth, successful people can diplomatically and politely say no to colleagues by offering to engage at a later time.

If your boss needs you, that is clearly an exception. However, if you have crucial calls to make or meetings to attend, give your boss the heads-up. It’s stressful to be a people pleaser, particularly on Monday mornings. Generally, no one ends up being pleased, as you can’t do your best work with conflicting priorities.

They stay focused. Successful people don’t dwell on any challenging events that occurred over the weekend, or other frivolous thoughts. Compartmentalize by putting them in a separate ‘box’ as you start your week.

They remember that there is Tuesday. In all the chaos it’s easy to believe that the world will cave if you don’t solve all Monday’s problems on Monday. But when the dust settles at the end of the day, you may realize that certain tasks could have waited. Sometimes you obtain more information over time that enhances your decision-making. Or you may find that certain problems you’re pondering will resolve themselves.

Monday morning can challenge even the most industrious, successful business leaders. But if you compensate for all the anticipated distraction and intensity by remembering to focus, plan, and stay calm, you won’t relive Monday all over again on Tuesday.

Photo via hip gallery.