Well, it’s Sunday evening and I can almost hear a collective groan coming in from all over the world. It’s like one unified voice saying, “The weekend can’t be over. I hate Mondays and I’m not ready to start a new work week.” I hear you.
What if there was something you could do to help you start your Monday off on a really positive note, would you like that? Sure. It’s always better to be “up” and ready to go, instead of dragging around with a feeling of dread. So, with that in mind, here are a few things that I highly recommend.
Before we get started, I want you to take out a pen and a piece of paper. Now, make a list of everything you love about your home, your job and your life in general. You’ll see why as we progress.
- Get plenty of sleep on Sunday night. Too often, we try to squeeze every last second out of our weekend by staying up later than we should on Sunday night. It’s hard to be enthusiastic when you want to be asleep. So, let’s give ourselves a fighting chance by hitting the sack at a reasonable hour. Besides, you’ll need to do this step in order to do steps two and three. After all, I’m about to add thirty minutes to your morning routine.
- Plan on fifteen minutes of devotional time. Yes, this means you’ll probably have to get up early, but I warned you about that above, right? This is your time. Use it wisely. I recommend you read a Biblical devotional or, if that’s not your thing, find a book of inspirational quotations that you enjoy. The point is to clear your mind of the things you dread, about the day, and set it in a positive direction.
- Have a fifteen minute, “one person revival meeting.” In my book, “Walking With My Savior,” I talk about these singular praise sessions. To do this, you simply find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed; the bathroom always works for me (but that’s not a great idea if you have a large household and only one bathroom). Once you’re in a secluded place, start to pray. Don’t ask our Heavenly Father for anything. Just praise Him and thank Him for all of the things you love about your life (this is from the list you made earlier). When you do this, do it with all of your heart and soul; really get into it! Sing a hymn if you like. ”How Great Thou Art” works really well here. It is not possible to praise God for fifteen minutes without your spirit being lifted. An alternate way of doing this, if prayer isn’t comfortable for you, is to look in the mirror and recite “I love…” and list each item on your list. Regardless if you do this as a prayer or simply an acknowledgement of gratitude, it’s imperative that you put your heart into it.
Gratitude is one of the greatest emotions you can have. When you concentrate on what you have (and you are very blessed), instead of what you lack, you will be amazed at how your outlook improves.
Now, you may be thinking that this will make you “feel silly.” Well, that’s why you go into a private place. No one else has to be concerned with it. Of course, this will work if your family wants to do this with you.
Here’s a bonus tip. Sometimes my wife, Cindy, and I opt to spend our devotional time doing what we call “kitty devotionals.” That’s where we spend a few minutes cuddling our cats. There is something very calming and affirming in spending quality time with the “furry children.”
I know that these tips may seem a bit strange, but I promise you that they work for me and they work for many others to whom I have recommended them. I believe that they will work for you as well.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could learn to love the weekdays like we do the weekends? Life is short, we should enjoy each day.
Be blessed,
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