You know back in the day, I was like the majority of people. I absolutely dreaded Mondays. It only confirmed that the weekend was over & that there was work to do. No more sleeping in. No more brunches. No more sporadic visits from friends & family “just because it was the weekend.”

And because sleeping in is an absolute luxury (especially with a toddler), I use to hit the snooze button 3 or 4 times to maximize the amount of sleep I could get while still giving myself enough time to get to work late enough where I wouldn’t be reprimanded. (I always knew just how far I could cross the line.)

I’d call my mom or sister during the commute, reminiscing about how great the weekend was & how awesome it would be if I just had “one more day.” The conversation would eventually take a hard left where bitching about our work situations would ensue right before having to get off the phone to face what we all just “hated so much.”

But I’ve changed. A LOT. And you know what? Now, I actually LOVE Mondays. And I have figured out what it takes to win Monday.

Mondays are the starting blocks of the week & when to focus on running the rest of the week. Run the week, you guys. Don’t let it run you.

[bctt tweet=”Run the week, don’t let it run you.” http://bit.ly/2rzRNJr” username=”themattiejames”]

Not only do I plan on running the week, thanks to cheerfully embracing Monday, I strategically plan on WINNING it.

If you hate Mondays, here are 3 ways not to & how to WIN your week.

PLAN ON SUNDAYS
I like to take at least 30 minutes on Sunday evening to outline the things I absolutely MUST do for the following week. Sundays are my OFF day to the world. I focus on God (go to church), my home (go grocery shopping) and my family (fun, quality). This is also the one day a week when I actually am able to take a nap. But because I’m barely on social media on Sunday and my mind is clear and heart is full after church, I can outline what I’d like to get done throughout the week.

I try to keep to 10 items or less (2 items each weekday) to ensure that I actually hit my goals. This is a great time to go over schedules for everyone at home (Hubs and I have a weekly family meeting to line our schedules up) – doctor’s appointments, family occasions, church events, classes, content planning, meal planning, etc. – and confirm what day certain things will be completed. If you decide to meal plan, late Sunday afternoons are perfect to prep all of your food. You’d be amazed how much you can get done in 2 uninterrupted hours. Pinterest has great how to content for meal planning. I typically go to my For Dinner This Week board then grocery shop & meal plan accordingly.

To make sure I don’t miss anyone, Sunday nights are also when I list out who I want to pray for, email + call during the week.

READ: How To Start Getting More Sleep At Night

GET OUT THE STARTING BLOCKS STRONG
Instead of hitting the snooze button several times, attack the day by getting up and being grateful to have another Monday. Even if it’s hard, when your alarm goes off, GET UP. Get up, get yourself a glass of water and listen or read to something that’ll get you excited.

For me, my mornings start with me getting up having to turn my alarm off. (I keep my phone far enough so I have to get up. It’s the best way to wake up.) Then I use the bathroom, make some coffee and read my go to devotionals. That usually takes me about 20-30 minutes. I then pray and journal.

READ: 5 Ways To Become A Morning Person In A Week

At this point, I’m just about an hour into my morning, before Hubs and Maizah wake up and I’m so spiritually and emotionally full, I am equipped to take on the day. If no one’s up by then I consume some content I love to set the theme for my day – a book, a podcast or some gospel music are what I usually turn to.

Anytime I listen to Myleik‘s or Pat‘s podcast, I get fired up and want to tackle the day head on. Listen to your favorite podcast or read your favorite blog to get you going and excited to give 100% for your day.

[bctt tweet=”Attack the day by getting up and being grateful.” http://bit.ly/2rzRNJr ” username=”themattiejames”]

DON’T COMPLAIN, COMPLETE
It’s so easy to head to work – be it to your 9 to 5, part time retail gig or even for your own online business – and dread dealing with people, clients, customers, readers or even your business partner. But before you walk in the office or open your laptop, visualize your day being victorious. Yes, it sounds cliche and silly, but stop and take 5 minutes out to actually manifest your day. Visualize yourself being productive and pleased with your progress. See yourself dealing with a really hard task smoothly and effortlessly. Those visions go a LONG way. After you visualize, go in with the attitude that you will complete everything without complaining and then DO IT.

[bctt tweet=”Don’t complain, complete.” http://bit.ly/2rzRNJr ” username=”themattiejames”]

Make that customer happy by fulfilling their request easily, complete a task before your manager asks & make that call you’re dreading early on. Complaining takes a lot of energy. So, does completing. The payoff is greater for the latter.

READ: 3 Ways To Avoid Burnout In Your Business

Take this same visualization exercise and apply it every day of the week. Every time you want to complain, stop yourself, take a few deep breaths and visualize winning. Those 2 minutes will give you peace of mind and recharge you to put energy into executing instead of excuses.

[bctt tweet=”Put energy into executing instead of excuses.” http://bit.ly/2rzRNJr” username=”themattiejames”]

Some Mondays are going to be harder than others. But trust me when I say we all wish that our weekends were longer. But if you’re willing to prepare ahead of time, change your mindset and manifest even your small wins, Mondays will no longer be something you dread. They’ll be something you win.