Mondays. Some people love them, most people hate them.

Years ago, I decided that instead of dreading Monday’s it might be a best for me to find ways to start liking them a little bit more. After all, we get a new one every single week and we simply have no choice in the matter!

Today, I want to share a few thoughts with you on how to shift your thinking about Mondays so that you may at some point actually begin to look forward to them instead of dreading them!

So here are a few things I do before the new week starts. I begin by making a list of the things I know I need to get done in the coming week. I’ll do this on Sunday so that I’ve got a plan of action in hand when it’s time to start the work day on Monday.

Next, I will do everything in my power to empty my e-mail inbox so that I don’t begin a new week with last week’s e-mail clogging up my inbox and fighting for my attention. If there are things I need to take care of, I’ll move those things to my to-do list and delete the e-mail message.

Now comes the fun! I open up a new page and simply make a list of the things I need to get done and put them under the day when I feel the most confident that I’ll be able to get to them.

So my to-do list is actually a 7-day list, broken out by day.

The final step here is to give each item in my list a priority. You know that whatever you make a priority in your life is what gets done, so prioritze your list.

The things that are at the top of my list will get handled first, as as the day unfolds, I’ll get to the items that are less of a priority. Those that don’t get my attention are simply bumped to a new day (and not necessarily the next day).

So back to Monday. Most people start the week a little confused about what to focus on first. They may have an inbox full of junk from weeks and weeks of items they have not cleaned out of their inbox. They may not have a clear idea of what they want or need to accomplish, so Mondays are more chaotic than they need to be.

I know, I used to run my life this way. A little organization has gone a long way towards helping me get more done each week, and has also reduced my stress in the process!

So why do I love Mondays?

It’s the start of something great: my next week!

I typically use Mondays as the day to work with my clients, to start a new project, or to set the pace for the week ahead.

Having a good Monday always seems to translate into having a better week for me.

So start on Sunday and plan to make your Mondays Magnificent!

Be outstanding!