Motivation Monday: 10 Quotes to Awaken Your Inner Beyonce
We're out here making Monday our B.
Oh Bey. You brought all your lady-boss power to the Super Bowl and Coachella, and since someone once reminded us that we have just as many hours in the day as you, we're kicking off the week with ten quotes to keep us motivated and feeling good. (And shoutout to that all female drum line. #ladyboss.)
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8 Ways to Motivate Your Monday, Sunday Night
When we see potential, we just gotta see it through.
So many of us experience Monday blues comes Sunday night. But taking small steps Sunday night to prep for the week can make all the difference.
We're not saying you'll love going back into the office first thing Monday, but you might have a different feeling about your week by hump day.
Plan your meals.
This is a simple step to saving time during the week. Food preparation allows for easy grab-and-go lunches that are healthy. They save you money (which, saves on stress) and, according to the World Health Organization, with the right ingredients you can boost your brain power by 20%. And who doesn’t need an extra brain boost? Dark leafy greens, salmon, and nuts all boost cognitive function. Plus you won’t waste 30 minutes trying to decide what to Postmates to your desk.
Fill in your calendar.
Filling in your calendar frees up a lot of space in your head. If you start Monday AM knowing exactly what you have to tackle, you can jump right in, instead of spending the morning trying to get organized. Moreover when we handle tedious tasks during down time, instead of during a stressful morning, we’re less likely to make errors.
Draft emails.
OK. While this may feel like “working” on Sunday, spending 30 minutes to an hour to draft important emails you want to go out Monday morning can help you sleep soundly on Sunday night. If you find that you toss and turn all night because you’re stressed thinking about Monday morning, this small step that feels like work, ends up working for your sleep habits.
And a good night sleep should be top priority on Sunday.
Write a Monday to-do list, broken down by hour.
This is a trick that very busy people use. You don’t have to plan the whole week— in fact working just one day in advance has shown to make workers more productive. Chart your Monday by the hour, and as each 60 minutes passes, check it off. The momentum of productivity (i.e. crossing something off a list) has a very positive effect on your work and how you feel about the work.
For example:
- 9am. Answer emails
- 10am. Meeting with team
- 11 am. Come up with creative ideas for Thursday pitch
- 12n. Draft interview questions for X
Declutter your space.
Change your sheets, make the bed, organize your mail. Studies show that clutter undermines your productivity, so don’t let this happen to you.
This includes YOUR CAR. Most of the time we talk about decluttering space, people think about their home, especially a home office or their bedroom. But if you commute to work, and your car looks like the inside of frat house, that’s the FIRST space that’s on your mind when you get to the office. And it can effect your work.
Collect those old Kind bar wrappers, the coffee cup in the center console, and the shoes and jacket you tossed into the backseat. The cleaner the space, the clearer your mind.
Pay any outstanding bills, fill prescriptions, and go to the market.
These are the kind of tasks that stress anyone out, especially when their work week is jam-packed. And small tasks that float around in the back of your head take up BIG amounts of space. Check them off and get ready to check-in to Monday.
Work out.
It’s one of the best ways to get your week off on the right, healthy foot. Working out has been proven to improve concentration and mood, both of which are in hot demand come Monday.
Have a glass of red wine, read a book, have a meal with friends…
Whatever works best for you to relax, with Monday on the horizon, it’s too easy to slip into a negative state of mind. But that not only effects your sleep it also effects which side of the bed you wake up on Monday AM.
Your mood matters, so do something to put your mind at ease. Oh and did we mention that red wine significantly improve memory and motor skills. Cheers to you Sunday night!
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Pre-Week Motivation From One of Our Favorite CEOs
She's also the dance party queen.
When Sonja Rasula, CEO & Founder of @UniqueMarkets, @TheUniqueCamp, and @TheUniqueSpace got the #CreateCultivateSEA crowd on the Main Stage AND dancing during our last conference, it was truly something special. As she stated on her personal IG,
"Here's to those willing to take risks, to say yes to the unknown, to be weird in front of hundreds of strangers. A week ago these brave women got up on stage with me, learned their moves in less than one minute, and gave-it-a-go in front of hundreds of women staring back at them. BRAVO TO THE DARING - the difference between most people and these women is that they climbed onto the stage, knew their moves wouldn't be in sync, were faced with judging stares and DID IT ANYWAYS. And when making decisions in meetings, or figuring out a business idea or planning for a presentation, my guess is these ladies will conquer anything you throw at them, instead of being nervous and sitting on the sideline. 🎉 It was an honor seeing you all at my workshop, just look at those smiles and those moves!!!!"
She's also the owner of the above words, which, might be one of our most liked photos on IG-- ever. So in preparation for our Create & Cultivate x Marriott Hotels popup in Portland this week, where Sonja will be taking the stage to keynote and inspired, we had her rework some of our favorite inspirational sayings.
Check out the below for a little pre-week motivation and be sure to RSVP to our Portland event here.
1. Original: Success comes to those who wait. Sonja’d: Success comes over nights.
2. Original: Do one thing every day that scares you. Sonja’d: If it's easy, you're not doing it right.
3. Original: You can do it, put your back into it. Sonja’d: UM I WOULD SAY EXACTLY THAT!
4. Original: People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. Sonja’d: All it takes is a big idea and a little crazy.
"If it's easy, you're not doing it right."
Tweet this.
5. Original: Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right. Sonja’d: You are your biggest critic, let go. Become your biggest cheerleader.
6. Original: Done is better than perfect. Sonja’d: Dreamers dream. Doers get shit done.
Have a favorite saying? Share in the comments below!
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5 Quick and Easy Ways to Hack Your Work Week
Giving you a case of the Monyays.
photo credit: Sarah Derweiler
Sure, it's Sunday night and the work week ahead doesn't look appealing. But we want to give you a case of the Mon-yays with a few easy hacks that will start your week off right.
They're simple, take virtually no time to implement and allow you to get right back to your regularly scheduled evening.
1. SET YOUR ALARM WITH AN AFFIRMATION
It's easy to moan, groan, and snooze when your alarm goes off Monday AM. After a lazy weekend of sleeping in and waffles at noon, a 7am wakeup call can feel, well, like torture. But you need to head into your week with a positive outlook-- that's the first step to positive outcomes. So, set your alarm to go off with an affirmation. Something that makes you excited to start the day. It's super easy, especially with an iPhone. Instead of keeping the "Label" as "Alarm," fill in a positive saying that gets you rolling out of the right side of the bed.
That's what we call #mondaymotivation.
2. LOG OUT OF YOUR PERSONAL INSTAGRAM BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP
The endless Instagram scroll is a hard habit to break, but adding a second barrier between you and the social media time suck might be the pause button you need to not waste time on Monday.
We all do it. Especially when we're supposed to be getting back on our grind. But try something different and start this week not lost in the IG black hole. It's hard to pick up the momentum lost.
You can log back in Monday night. We promise, you won't have missed anything massive.
3. DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT MONDAY
The energy you put out is the energy you get back. If you want to have a bad work week, go ahead, complain. We suggest that instead, you jot down a quick list of items you're looking FORWARD to attacking this week. Not all tasks are fun, but pay attention to the ones you feel connected to, and train your focus there. When we accomplish items we are emotionally connected to it gives us the fuel we need to make it through tasks that are mundane or daunting.
4. MEAL PLAN YOUR WEEK
It's all too easy to fall into the weekly rut of waiting to eat until the last moment possible. But just as sleep is crucial to productivity, so is food. Without brainfood, you've got brain mush. If you're used to Postmating your meal at the last minute, this is for you. Spend 15 minutes planning out what you want to eat for lunch this week. Reports show that only 1 in 5 workers are taking adequate lunch breaks, but it's not making us better workers.
The way you spend your lunch break affects how productive you are for the rest of the day. When you're eating, do nothing but eat. Multi-tasking when you're supposed to be refueling is the wrong way to go about it.
5. TRY GOING COLD TURKEY
If you find yourself easily distracted by the internet and all its wiles, you're hardly alone. But there is a difference between checking something for work and checking out entirely. If your concentration level on Monday falls between zero and zero plus, consider using Cold Turkey. It’s a website that temporarily blocks you from going to sites that are distractions and is highly customizable to your needs.
Have other hacks? Share in the comments below and give everyone a shot a wonderful work week.