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10.07
Managing
Mondays
By Terrance Malkinson
For some, the statement “Thank
goodness it’s Friday” leads quickly to anxiety
over having to return to work on
Monday. Some get to the point where they cannot
even enjoy the weekend. Such a negative mindset is
self-defeating and can limit career success. With
some simple strategies, you can enjoy an
attitude reversal that has you saying: “Thank goodness it’s
Monday.” It’s all about creating a strategy to
achieve control of your work and time.
Focus on the positive
Think about the things that you
most enjoy about your work. Perhaps it is the
camaraderie with your fellow workers, or
possibly new challenges and learning.
Facilitate positive thinking by planning work
activities that you will particularly look forward
to during the week.
Plan ahead
Before leaving on Friday, clear
your desk and create a written, realistic and
achievable agenda for the following week.
Clearing the decks
will help to ensure that no unfinished tasks
and unexpected surprises greet you on Monday
morning. Try to avoid starting anything new or
stressful Friday afternoon. If you dare, you might
even avoid looking at e-mail on
Friday afternoon. Reward yourself, taking time
to celebrate your successes during the week.
Start your Monday simply
Keep your Monday morning agenda
light. Avoid scheduling big meetings and
scenarios where you will need to make
major decisions. Do not allow yourself to get bogged
down immediately with a difficult issue. Give
yourself something to look forward to, that will
give you a feeling of quick results, by
scheduling at
least one interesting activity with an
achievable goal. Spend
some time socializing with your work associates.
Feed off colleagues' positive energy,
and avoid those who may be depressed with the
return to work.
Avoid Procrastination
Why put off until tomorrow what
you can do today? Doing so only increases feelings
of being overwhelmed, making
your Monday more stressful and less enjoyable. Procrastination is more
than just a bad habit. It can be viewed as a
liability to a company's productivity, which
will ultimately reflect badly on you. Some see
procrastination
as a way of expressing internal conflict, and
a way of protecting a vulnerable sense of self-esteem.
Others say it has a component of
brinkmanship, where individuals want to
demonstrate how well they can pull things
together under pressure. Perfectionists are
prime candidates for procrastination. Others put
things off because they are rebelling indirectly
against authority. Get started on the tasks
you are tempted to put off — intermediate steps
can bring a sense of accomplishment.
Enjoy your weekend
When you leave work on Friday,
your time is now your own. Spend it wisely with
family and friends enjoying pursuits that are
important to you. By doing so, you will clear
your mind and will return to work on Monday
refreshed.
Through some simple
strategies and self-discipline it is possible to
change your mindset. Maybe you'll even start saying,
“Thank goodness it’s Monday.”
Terrance Malkinson is a
communications specialist, business analyst and
futurist. He is an elected Senator of the
University of Calgary, a Governor of the
Engineering Management Society, international
correspondent for IEEE-USA Today's Engineer
Online, editor-in-chief of IEEE-USA
Today's Engineer Digest, editor of IEEE
Engineering Management, and associate editor
for IEEE Canadian Review. He the author
of more than 300 publications, and is also an
accomplished triathlete. The author is grateful
to the Haskayne School of Business Library at
the University of Calgary. He can be reached at
todaysengineer@ieee.org.
Opinions expressed are the author's.
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