This Weekend Didn’t Work
So Here’s My Plan for Monday
Every holiday weekend should include a Monday off of work.
Mondays are tough as it is. Working with people (which I love) means weekends are an important part of my re-charge routine.
Not so on holiday weekends. I go from five, sometimes six, days of work, then head right into two days of social gatherings. I try to squeeze in small moments to get away, but you know as well as I do that those aren’t enough.
Now it’s Monday morning, I’m at work, and I feel like I have nothing to give. I can put a good face on it and even manage to be productive. But I’m dying on the inside.
So, I’ve given myself permission to do a few things today.
- First, I have permission to give less than 100%. I’m shooting for about 80%. If I spent half the energy I needed to reach 100%, I’d probably only be 60% effective. So that’s really a 20% improvement. That’s math, baby!
- Next, I have permission to do some complaining. I generally try to keep things positive in my work life. As a leader of others, it’s key to keeping team morale up. Today is different. I’m not feeling it, and I probably won’t unless I let off some steam. Some of that is going to have to come out.
- I also have permission to interact less with others. I spend a lot of time during the week making small talk and meeting with staff members. This keeps communication going and helps build good working relationships. Not happening today. “But what will they think if I’m not chatty or stay in my office more than usual?” I’ve decided not to worry about it. Even if they make assumptions, they’ll likely forget about it tomorrow after I’ve put myself back together again.
It’s only one day. One day to recharge, refresh, and refocus. You could argue that it’s a waste of company time. I disagree. It’s foolish to think anyone is putting in 100% every day. I’ve forced myself to do that on days like this before, and everyone suffers. I suffer. My family suffers. My work for the rest of the week suffers.
This is an investment. It’s being honest with myself that I don’t have to have it all together today. It’s also a promise to myself that tomorrow will be better. This isn’t a procrastinator’s copout. I’ve learned from experience. Circumstances won’t have changed, but I’ll be in a better frame of mind. I know without a doubt that once this day is over and I’ve had a restful evening and full-night’s sleep, I’ll be ready to hit it hard tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I’ll seriously consider taking that day off next time.
