8 painfully obvious signs you hate Mondays (and feel unfulfilled)

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If you aren’t jumping out of bed Monday morning, there is a problem.

“Living for the weekend” is not a long-term strategy

You cannot go through life accepting that 5 out of every 7 days are going to be spent doing some undesirable to you.

If you are reading this right now in an environment that is not stimulating you, why are you even there to begin with? Because it’s easy? Because it’s comfortable? Because it pays well? If your answer is Yes, then you aren’t just doing a disservice to the company you’re working for (simply along for the ride), but you are doing a disservice to yourself.

And there is no clearer answer to that than how you feel first thing Monday morning.

If you feel any of the following, you need to question whether you’re in the right place or not.

1. You got a full night’s sleep and yet you still feel tired

This is a very clear indicator that sleep is not the problem.

The problem is you’re not emotionally invested in what you’re doing. Have you ever gone on a vacation or a trip where you’re doing stuff all day, going to bed late, and still waking up early with tons of energy because you’re excited to do more exploring?

That’s how you should feel every day, in some way, shape, or form.

2. You did not prepare yesterday for today

People despise feeling overwhelmed, and yet so many fail to realize they do it to themselves.

Failing to prepare means you are preparing to fail.

Mondays are only overwhelming if you did not take Sunday to get all your ducks in a row. And the reason why most people choose not to do this is because whatever it is they’re doing isn’t enjoyable to them.

3. Everyone else hates Mondays too

It’s easy to hate things other people hate too.

“Misery loves company.”

It’s impossible (or very, very difficult) to stay positive when your company culture is, “Hey Bob, how was your weekend?” / “Too short. Can’t believe it’s Monday. I hate Mondays.”

4. You aren’t doing something you love

Obviously.

You are not going to wake up feeling excited to go to a job you don’t genuinely enjoy.

It’s astounding how many people choose things out of comfort, or fear of the unknown, and bite the bullet on years upon years of dissatisfaction.

5. Social media either hates Mondays or crushes Mondays

Browse through Instagram on a Monday morning and you’ll see half a dozen coffee cup quote graphics either sharing the pains of waking up on a Monday, or the relentless ambition one must possess in order to crush Mondays goals.

What’s more important is, what do YOU want?

How do YOU want to be spending your Monday?

And then what can you do in order to bring that to fruition?

6. You don’t enjoy the people you work with

Most of the time, it’s the people around you that define how long you stay in any given situation.

Regardless of how you feel about the work, it can be very difficult to take satisfaction in doing something with people who don’t bring you positive energy — and vice versa.

7. Mondays mark the end of one life and the beginning of the next

When you “live for the weekend,” a Monday is the door shutting on your 48 hours of freedom — and that’s a pretty strong indicator you are living double lives.

One life is how you “pay the bills,” and the other life is what you do for personal enjoyment. In some capacity, you want to find a way to merge the two.

Otherwise, you will never find your work all that fulfilling.

8. Because Monday means doing it “all over again”

This speaks directly to our culture of chasing rewards as “means to an end.”

If you see every week as a sprint, and you endure it with the hopes that one day you’ll be “done” and you can finally “enjoy it and relax,” you’re doing it wrong. You’re missing the entire journey. You are aiming for something that doesn’t actually exist.

Fulfillment is found along the way, not in a treasure chest at the end of the rainbow.

 

How to Start Your Business and Keep Your Day Job (Without Going Nuts)

By Mihran Kalaydjian, CHA

Marketing/Media Writer, Strategist and Consultant

How to Start Your Business and Keep Your Day Job (Without Going Nuts)

 

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Testing out your idea for a new business before you quit your day job is always a wise idea. It gives you a chance to make sure you really enjoy working for yourself and that your business is economically viable, while still allowing you the financial security of a steady paycheck. It can be a great way to “test-drive” your entrepreneurial dreams.

That said, having a side hustle is by no means easy. In fact, one of the things it winds up testing, inadvertently, is whether you’ve got the dedication and motivation it will take to be an entrepreneur. If you can manage the stress of day job/dream job double life, chances are you’ve got what it takes to run your own business.

I side hustled for two and a half years before going off on my own, and I know how challenging it can be. If you’re currently working a side hustle, or are thinking of starting one, here are a few key things to keep in mind to keep your business (and your sanity!) from going under in the process:

Learn to Say “No”

Just as important as your to-do list is your not-to-do list. You only have so many hours in a day, and if you’re running a side gig, chances are you’re already stretching those hours pretty thin. Now is not the time to try to make everyone happy or be everyone’s friend; now is the time to know your limits and take a stand to enforce them.

Practice and become comfortable with phrases like, “I’m sorry, but my plate is full,” and, “I wish I could, but I’m booked up right now.” The key to saying no without sounding like a jerk is to keep it simple (no long, flowing excuses), express your sincere regret, and leave it at that. You have every right to set your own priorities—and if you want your side hustle to ever become a full-time hustle, you’re going to have to.

80/20 Everything

You’ve likely heard of the Pareto Principle: 80 percent of your outcome stems from 20 percent of your efforts. In essence, it argues that it’s smartest to focus your energy on the tasks that give you the highest return on investment. Everything else? You can probably get away with letting it slide.

This is true not only when it comes to your business, but also when it comes to the rest of your life. When you’re holding down two jobs, you can’t beat yourself up too much when certain things in your life fall by the wayside. Rather than trying to do everything, focus on just trying to do the essentials. Your house may be a little messy, but at least you can do enough laundry to keep your family clothed and enough dishes that you have something to eat off of each night. You may not be able to make meals from scratch, but try to get healthier takeout on the nights you’re crunched for time.

Schedule in Some “Me” Time

When you’re in full-on hustler mode, it can feel wasteful and selfish to spend time on anything that isn’t “billable.” (Believe me, I know.) But the harsh truth is that your business won’t last very long if you crash and burn out. If you can’t get yourself to take a break now and then for your sake, get yourself to take one for your business’s sake.

If it helps, schedule in time for yourself on your calendar just like you’d schedule in time for a project. Treat yourself as another client, and adhere to your assigned “me” time with the same discipline you’d adhere to a client deadline.

Trust me. It will be worth it. Hustling is ultimately a long game, and you want to keep yourself in working order.

Are you currently working a side hustle? How do you keep yourself and your business going?