There’s a growing sentiment I’m seeing more often across social media. This idea that everyone should love Mondays because if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life. I’ve never been able to find exactly who that quote was attributed to, but he or she must have found a way to monetize drinking frozen drinks across the world’s best beaches.

Lately I’ve been seeing more of this message from some of my favorite fitness and wellness professionals – usually on Monday mornings before the rest of have had time to down our first coffee. It often comes with a personal anecdote and an attempt to get you motivated for the week.

While I can appreciate the latter and recognize Mondays are a good way to start fresh, the reality is for many of us we are still mentally gearing up for the grind of our nine-to-fives. I don’t dread Mondays like I did when I was younger, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I like them – Mondays suck! I realize this doesn’t jive with the #joblove romanticism we’re consistently being shamed with, but in reality, it’s perfectly okay to have a case of the Mondays.

I love what I do. I’m fortunate enough to work with some of the most exciting tech startups in the country on a daily basis. Helping young, hungry entrepreneurs achieve their dreams is incredibly rewarding work. It’s also exceptionally stressful and requires lots of hard work in a challenging environment. I don’t welcome that every day.

Does that make me a loser? Am I out of the #joblove cult? Or does it mean there are things in my life I value more than my career?

For me, weekends are the time I get to spend with family, friends and loved ones. We get to mentally unplug, rest, have fun and recharge. In turn, that makes the return to regularly scheduled nine-to-five on Monday feel less exciting, but that’s okay. The purpose of putting in hard work during the week is to enjoy the fruits of my labor and live my life, and I just have to remind myself of that.

So don’t let anyone guilt you into feeling bad that the weekend is over. It likely means you just had a great weekend! Now, that’s no excuse to pack it in and call it a day. If you have to be at work you might as well make it productive. Here’s how I like to get my week started on the right track.

Make your bed

This one is stolen from Navy Seal Commander, Admiral William McRaven’s commencement speech to the University of Texas. Essentially, by making your bed you’ve already accomplished your first task of the day which will give you a modicum sense of pride and motivate you to accomplish the next task.

Make a list

When I get into the office on Mondays, I’m not the kind to hit the ground running. I like to get myself and my desk situated, peruse the internet for the latest news, and work my way into the work week slowly. By creating a list of all the things you need to accomplish before you can think about enjoying next weekend, jot them down as you get into your groove (and get your caffeine levels right).

Get that first workout in

Getting that first workout in on Monday sets the tone for the rest of the week and reinforces healthy choices for meals.

Get your grocery shopping done

If you’re a productive human on the weekends, chances are you’ve already gone shopping for the week and already have your meal prep done. For everyone else, today’s the day to get that diet back on track.

 

Good Luck out there everyone. Friday is only four days away!