#MotivationalMonday: Start Your Week Out Strong

There’s a reason #MotiviationalMonday is a hashtag, and that’s because everyone can use a little bit of push at the beginning of the week. For entrepreneurs, it’s a little different - you’re not looking for a reason to dredge away to the office to spend hours making money for someone else; you’re running a business that you chose, doing what you love!

But even working on your passion may need some help, so it’s best to set yourself up for success even outside of the workplace. After all, organizing life outside of business helps to keep things on schedule in the workplace too. So whether your week begins on a Monday or Friday, here are some tips to start it out strong:

Plan Ahead


Take a few minutes before your week begins and look at what’s coming up. How many meetings do you have? How many social gatherings? Any doctor appointments? Knowing these things before tackling your schedule can help you prioritize your week and realistically set goals.

Meal Prep


When you're busy, it’s really easy to let a simple thing like food slip by the wayside. Figuring out what you are going to eat and preparing the food in advance will help avoid the stress of scrambling during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and will help you make healthy choices when you’re already hungry. There are plenty of websites with tips on how to meal prep, and knowing what’s on the menu will eliminate unnecessary stress for your day. Also, grab and go food in the fridge is such a time saver on those crazy mornings.

Outfit of the Day


Waking up is hard enough, whether you’re a night owl glog or a morning bird planning the day. Don’t waste precious minutes tearing apart your closet for a decent outfit. Take some time at the beginning of the week to style your outfits in advance, and set them in a specific area of your closet so you can just grab them and get dressed in the morning without any fuss. This also gives you a chance to iron, wash or find any items that you know you’ll want for a particular meeting or event, without making you late in the morning.

House Cleaning


If you work from home, you know how difficult it can be to focus in a messy environment. And it you work in an office, well, who doesn’t love coming back to a clean house? But, unless you can afford a cleaning service (lucky you!), chances are, you’ll have to do all the scrubbing, dusting and sweeping yourself. A great way to keep the home tidy while balancing a busy work schedule is to come up with a cleaning calendar. This regulates cleaning to about 15-30 minutes per day, which is highly doable. And, if it’s a particularly busy week, you can always move your chores to another day that may have more flexibility. Hello, shiny floors!

Relax

As they say, all work and no play makes Jack a boring boy. Not that you’re boring by any means, but it is important to take some time out for yourself. Include at least one hour of “Me” time per week so you have a chance to reset and refocus on work. Whether that means going to a friends place for drinks, taking a hike or just reading a book, taking time to breath can give you just as much motivation as tackling a To Do list.

Motivation doesn’t happen by accident, and feeling put together in your life outside of work really gets you ready to focus on your business. How do you prepare for your work week? Let us know in the comments!

Sometimes we all get caught in the day to day operations, but it’s important not to forget who you are and why you’re doing what you do.

At Schmooz Media, we understand that customers are your best brand ambassadors. That’s why we’re excited to create custom social media marketing strategies for small businesses, and take advantage of what their customers are already saying on social media. Schmooz Media is a Full Service Social Media Marketing Business, helping small-mid size businesses get the most social ROI possible. We’re passionate about giving your business actionable, measurable and meaningful results. Learn more about what Schmooz can do for you, or contact us with your inquiries today.

Photo by Garrhet Sampson